Calendar of Events
LATEST EVENTS
Tue, 10 May 2022
6pm – 7pm
Register now via Eventbrite
Archives Invites: Phan Ming Yen - Better than a Gun or Revolver – Music as Protection and Collaboration in Wartime Singapore
Presented by writer, producer and arts manager Phan Ming Yen, this talk explores the role of music during the Japanese Occupation of Singapore (1942–1945) and how it might have been a form of protection and means of survival for many locals. Find out how music provided comfort in times of crisis and discover the almost ironic circumstances of the birth of the Syonan Symphony Orchestra.
About the Speakers
Phan Ming Yen is a writer, producer and arts manager and also the Chief Operating Officer of The Rice Company Limited.
Phan’s articles about the history of music in 19th- and early 20th-century Singapore have appeared in “Cultural Connections”, the journal of the Culture Academy of the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and “Singapore Soundscape”. He is currently researching the role of music during wartime and recently published an article in “Cultural Connections” on the Syonan Symphony Orchestra during the Japanese Occupation of Singapore.
Phan’s fiction and poetry have been published online in “Quarterly Literary Review Singapore” and by Ethos Books.
About Archives Invites
Community histories unfold in this series that traces Singapore’s social past with help from the archives
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Thu, 26 May 2022
6pm – 7pm
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Archives Unlocked: Singapore of Yesteryear Through Sights and Voices
Ever wondered how much has Singapore changed over the years? Journey back in time as we uncover Singapore of yesteryear through archival records of old but familiar places. This talk will present records ranging from photographs to oral history accounts that will bring history closer to us as we look back at these places from the past.
About the Speakers
Lu Wenshi is the Senior Manager of Archives Services at the National Archives of Singapore. She appreciates the importance of archival records in making history more accessible to everyone. Photographs, posters and oral history accounts are among her favourite collections at the Archives.
About Archives Unlocked
Curious about what goes on in the National Archives of Singapore? Join us for this monthly series of talks, as we unlock stories of our nation through the archives’ collections
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19, 25 and 26 Jun 2022
10.30 am – 12 pm or 2.30 pm – 4 pm (2 sessions per day)
Former Ford Factory (351 Upper Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 588192)
To register, visit Eventbrite
Memory Factory: A Storytelling x Immersive Trail Experience
Celebrate Children’s Season with the National Library Board! Learn and have fun with us this June holidays as history comes alive at the Former Ford Factory. Don’t miss out on this storytelling experience and immersive trail, where children will embark on fact finding missions based on their assigned faction (Survivor or British Soldier). Join the session to learn more about the Japanese Occupation of Singapore!
Suitable for children aged 7 to 12 years old.
Tue, 21 Jun 2022
6.30pm – 7.30pm
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Archives Invites: Shawn Seah - Seah Eu Chin, His Life and Times
One of Singapore’s prominent pioneers, Seah Eu Chin (1805–1883) was known as the king of gambier and pepper. He was also the founder of the Ngee Ann Kongsi. A Justice of the Peace, Seah brought order and stability in Singapore’s tumultuous early days by mediating during riots. Join Shawn Seah as he explores the life and times of his ancestor and his illustrious sons, Seah Liang Seah (1850–1925) and Seah Peck Seah (1857–1939), whose legacies have been immortalised in Singapore’s street names. Shawn will also share about relevant and useful NLB resources that have helped him in his research.
About the Speakers
Shawn Seah is the author of “My Father’s Kampung: A History of Aukang and Punggol”, a finalist for Best Non-Fiction Title and a Top 10 Readers’ Choice of the Singapore Book Awards 2021. He is also the author of books on Seah Eu Chin and Seah Liang Seah. He has shared stories at the Peranakan Museum; Blackbox at Fort Canning Centre during the Singapore Bicentennial; and the National University of Singapore. He has also been part of the Singapore Heritage Festival and the Baba-Nyonya Literary Festival. Shawn holds an MSc in Economic History from the London School of Economics.
About Archives Invites
Community histories unfold in this series that traces Singapore’s social past with help from the archives
Subscribe to eNewsletter
Do you like this programme? Sign up for our eNewsletter to be the first to learn about our other upcoming programmes: https://go.gov.sg/nlb-subscribe-to-enewsletter
Thu, 30 Jun 2022
6pm – 7pm
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Archives Unlocked: Stories as told by persons living with dementia
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Oral History Centre of Singapore, together with the Singapore University of Social Sciences and Dementia Singapore embarked on a meaningful journey to document the stories of eight persons living with dementia and their caregivers. The act of reminiscing is used to promote the wellbeing of the elderly. Through adapting oral history methodology, these elderly are given the space to recollect, reflect, tell and record their days of growing up in Singapore. Come and listen to their tales of climbing Mount Faber, falling in love, dishing up their favourite Peranankan foods, raising children and making do with a failing memory.
About the Speakers
Patricia Lee is a Senior Oral History Specialist at the National Archives of Singapore. From the man-on-the street, to prisoners-of-war and feisty unionists, Patricia has more than a thousand hours of recorded interviews under her belt. She also designs and conducts customised oral history training workshops for public institutions on documenting corporate memories.
Patricia champions the use of oral narratives to give meaning to one’s identity. A trained facilitator in reminiscence arts in dementia care, her current research interest involves the use of adaptive oral history methodology in reminiscence work among the growing population of elderly in Singapore.
Guest Speaker
Associate Professor Carol Ma is the Head of Gerontology Programmes (Master & PhD) at the Singapore University of Social Sciences. She is a strong advocate for and an active and passionate practitioner in service-learning and ageing. She takes the lead in curriculum development, community engagement and research in Gerontology and promotes transdisciplinary education to address ageing issues. She has led various ageing and service-learning projects such as the Elder Learning Development Project, Age-friendly Cities Project (accredited by WHO) and the Intergenerational Project on Health and Wellbeing. She is currently working on a project on reminiscence in dementia care with the National Archives of Singapore and Dementia Singapore.
About Archives Unlocked
Curious about what goes on in the National Archives of Singapore? Join us for this monthly series of talks, as we unlock stories of our nation through the archives’ collections
Subscribe to eNewsletter
Do you like this programme? Sign up for our eNewsletter to be the first to learn about our other upcoming programmes: https://go.gov.sg/nlb-subscribe-to-enewsletter
Tue, 5 Jul 2022
6.30pm – 7.30pm
Register now via Eventbrite
Archives Invites: Goh Eck Kheng - Singapore Then and Now
The book “Singapore: Then & Now” by Ray Tyers was first published in 1976. It documents Singapore’s changing landscapes by presenting old and new photos of Singapore sites side-by-side. New editions of the book were published in 1993 and 2018 to include updated views to the ones featured by Tyers. The book illustrates the dramatic evolution of our city state’s built environment.
Join Landmark Books’ publisher, Goh Eck Kheng, as he introduces Ray Tyers and how Tyers self-published the first edition of the book. Eck Kheng will also share the challenges in updating the new editions and present images from the book that reflect the island’s drastic changes.
About the Speakers
Goh Eck Kheng is the founder, editor, book designer and publisher of Landmark Books – Singapore, a boutique publisher known for being a forerunner in publishing Singapore writers. He is the publisher of the 1993 and 2018 editions of Ray Tyers’ “Singapore: Then & Now”. He is also the author of “Friends: A Counting Book” and “Jun and the Octopus”. He was previously a board member of the Media Development Authority and chairman of the Speak Good English Movement committee.
About Archives Invites
Community histories unfold in this series that traces Singapore’s social past with help from the archives
Subscribe to eNewsletter
Do you like this programme? Sign up for our eNewsletter to be the first to learn about our other upcoming programmes: https://go.gov.sg/nlb-subscribe-to-enewsletter