Elena Tay Hui Zhi
In this year’s special rendition of Racial Harmony Day 2023, titled ‘Let’s Walk – Celebrating Harmony’, visitors are welcomed to walk in the shoes of another to gain a deeper understanding of different cultures.
With 18 activities lined up, ranging from live performances at the Indian Heritage Centre to craft activities such as decorating your own paper fan and trying on different ethnic attires, this year’s Racial Harmony Day Open house offers something for everyone.
“We’ve infused quite a lot of our performances with multicultural elements because we feel that when you have a more multi-layered, more immersive experience, you then take away and have a greater understanding [of our cultures],” said Cheryl Koh, 48, Director of Heritage Institutions.
The highlight of this year’s Open House is the play, ‘Same Same But Different’, a theatre experience specially curated for children aged 5 to 10.
Conducted in English, the play utilises an interactive storytelling technique to help participants realise their uniqueness and the special power that comes with friendship.
Various hands-on activities are conducted throughout the play, such as creating their own hand mirror, henna art and more.
Teo Pei Si, 30, Founder of Solitude Movement said, “We understand how important it is [to have] hands-on experiences for the children.”
With the Malay Heritage Centre undergoing construction, Teo decided to bring in the Malay aspect of the play during the bus ride to the Indian Heritage Centre.
“We decided to bring in a song we used to sing for Children’s Day, called Semoga Bahagia (May You Achieve Happiness). We thought that the lyrics are actually very beautiful but no one [has ever] really explained these lyrics to children,” said Teo.
Realising the lack of understanding many have of the song lyrics, Teo decided to incorporate this aspect by singing to the children and breaking down the meaning of the lyrics to them.
‘Same Same But Different: A Theatrical Experience for Families’ has an admission fee of $24 per parent-child pair, and is taking place on 22 and 23 July, from 11am to 1pm.
Koh said “[Racial harmony] is something we want to continue to make a priority. So our heritage institutions are something we believe in and want to continue to contribute towards.”
The Racial Harmony Day Open House 2023 will be taking place over this weekend, on 22 and 23 July. Come on down and check out the activities for yourself!
For more information on this year’s Racial Harmony Day Open House held at the Heritage Institutions, you can check them out at the Peatix websites of Indian Heritage Centre, Malay Heritage Centre and Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall.
Racial Harmony Day Open House 2023
Date: 22 to 23 July 2023
Timing: 10am – 6pm
Location: Indian Heritage Centre and Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall
Tickets: Free admission with ticketed activities