Programme: Tapestry of Lives Exhibition Tours & Artist Talks

 

Enter a woven quilt of homespun tales that define Singapore, where threads of lives are spun together through our mutual communal ties.

Read about the individual projects under this showcase below:

SGEatWithUs Carnival & CookSG App Launch
By CookSG

Food is a universal language, one that brings people from all walks of life together. Get the scoop on food memories of chefs and hawkers, as well as beloved local recipes crowdsourced through CookSG, an app produced by Big Red Button.

Programme SGEatWithUs Carnival & CookSG App Launch Date: 29 March 2015, 2pm – 5pm Location: The Plaza, National Library, 100 Victoria Street, 188064

 

Theatre Memories – 50 Years of Singapore Theatre
By Jennifer Lim

Go behind the curtains and celebrate the diverse, enlightening and personal moments of 50 significant theatre practitioners. Theatre Memories – 50 Yearsof Singapore Theatre creates an informative,stimulating and playful experience to foster a wider appreciation and understanding of
Singapore’s vibrant theatre scene. Through a live Twitter feed, the general public is encouraged to contribute their memories to this interactive exhibition.

theatrememories

Exhibition   Theatre Memories – 50 years of Sing Exhibition Date: 1 April 2015 – 12 April 2015 Location: The Art House

 

So Happy: 50 Years of Singapore Rock
By fFurious

The local music scene has brought generations of Singaporeans together, giving our community a sense of identity, pride and shared memories unique to the nation. Organised by fFurious, So Happy: 50 Years of Singapore Rock pays tribute to those who have contributed to Singapore’s vibrant music scene, through photographs, music artefacts and writings showcasing our local rock community’s finest moments across six decades.

sohappysg

Exhibition   So Happy: 50 Years of Singapore Rock Exhibition Date: 8 April 2015 – 17 April 2015 Location: The SubStation

 

EEVA on the Road
By Rediffusion

Established in the 1940s, Rediffusion is Singapore’s first and oldest radio broadcaster. In EEVA on the Road, co-owner of Rediffusion Eeva Chang makes her way from the airwaves to the screen, as she delves into the lives of our nation’s pioneers to interview them and collect their stories.

Programme EEVA Screening and Talk Date: 13 June 2015, 1pm – 3pm Location: The Pod, Level 16, National Library, 100 Victoria Street, 188064 Registration is full! Thank you for the overwhelming support!

 

Singapore Snaps: Preserving Precious Memories
By Singapore Snaps

Witness yesterday’s Singapore come to life in Singapore Snaps,an art project that reanimates history using 10,000 family photographs contributed by the public. Be sure to catch the three one-minute animations created by Tan Wei Keong, Gracie Teo and Samantha Tio, and take a trip through the past.

sgsnaps

Programme Singapore Snaps Animated Film Date: 4 July 2015 Location: Imagination Room, Level 5, National Library, 100 Victoria Street, 188064 Registration is full! Thank you for the overwhelming support!

 

On the Road
By Sean Lee

Day in, day out, taxi drivers spend most of their waking hours plying the streets of Singapore. Witness the progress of our country through changes in the external landscape and passenger demographics, all as seen from their perspectives. In On The Road, photographer Sean Lee captures the memories of taxi drivers detailing the changes in our nation through archival materials, texts, interviews, videos and photographs.

Exhibition On the Road Exhibition Date: 3 July 2015 – 28 July 2015 Location: The Plaza, National Library, 100 Victoria Street, 188064	Programme On the Road Exhibition Tour and Artist Talk Date: 18 July 2015, 2pm – 5pm Location: Imagination Room, Level 5, National Library, 100 Victoria Street, 188064 Registration is full! Thank you for the overwhelming support!

 

Our Story That Binds – Sehari Selembar Benang, Lama-Lama Menjadi Kain
By Zullikhan Abdullah

Our stories may seem disparate from one another, but once these narrative threads are woven together, they form a collective memory that binds the community. Our Story That Binds is a website where you can upload your story of any inspiring Malay individual who contributed to our nation-building efforts. These stories are then compiled and exhibited, so others may rediscover their history and cultural identity.

ourstorythatbinds

Exhibition Our Story That Binds Exhibition Date: 3 July 2015 – 28 July 2015 Location: The Plaza, National Library, 100 Victoria Street, 188064	Programme Our Story That Binds Exhibition Tour and Artist Talk Date: 5 July 2015, 2pm – 4pm Location: Possibility Room, Level 5, National Library, 100 Victoria Street, 188064 We regret to inform you that Our Story That Binds Programme has been cancelled.

 

Public Conversations
By Alecia Neo

Public Conversations explores memories of travel and transition through the multiple voices of immigrants living in Singapore as they share their challenges and aspirations for the future.

alecianeo

Exhibition Public Conversations Exhibition Date: 3 July 2015 – 28 July 2015 Location: The Plaza, National Library, 100 Victoria Street, 188064	Programme Public Conversations Exhibition Tour and Artist Talk Date: 18 July 2015, 2pm – 5pm Location: Possibility Room, Level 5, National Library, 100 Victoria Street, 188064 Registration is full! Thank you for the overwhelming support!

 

Trades by Postal Code
By Nicole Chai

As Singapore’s younger generation obsesses over the new, they leave the past to wither behind them. Once-familiar occupations – cobblers, tailors and fishmongers – are but some of the trades slowly disappearing from our streets.

Observe these skilled craftsmen at work in their natural environment in Chai’s Trades by Postal Code, a photography publication that captures their humanity and creates a dialogue between people and places.

tradesbypostalcode

Exhibition Trades by Postal Code Exhibition Date: 3 July 2015 – 28 July 2015 Location: The Plaza, National Library, 100 Victoria Street, 188064	Programme Trades by Postal Code Exhibition Tour and Artist Talk Date: 18 July 2015, 2pm – 5pm Location: Possibility Room, Level 5, National Library, 100 Victoria Street, 188064 Registration is full! Thank you for the overwhelming support!

Singapore Farmers
By Ore Huiying

As large plots of land continue to make way for our nation’s development, trace the roots of farming from its traditional practices to new technologies in Singapore Farmers.

Basing her research from the National Archives of Singapore, Ore Huiying explores the past and present memories of local farming communities through curated video footage, photos and oral historical records on the geographical history of farms and the events that affected them.

singaporefarmers

Exhibition Singapore Farmers Exhibition Date: 3 July 2015 – 28 July 2015 Location: The Plaza, National Library, 100 Victoria Street, 188064	Programme Singapore Farmers Exhibition Tour and Artist Talk Date: 18 July 2015, 2pm – 5pm Location: Possibility Room, Level 5, National Library, 100 Victoria Street, 188064 Registration is full! Thank you for the overwhelming support!

 

Coolie Currency
By Patsy Lee & Loh Ah Keong

A long time ago, clan houses and triads in Singapore and other parts of Southeast Asia paid coolies in a special currency made of Chinese porcelain.

Retrace the history of Singapore’s coolie migrants and their social culture through the use of this unique currency in the book Coolie Currency, which features the most complete collection of coolie currency for the first time ever.

 

Exhibition Coolie Currency Exhibition Date: 5 July 2015 – 28 July 2015 Location: Promenade, Level 10 National Library, 100 Victoria Street, 188064	Programme Coolie Currency Screening and Artist Talk (Talk is conducted in Mandarin) Date: 26 July 2015, 2pm – 4pm Location: Visitors’ Briefing Room, Level 1, National Library, 100 Victoria Street, 188064 Registration is full! Thank you for the overwhelming support!

The Dialectal Vernacular
By Ang Song Nian & NTU ADM Students

Every time we speak in our dialects, we express a part of our cultural history.

With the use of dialects slowly declining among the younger generation, the exhibition The Dialectal Vernacular brings our attention to the accompanying disappearance of our heritage and encourages the revitalisation of dialect use.

Exhibition Dialectal Vernacular Exhibition Date: 16 July 2015 – 29 July 2015 Location: The Lobby, Level 1 National Library, 100 Victoria Street, 188064	Programme Dialectal Vernacular Exhibition Tour and Artist Talk Date: 12 July 2015, 3.30pm – 5pm Location: Visitors’ Briefing Room, Level 1, National Library, 100 Victoria Street, 188064 Registration is full! Thank you for the overwhelming support!

 

Once Upon Tai Seng Village
by Hemisphere Foundation

This coffee-table book, produced in memory of community leader Ang Chye Liak, documents the memories of the colourful Tai Seng heritage and attempts to revive the Tai Seng spirit.

onceupontaiseng

Programmes Once Upon Tai Seng Talk Date: 5 July 2015, 11am – 12pm Location: Possibility Room, Level 5 National Library, 100 Victoria Street, 188064 Registration is full! Thank you for the overwhelming support!

 

The Politics of Defeat
by Margaret Thomas

As a founding member of the Labour Party of Singapore in 1948, the late Francis Thomas (pictured second from right) played a critical role in shaping the destiny of our nation. Catch a glimpse of Singapore’s history and its struggle for independence through Thomas’ papers and secret diaries as compiled by his daughter, Margaret.

Programmes The Politics of Defeat Talk Date: 11 July 2015, 10am – 12pm Location: Imagination Room, Level 5 National Library, 100 Victoria Street, 188064 Registration is full! Thank you for the overwhelming support!

 

Life Beyond The Big Top
By Adele Wong

From the 1950s to the 1970s, the Tai Thean Kew Circus would tour Malaya and Singapore, entertaining people of all creeds and races. In this coffee-table book, the author recounts the storied journey of these Chinese circus performers using memories from her family and fans of the circus.

taitheankewcircus

Programme Life Beyond The Big Top Publication Talk Date: 11 July 2015, 2pm – 4pm Location: Imagination Room, Level 5 National Library, 100 Victoria Street, 188064 Registration is full! Thank you for the overwhelming support!

 

Ah Cai La Kopi
by Edmund Chen

There is nothing quite like catching up with friends, old and new, over a piping hot cup of coffee. Anchored by actor Edmund Chen, Ah Cai La Kopi is a 20-episode multilingual talk show that features the personal journeys and experiences of Singapore’s top local celebrities, personalities, businessmen and professionals.

ectv

 

Programmes Ah Cai La Kopi Screening Date: 12 July 2015, 1pm – 2.30pm Location:Visitors’ Briefing Room, Level 1 National Library, 100 Victoria Street, 188064 Registration is full! Thank you for the overwhelming support!

 

Project Singapore: A Collection of Memories of the Hainanese Entrepreneurs
by Tai Sun (Lim Kee) Food Industries

Often associated with Singapore’s food and beverage industry, the Hainanese have found regional fame through one of our national pastimes.

Gain a fresh outlook of our nation’s history through the perspective of Tai Sun and nine other successful Hainanese businesses, from their early days to Singapore’s struggle for independence

Programmes Project Singapore: A Collection of Memories of the Hainanese Entrepreneurs Publication Date: 18 July 2015, 1pm – 3pm Location: Imagination Room, Level 5 National Library, 100 Victoria Street, 188064 Registration is full! Thank you for the overwhelming support!

 

Gema Dikir Barat Di Singapura
By Izuan Bin Mohamed Rais

From the distinctive rhythms to their heavy drumbeats, learn more about dikir barat, a Malay performance art form here that is native to the Malay Peninsula. Gema Dikir Barat Di Singapura is a coffee-table book accompanied by a 20-minute film revealing the fascinating history of this traditional musical form.

Programme Gema Dikir Barat Di Singapura Documentary and Publication Date: 18 July 2015, 2pm – 5pm Location: library@esplanade Registration is full! Thank you for the overwhelming support!

 

Kala Manjari: 50 Years of Indian Classical Music & Dance in Singapore
By SIFAS

Raga and Rasa – melodies and emotions expressed in the lively art forms of Indian classical music and dance – have been the bedrock of Indian identity across the centuries and around the world. These artforms have thrived and intertwined with other Asian cultures, helping Indians maintain a distinctive cultural identity in multicultural Singapore.

In the book Kala Manjari, the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society commemorates the history of Indian performingarts over the last 50 years in Singapore, revisiting the memories of artistic pioneers and collaborators while weaving them into a compelling story.

sifas

Programme Kala Manjari Publication Date: 18 July 2015, 2pm – 5pm Location: library@esplanade Registration is full! Thank you for the overwhelming support!

 

Malayalees as the Building Blocks of Singapore
by Singapore Malayalee Hindu Samajam

Hailing from the Indian state of Kerala and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, Malayalee settlers now form the second largest ethnic group within the Indian community here.

Discover how the pioneer generation of Malayalees in Singapore was involved in the struggle of building our nation in Malayalees as the Building Blocks of Singapore, a documentary featuring interviews with members of their community.

malayalee

 

Programme Malayalees as the Building Blocks of Singapore Documentary Date: 18 July 2015, 4pm – 6pm Location: Imagination Room, Level 5 National Library, 100 Victoria Street, 188064 Registration is full! Thank you for the overwhelming support!

 

Malay Pioneers of Early Singapore
By Siti Nafisah

Bold, adventurous and courageous; these are but some of the words to describe these 10 Malay pioneers and personalities (pictured Mr Othman Wok) who have contributed to the progress of Singapore since its humble fishing village days. Malay Pioneers of Early Singapore is a series of articles and webisodes celebrating and commemorating the contributions of these daring role models. (Photo courtesy of Othman Wok and family)

warisansg

Programme Malay Pioneers of Early Singapore Documentary Date: 25 July 2015, 11am – 12pm Location: Possibility Room, Level 5 National Library, 100 Victoria Street, 188064 Registration is full! Thank you for the overwhelming support!

 

Sree Narayana Mission
By Sree Narayana Mission

From a diverse group with varying backgrounds to a respectable charitable organisation, trace the development of Sree Narayana Mission from its humble beginnings to the success it is today. Through this documentary, the charity shares the advances it has made in meeting the needs of the Sembawang community and Singapore.

sreenarayanamission

 

Programmes Sree Narayana Mission Presentation Screening and Talk Date: 25 July 2015, 2pm – 4pm Location: Possibility Room, Level 5 National Library, 100 Victoria Street, 188064 Registration is full! Thank you for the overwhelming support!

 

Singapore Kopi Culture

By Invasion Studios

Before coffee mega-chains landed on our shores, Singaporeans were already discerning coffee connoisseurs. In the book Singapore Kopi Culture, Jahan Loh recounts how early migrants turned the colonial habit of afternoon tea into our own coffee-drinking culture, complete with unique coffee roasting and brewing techniques. This fascinating account of local coffee comes complete with its own pop-up coffee stall where visitors can view old coffee paraphernalia.

 

 

Programme Kopi Culture Pop-Up Stall & Book Launch Date: 26 July 2015, 10am – 12pm Location: Visitors’ Briefing Room and Lobby, Level 1 National Library, 100 Victoria Street, 188064 Registration is full! Thank you for the overwhelming support!

 

BUAL
By Tweeq

Comprising around 13 percent of our nation’s population as the country’s second largest ethnic group, the Malays are the original settlers of Singapore.

BUAL (meaning “speak” in Malay) is an inspiring documentary series that captures the stories and contributions of trailblazers in the local Malay Muslim community; one that encourages the youth to contribute to the larger community, fostering a strong sense of belonging to our nation.

 

 

Programme BUAL Screening Date: 31 July 2015, 7pm – 8pm Location: Possibility Room, Level 5 National Library, 100 Victoria Street, 188064 Registration is full! Thank you for the overwhelming support!

 

Kenangan Ramadanku
By Darul Ghufran Mosque

One of the Five Pillars of Islam, Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, where Muslims worldwide observe a month
of fasting. Find out what special memories Ramadan holds for our Muslim community in Kenangan Ramadanku, a series of webisodes capturing memories of the holy month from 50 different personalities over the past 50 years.

 

 darulghufran.org

Programme Kenangan Ramadan Screening Date: TBC Location: Darul Ghufran Mosque

 

Hear Kallang Roar
By Singapore Sports Hub

For over 40 years, football fans past and present have added their voices to the cheers that shook and echoed from the walls of the National Stadium. Hear Kallang Roar commemorates the history of this national landmark, which has become a crucial part of our nation’s physical and ideological landscape.

This exhibition is held at the Singapore Sports Museum.

 sporesportshub

Exhibition Hear Kallang Roar Exhibition Date: Ongoing Location: Singapore Sports Hub

Picturing Chinatown
By Singapore Heritage Society

The evolution of a landmark is often best captured through a camera lens. Picturing Chinatown by the Singapore Heritage Society exhibits the intimate photo essays of Chinatown, as created by participants in a series of community workshops.

The different stories told through these photographs invite the public to take part in the conversation about our discrepant national memories, divergent social experiences and a sense of dislocation.

picturingchinatown

Exhibition Picturing Chinatown Date: 18 July 2015, 2pm – 5pm Location:Level 5, Possibility Room

Registration is full! Thank you for the overwhelming support!