National Heritage Board | June And July Happenings!

This June and July, National Heritage Board (NHB) will be running an array of programmes and events for you and your family!

So much is happening in the year of 2023 across the venues managed by the National Heritage Board! Here's a closer look at what you can expect in the months of June and July:

Semangat yang Baru: Forging a New Singapore Spirit

Photo Credit: Founders' Memorial, NHB

Date: now till 29 Oct 2023
Fee: Free admission for Singapore Citizens and PR

Come, let us unite in a new spirit.
Marilah kita bersatu dengan semangat yang baru.

All Singaporeans know these words from the chorus of “Majulah Singapura”, our national anthem. The Semangat yang Baru: Forging a New Singapore Spirit exhibition captures the ferment and dynamism of our early years, when the leaders and people of Singapore rallied together to build our fledgling nation between the 1950s and 1970s.

Explore lesser-known dilemmas that our founding generation faced as we boldly strove to build a society based on justice and equality. Guided by our foundational values of multiculturalism, integrity and openness, we confronted pressing questions of: What do we stand for? How do we move forward? Who could we be as a people?

Just as the Singapore spirit was born out of adversity over 50 years ago, this special exhibition presented by the Founders’ Memorial and National Museum of Singapore asks the question, what does semangat yang baru – the new spirit – mean to us today?

Look forward to an exciting array of programmes such as Behind the Scenes Curator tours, interactive bus tours, film-screenings and more. Look out also for programmes where you get to share your stories and take part in conversations that will help shape the Founders’ Memorial.

Interactive Bus Tours to ‘Semangat yang Baru: Forging a New Singapore Spirit’ Exhibition

Photo Credit: Founders' Memorial, NHB

Date: 18 Jun to 29 Oct 2023
Time: 10am to 1pm, 1.30pm to 4.30pm
Fee: $5 per pax

Come on board with the Founders’ Memorial on an interactive journey about our nation-building years! The Memorial is organising bus tours to its pilot exhibition, Semangat yang Baru: Forging a New Singapore Spirit, to bring Singaporeans from the heartlands to the exhibition. Participants will take a journey back in time, and will hear stories from role-playing guides about real challenges and dilemmas faced by our leaders and the people of Singapore, during our independence years of the 1950s to 1970s. These stories will flesh out the values and principles such as multiculturalism, boldness and resilience that have become foundational to Singapore. Participants will also receive a limited-edition tote bag filled with snacks.

Bookings for tours in English can be made here. To arrange for group bookings for vernacular tours, please contact: founders_memorial@nhb.gov.sg

Children’s Season 2023 – Hopes and Dreams

Date: now to 25 Jun 2023
Time: Various timings
Fee: Free & Paid 

Children’s Season is back and even bigger this year! This year’s theme invites children to explore different occupations and inventions from the past and present and be inspired to imagine jobs or inventions for the near or far future! Families can expect an exciting line-up of comic art workshops hosted by a variety of artists at participating museums. For those who enjoy the excitement of collecting different stamps, you can have a fun time with family and friends visiting participating museums to collect their uniquely designed passport stamp imprints! Collect enough imprints and be rewarded with different prizes depending on how many you collect! These passports are now available for collection at participating museums from 27 May 2023. Children’s Season is an annual event organised by the National Heritage Board and the Museum Roundtable to encourage a museum-going culture amongst Singaporeans.

More information will be available here in mid-May.

Monumental Hunt in the Civic District

Date: 17 Jun & 15 Jul 2023 
Time: 9.30am to 12pm
Fee: $55 per participant | Register here

Set off on a fun-filled puzzle hunt in the Civic District! Inspired by escape rooms and treasure hunts, participants go on an immersive outdoor expedition featuring nine National Monuments in the area. Facilitated and guided by a game master, get ready to put on your thinking caps to decode the puzzles and discover fascinating facts about these historic buildings and sites along the way!

Note: This Monumental Hunt will be recurring and takes place every 3rd Saturday of the month.

Programmes by the Indian Heritage Centre (IHC)

Enchanting Forest at Indian Heritage Centre

Venue: Indian Heritage Centre
Date: now to 25 Jun 2023
Time: 10am to 6pm (Closed on Mon)

This June, embark on an enchanted journey through the IHC’s Enchanting Forest! Immerse yourself in an interactive sound installation, watch a captivating dance performance, participate in engaging workshops, and listen to enthralling stories. Mark your calendars and join IHC for a fun-filled holiday programme with the family!

• NATURI Sound Installation in collaboration with The Artground

Venue: Indian Heritage Centre Lobby
Date: now to 25 Jun 2023
Time: 10am to 6pm (Closed on Mon)
Fee: Free

Enter NATURI – a sound installation where families explore an interactive sound forest. You will find green grass seeded with wooden xylophones. What sounds might you create in your own NATURI?

• Grow with Me by Kueh Tutus

Venue: Indian Heritage Centre Activity Room, L2
Dates & Times: 

• 10 Jun 2023: 3pm to 4pm
• 11 Jun 2023, 11.30am to 12.30pm

Fee: $15 per child with one accompanying adult; $5 for additional child/adult

Inspired by the life cycle of plants, Grow with Me is a beautiful and intimate dance performance for the little ones that invokes the sights, sounds and smells of a colourful garden. Register for this engaging performance today!

Recommended for children aged 12 to 30 months old.

• ‘Just a Little Mynah’ Storytelling & Craft Session

Dates & Times: 

• 10 Jun 2023: 2pm to 3pm
• 11 Jun 2023, 10.30am to 11.30am

Fee: $15 per child with one accompanying adult; $5 for additional child/adult

Join the Little Mynah and go on an adventure with her as she flies into action and discovers that even ordinary little birds can do extraordinary things. Sign up for this storytelling session accompanied by a zero-waste craft activity today!

Recommended for children aged 5 to 12.

• Comic Drawing Workshops - Everyday Objects with Extraordinary Stories

Venue: Indian Heritage Centre
Date: 2 Jun 2023
Time: 11am to 12pm
Fee: $20 per child with 1 free accompanying parent

Recommended for children aged 8 to 12.

• Comic Drawing Workshops - Superheroes and their Superpowered

Venue: Indian Heritage Centre
Date: 10 Jun 2023
Time: 11am to 12pm
Fee: $20 per child with 1 free accompanying parent

Recommended for children aged 8 to 12.

• Comic Drawing Workshops - Pioneer Superheroes: Indian Superheroes who made Singapore awesome

Venue: Indian Heritage Centre
Date: 24 Jun 2023
Time: 2pm to 3pm
Fee: $20 per child with 1 free accompanying parent

Recommended for children aged 6 to 12.

• Singapore HeritageFest 2023 at Indian Heritage Centre

Photo Credit: IHC

Venue: Indian Heritage Centre
Date: 10 to 11 Jun 2023
Time: 10am to 6pm (Closed on Mon)
Fee: Free

Enjoy free admission and indulge in a range of special activities, from performances to storytelling, craft workshops to drop-in activities. Plus, don't miss out on the ice-cream giveaway*!

*While stocks last and limited to one ice cream per child 

• Drop-In Craft Activity: Ball Drop & Lion Mask Colouring Sheet

Venue: Indian Heritage Centre Lobby
Date: now to 25 Jun 2023
Time: 10am to 6pm (Closed on Mon)
Fee: Free

• Drop-In Craft Activity: Clay Animal Craft

Venue: Indian Heritage Centre Lobby
Date: 10 & 11 Jun 2023
Time: 10am to 6pm
Fee: Free

Programmes by the Malay Heritage Centre (MHC)

Tales from the Nusantara: Timun Emas

Venue: Singapore Botanic Gardens, Centre for Ethnobotany
Date: 8 Jun 2023
Time: 11am to 12.30pm
Fee: $18 per parent & child | $18 per additional child | Register here

Listen to the mystical story about a brave girl who was born from a magical cucumber and her valiant efforts in escaping and defeating Raksasa (The Giant/Ogre). This retelling of an Indonesian folktale Timun Emas (The Golden Cucumber) will be brought to you by Malay Heritage Centre's docent and storyteller, Hafiz Rashid. Discover and learn more about Malay cultural gems such as batik and kuda kepang, a traditional Javanese dance featured in the story.

• Recommended for children aged 5 – 10.
• Each ticket is for 1 parent and child pair. Tickets are also available for additional child. Please note parent's participation is required.
• Each ticket comes with a gardening kit. 

Malay Heritage Centre: Malay World Travelling Roadshow

Photo Credit: MHC

Venue: 45/47 Sultan Gate
Date: from 7 Jul 2023 

For over a decade, Malay Heritage Centre has been telling stories of the past, present, and future generations of the Malay community through exhibitions and programmes. The travelling roadshow will focus on the Malay World as depicted through the world fairs, delving into stories, narratives and material cultures that make the Malay World whole. It aims to showcase not just history and heritage but also the potential of collaboration between and beyond the various Malay communities. In addition to these fun and experiential elements, Malay Heritage Centre’s roadshow also gives a glimpse into our future exhibition narratives as well as what our programs and outreach initiatives can offer.

For more information, please visit the Malay Heritage Centre’s Instagram page and Facebook page.

My First Wayang Kulit Show

Photo Credit: Malay Heritage Centre

Explore the wonders of wayang kulit together with Laila in this interactive online game! Get a chance to be a little dalang (puppeteer), put up your first Ramayana performance and get a chance to learn what goes on behind the screen in a wayang kulit show.

Access this online game here for free.

Tales from the Nusantara Storytelling Video Series

Photo Credit: Malay Heritage Centre

Staying home during the school holidays can be a lot of fun with our storytelling series showcasing folktales from the Nusantara (Malay world)! Check out our YouTube Channel for pre-recorded storytelling videos that you can tune in at home or in school.

Activity sheets in both Malay and English are available for download for selected videos.

View the series for free at here.

I am a Little Jewellery Designer

Photo Credit: Malay Heritage Centre

Did you know that a diamond village called “Kampong Intan” used to exist in Singapore? It was bustling with diamond traders and jewellery designers!

Join our friends Laila and Oreo in this interactive video game where you can harvest your own intan (diamond), polish it and set it in a beautiful piece of jewellery. Your creation will also be available for download as an image file to keep forever.

Pssst.. redeem a specially designed sticker at the MHC if you flash your creation- while stocks last!

Access this online game here for free.

Programmes by Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall

Connections Across Oceans: Early Chinese Mutual Aid Organisations

Photo Credit: SYSNMH

Venue: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall
Date: now to 10 Dec 2023
Time: Tue to Sun, 10am to 5pm (Last Admission 4.30pm)

In partnership with C.V. Starr East Asian Library, University of California, Berkeley, this exhibition traces the ebb and flow of mutual aid organisations throughout the 19th and 20th centuries in Singapore and San Francisco. Uncover the stories of mutual aid organisations such as Hongmen, locality -based and surname-based organisations and learn about their roles in supporting early Chinese migrant communities.

For more information, please visit Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall’s (SYSNMH) website and Facebook page throughout the period.

Changi Chapel and Museum

Photo Credit: Changi Chapel and Museum

Photo Credit: Changi Chapel and Museum

Address: 1000 Upper Changi Road North, Singapore 507707
Opening Hours: 9.30am to 5.30pm, Tue to Sun (Closed every Mon except Public Holidays, Last admission at 5pm)
Fee: Free admission for Citizens & PRs

The Changi Chapel and Museum tells the story of the prisoners of war and civilians interned in Changi prison camp during the Japanese Occupation. Managed by the National Museum of Singapore, the Changi Museum was revamped and reopened in May 2021. The revamped museum features new content and artefacts, including stories and personal objects collected from families of former internees, presented in an intimate and engaging format. The museum’s narrative is centred on remembrance and reflection, encouraging visitors to contemplate both the hardships that the internees underwent, as well as their courage and resilience in the face of difficulties.

Reflections at Bukit Chandu

Photo Credit: Reflections at Bukit Chandu

Photo Credit: Reflections at Bukit Chandu

Address: 31-K Pepys Road, Singapore 118458
Opening Hours: 9.30am to 5pm, Tue to Sun (Closed every Mon except Public Holidays, Last admission at 4.30pm)
Fee: Free admission for Citizens & PRs

Reflections at Bukit Chandu is a World War Two interpretative centre that commemorates the battle of Pasir Panjang and the men of the Malay Regiment who fought in it, as well as the history of Bukit Chandu itself. Housed in a bungalow that is closely connected to the site’s history, the interpretative centre uses immersive experiences and contextual artefacts to present a multi-faceted look at Bukit Chandu and Pasir Panjang, while inviting visitors to reflect on our nation’s wartime experience and the brave sacrifice of the soldiers.

Programmes by Children’s Museum Singapore

Make-your-own 3D Assortment of Fruits with Imagine a Garden Artist Diana Beltran!

Venue: Children’s Museum Singapore
Date: 2 to 4 Jun 2023
Time: 10am to 11.30am
Fee: $45 per parent-child pair | Register here (via the “Programmes” tab)

Wonder who the creator is behind the beautiful paper sculptures in the special exhibition, Imagine a Garden? Come meet artist Diana Beltran in person as she travels all the way from UK to share with you her secret behind her love for what she does. In this workshop, children and their parents get crafty in making various 3D paper sculpture fruits and bring it home with them at the end. Visit Imagine a Garden exhibition after the session and get up close with artist Diana. Get ready to have a fruity-licious time as a family!

Make-your-own Pop-Up Garden with Imagine a Garden Artist Diana Beltran!

Photo Credit: Children's Museum Singapore

Venue: Children’s Museum Singapore
Date: 2 to 4 Jun 2023
Time: 2.30pm to 4.30pm
Fee: $48 per parent-child pair | Register here (via the “Programmes” tab)

Wonder who the creator is behind the beautiful paper sculptures in the special exhibition, Imagine a Garden? Come meet artist Diana Beltran in person as she travels all the way from UK to share with you her secret behind her love for what she does. In this workshop, children and their parents will get to learn how to make a bird, flower and leaves with paper! Participants can get creative to assemble their own dream garden and bring it back home. Visit Imagine a Garden exhibition after the workshop session and get up close with artist Diana. Join in the fun and get close to nature as a family!

A Boxful of Stories: Hopes and Dreams

Photo Credit: Children's Museum Singapore

Venue: Children’s Museum Singapore
Dates & Times: 

• 9 & 16 Jun 2023: 11am to 11.45am
• 8, 15 & 16 Jun 2023: 2pm to 2.45pm

Fee: $15 per child (all children must be accompanied by an adult) | Register here (via the “Programmes” tab)

Pitter patter, drip and drop, All we’ve got are just some props. No beginning, middle or end, All we’ve got are just some friends. Watch us fly or watch us hop, Come and think out of the box. You and I we make a team, Telling stories about our Hopes and Dreams!

Join Story Makers from Zip Zap Zoom Collective and have a romp of a time improvising a story with them! Watch as they take on your imaginative ideas and think out of the box (literally!) to perform a story that has been created by you and for you! Choose from the props available to create your own story, sprouted from your imagination.

Explore Jobland with WonderBot

Photo Credit: Children's Museum Singapore

Venue: Children’s Museum Singapore
Date: 30 May to 4 Jun, 6 to 11 Jun, 13 to 18 Jun & 20 to 25 Jun 2023
Time: 11am to 12.45pm
Fee: $8 per child (all children must be accompanied by an adult) | Register here (via the “Programmes” tab)

Embark on an exciting exploration with your little one at Jobland! Come along with WonderBot to discover various occupations in the past and present-day through a series of hands-on activities. Meet Uncle Chwee in the five-footway corridor and many other friends of WonderBot from all walks of life in this self-guided programme and redeem a prize upon completion of the missions!

Photo Credit: Children's Museum Singapore

Bricks Fundraising - Own a Part of History

Date: Ongoing
Cost: $500 per brick, while stocks last

Make a donation to Children's Museum Singapore and contribute towards the museum's projects, educational and public programmes.

Patrons who donate $500 will be able to obtain an old handmade brick* which was originally part of the extension block for Anglo-Chinese School constructed around 1907.

These bricks were obtained while revamping Children's Museum Singapore's building.

All proceeds will be put into our Education Fund.

Visit this link for more details.

*Bricks are while stocks last.