Indian martial art Silambam is among the sports that festival-goers can try out.
The festival, running over four weekends in May, will see a line-up of over 80 programmes marking major anniversaries in public transport and sports here.
Indian martial art Silambam is among the sports that festival-goers can try out.
SINGAPORE: Printed bus tickets may be all but extinct in Singapore’s public transport system.
But visitors to the 20th Singapore Heritage Festival (SHF) could well hold one in their hands again.
The festival, running over four weekends in May, will see a line-up of over 80 programmes marking major anniversaries in public transport and sports here.
This includes 50 years of transport operator SBS Transit and the 35th anniversary of the launch of the MRT system.
This year also marks other national milestones, including the 30th anniversary of the National Heritage Board (NHB), the 40th anniversary of Singapore Sports Museum, and the 50th anniversary of national sports agency Sport Singapore.
The festival will feature a series of workshops and programmes telling the story of Singapore’s public transport, such as a hands-on experience of how printing bus tickets was done back in the past.
There will also be showcases of other public transport memorabilia, including a sharing by Singapore’s youngest bus driver turned bus captain Matthew Tay on his career path.
Stories of transport workers through the years, from rickshaw pullers to private-hire drivers, will also be told in a play.
Apart from learning more about iconic sporting landmarks such as Katong Pool and Jalan Besar Stadium, festival-goers can also try out some sports, such as Silat, Indian martial art Silambam, and parasports like goalball and para-canoe.
Silambam has been practised in Singapore since the 1950s, but nearly died out in the 2000s, until The Kalari Academy was formed to start teaching the sport to more people.
Ms Vedagiri G, artistic director of The Kalari Academy, said: “We hope to revive it and bring it back for the youth of today (and) to bring it forward as well. So we really hope that this platform will invite people to be more aware about the existence of this art, hereon."
There will also be a “Homeground” installation at the National Museum of Singapore, with works featuring elements of 10 NHB heritage trails through different neighbourhoods, along with storytelling sessions, craft activities and quizzes.
By featuring everyday objects and activities, the festival hopes that visitors can connect with these aspects of the country’s heritage.
SHF festival director David Chew said: "We hope more Singaporeans will come forward (and) will co-create programmes with us for the festival. Less about us, more about the communities, Singaporeans really owning and sharing their heritage with their friends and family, and also with the wider public at large."
Mr Chew said the festival has grown and evolved over the last two decades, and that he hoped Singaporeans will continue to uncover the lesser-known stories of Singapore’s heritage in the coming years, through the creation of more meaningful touch points in the community.
Members of the public may visit sgheritagefest.gov.sg to find out more about the programmes.