Together, We Shape Our Singapore Heritage
Our SG Heritage Plan is the first master plan for Singapore’s heritage and museum sector which outlines the broad strategies and initiatives for the sector over the next five years (2018 to 2022) and beyond. We have heard from more than 34,000 on their ideas and concerns on different aspects of our heritage, and how these must be passed down through generations.
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We are all made up of stories. Each one of us is a living heritage – we hold a treasure trove of heritage within us that we have inherited. Thus, I feel that there is much to discover and rediscover from the stories each of us hold. All the personal stories we have actually form part of the larger Singapore experience. It will be great if we can each learn from stories of not just our pioneers (from all backgrounds and fields) but also our new younger generations.
In terms of intangible heritage, a lot of my favourite element of intangible cultural heritage is practice of tradition customs or festivals and Chinese New Year family reunion dinner and ang pow giving because it is a reminder and reinforcement of one’s core cultural heritage, identity and ancestral practices.
Introduce career opportunities for more archaeologists and heritage workers and include discussions on Singapore’s identity through education and information. Have events and activities that utilises old places and museums, combine VR technology to educate the public on the developments of the area. Also create a human volunteer bank based on the community to increase manpower for festivals and events.
Heritage is part of what makes us, us. It is the story of our ancestors and while they may be ‘old fashioned’, I feel that we can make it relevant to ourselves. As a 22-year-old, I feel that through my daily food choices, perhaps during different festivities; I can learn to cook traditional dishes from my grandparents, and continue to pass these recipes down.
Encourage more use of films and videos to capture heritage, especially personal stories. Make these easily accessible for viewing. Create more opportunities for storytelling, exchanging stories and memories – nothing like a human interacting with another, telling them about something important to them. Also, retain the environment are conducive to the above. Landmarks, especially personal landmarks, are very important to spark memory-telling and exchange. Promote and support local works: catalogue local arts efforts that are current. Our culture today will become our heritage tomorrow. Invest in the heritage of today!