SINGAPORE: The National Heritage Board (NHB) has revealed its lineup of events for 2017. From museum exhibitions to festivals and trails, it’s looking to be yet another jampacked year for culture and heritage buffs to savour.
And it’s a pretty notable year, too. “2017 brings with it a number of significant milestones for the heritage and museum sector. We remember the 75th anniversary of the Fall of Singapore, the National Museum of Singapore celebrates its 130th year, and our annual Singapore Night Festival will enter a full decade of existence,” said NHB director for strategic communications and digital Cheryl Koh.
Here’s a quick list on how to prepare for 2017’s heritage salvo.
1. GET INTO THE ANNIVERSARY MOOD
This year, museums and other heritage institutions will be in full-on party mode — many of the NHB’s events are pegged to various milestones. This includes a series of World War II-themed programmes to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle for Singapore. The ongoing festival includes a series of guided tours and other events, including next week’s reopening of the revamped former Ford Factory, which is now the Synonan Gallery. Later this year, the National Museum of Singapore (NMS) will be launching an international exhibition based on the historical event — even as it also celebrates its own 130th anniversary as a cultural icon with a celebration that runs for 130 days in October. Fans of the extremely popular Singapore Night Festival will also be in for a treat as this year’s edition marks 10 years of enlivening of the Bras Basah.Bugis district’s nightlife. Meanwhile, stamp collectors will also have something to celebrate — the Singapore Philatelic Museum will be holding an exhibition commemorating the 150th anniversary of Straits Settlements stamps later this year.
2. STROLL ALONG THE SINGAPORE RIVER
If you’re curious about your parents’ stories about hanging at the Satay Club at the Esplanade back in the day, here’s your chance to experience it, in a manner of speaking. This year’s Singapore Heritage Festival, which will be held in April, will attempt to recreate the hawker scenes along the Singapore River. The festival will also include trails, tours and open houses — and some of them will be held at unexpected places. Stay tuned.
3. GET READY TO BUGIS
What’s local heritage without a shout-out to Singapore’s different communities? One of the events to look out for at the Malay Heritage Centre this year will be its exhibition on the history of the Bugis folk in October. We don’t mean the former denizens of Bugis Street or the shopaholics at Bugis Junction and Bugis+, of course, but the fierce, seafaring people who were one of the earliest to settle in Singapore. The MHC will be working with a Bugis association for the show in October. Elsewhere, the Indian Heritage Centre will be holding an exhibition on Indian craft traditions in the context of the country’s own Indian communities later this year.
4. FOLLOW THAT TRAIL!
Last year, NHB went full-on with its heritage trail efforts (which you can keep track on the Roots.sg website). Fresh from the recent launch of the Little India Heritage Trail, expect another one over in the east — Tampines will get its own trail, along with a community gallery, in August. One of NHB’s earliest trails, over at Bukit Timah, will also get an update in October.
5. EMBRACE YOUR KOREAN FIXATION
If you’re thinking of something that’s outside of Singapore, the Asian Civilisations Museum will be presenting an exhibition that will surely satisfy the K-drama enthusiast in you, particularly if you’re into the historical ones. In April, an exhibition titled Joseon Korea: Court Treasures And City Life will look at the fashion and arts of a dynasty that spanned half a century. Artefacts from two main Korean museums will also be displayed for the first time in Singapore.
