Get hooked on heritage this July with the debut of the Singapore HeritageFest 2004 organised by the National Heritage Board. The festival takes place from 16 - 25 Jul 2004.

This inaugural festival melds two annual festivals, the Museum Fest, a three-day weekend event that showcased the 23 museums and galleries in Singapore and the week long Heritage Festival.

The exciting, novel and engaging activities that have been lined up for the Singapore HeritageFest will be mostly concentrated at the two festival hubs - "Heritage Experience" @ Suntec City's Tropics Atrium and "Heritage Expressions!" @ Parco Bugis Junction.

Augmenting these will be activities and programmes by the Asian Civilisations Museum, the Singapore Art Museum, the Singapore History Museum, the Museum Roundtable members and selected National Libraries in conjunction with the festival.

"Heritage Experience" @ Suntec City (Tropics Atrium)

Heritage begins at home suggests this festival hub which is zoned into the areas inspired by the traditional areas in a house and its surroundings.

At The Courtyard, you can catch a myriad of cultural performances - a variety of operas (Beijing, Hainanese, Hokkien, Cantonese, the Malay Bangsawan, the Indian Therekuthoo), dances (Kudah Kepang, Vinayaka, Bhangra, Thai Ramyong), martial arts displays, Balinese Wayang Kulit and classical Gamelan performances.

The Marketplace will enthrall with local and ASEAN craftsmen selling and demonstrating their traditional crafts such as puppet making, forest fibre weaving, batik painting, wooden clog and silver making. The Living Room will host activities such as henna painting, Chinese calligraphy and colour painting, tea art and other craft demonstrations.

The Kitchen will reveal life's beauty secrets and Asian herbal remedies complemented by demonstrations on various treatments such as Ayurveda, Chinese, Malay and Indonesian Herbal preparations.

The Bedroom will charm with ethnic wedding re-enactments and customary wedding practices, while The Playground will come alive with games and activities for the younger visitors, such as storytelling sessions, garland weaving, rangoli, Chinese opera mask painting and wanyang kulit workshops.

The Galleria Foyer will captivate imaginations as it houses two exhibitions - the top entries of the "Heritage Captures!" photography competition and the interactive kampong games exhibition showcasing the games of a bygone era - gasing, kuti-kuti, congkak, chaptek, hopscotch, goli panjang and five stones.

Visitors will get to guess the winning photograph in the "Guess the Winner" online competition, and try their hands at the kampong games of old.

"Heritage Expressions! - Parco Bugis Junction

Celebrate the exuberance of youth at Parco Bugis Junction with festivities for the younger crowd. Mass outdoor movie screenings, reminiscent of the past and replete with "movie" snacks, will feature local movies such as Forever Fever, The Road Less Travelled, Eating Air and Dynamite Johnson.

Yo yo performances, wushu demonstrations, "Heritage Ra-Ra!" cheerleading competition finals, an exhibition of the top entries for the "Heritage in Design" product design competition and games will capture youthful hearts and minds.

Fringe Activities

As befits a festival of such magnitude, there will be activities galore at other venues during this period.

Take to the streets of Little India and discover its hideaways and treasures with Fun on Foot, Little India on July 24, 2004, a treasure hunt with a difference.

View some of the best in ASEAN filmmaking at The Arts House. Guided tours, heritage trails, cultural workshops and competitions beckon at 17 museums islandwide.

For more information on the Singapore HeritageFest 2004, please log onto www.heritagefest.org.sg. 

Source: National Heritage Board News Release 1 Jun 2004

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