We've been extremely busy with Explore Singapore! 2008, NHB's award winning programme (we won the Singapore Media Award's Grand Prix and Best Value Media prizes in 2007) aimed at getting ordinary folks to enjoy museums. Our focus this year is on the family, and our theme is simply this - "Let's Have Fun!"
What's so special about this year's event?
First, this year's celebration offers something for everyone. There will be more than 80 activities happening over 27 museums in Singapore from 20 November to 7 December. Centred around lifestyle themes of Food, Love, Fun for Kids, Adventure, Shopping & Entertainment, and Health, Explore Singapore! caters to everybody in the family - from grandpa and grandma to dad, mum, teenagers, kids and even swinging singles!
Second, you get to meet lots of celebrities instead of just one! They include the Dim Sum Dollies, bodacious hunk Vincent Ng, charming radio personality and wedding planner Vernetta Lopez, celebrity chef Khaled (featured below. He is a huge a hit on Suria), Peranakan diva cooks Violet Oon and Sylvia Tan, Phua Chu Kang's "Rosie" Irene Ang, Jack and Rai, plus a mystery Cartoon personality from Nickelodeon. Oh yes and of course Mark Lee, who will reprise his role as the laugh-a-minute museum guide!
Third, we are making museum going and heritage as affordable as possible for everybody. Seniors (60 and above) can enjoy FREE entry from 23rd to 30th November at all NHB museums. Many of the activities are free for museum patrons, or pegged at a very affordable rate. For example, a dinner talk by Vernetta Lopez is only $40 for a couple, and that includes a meal!
Fourth, you can win this brand new Subaru Forester! Yes, I am not kidding! Every $5 spent at Explore Singapore! activities entitles you a chance to win. The more you participate, the better your chances.
Highlights of Explore Singapore! include three core weekend activities:
HungryGoWhere's Big Eat Out (The Peranakan Museum on 22 November 2008)
HungryGoWhere.com's Big Eat Out - Featuring renowned food blogger Dr Leslie Tay (ieatishootipost.com), this huge makan bazaar features heritage hawkers of old. Happening on 22 November from 12 nn to 5 pm (that's this Saturday), all profits from this venture will go towards the Andrew and Grace Home, Jamiyah Daru Ma'wa (home for the children), and Operation Smile! Stomp wannabes the AG Flames from Andrew and Grace Home will be performing their rousing piece too (that's the girls below).
That's not all. Celebrity comedian Mark Lee (yes we are bringing him back for an encore performance) will be leading a special tour of The Peranakan Museum. Plus, all museum entries to The Peranakan Museum is only $2 each!
Dim Sum Dollies Day Out (National Museum of Singapore on 29 November 2008)
Singapore's most well loved musical trio - The Dim Sum Dollies - will cavort and charm you with their dazzling and ditzy performances! All it takes to catch this performance is the price of a museum ticket! See how Serena, Pam and Emma interpret Singapore's unique history through the lenses of the museum and its various exhibits and artefacts.
You can even catch the special exhibition Voom Portraits by Robert Voom (featuring that famous half-naked picture of Brad Pitt) with your same museum ticket. Yes, that's three shows for the price of one!
Wrap! Festival (Asian Civilisation Museum on 7 December 2008)
Join us in a fitting finale to the heritage festivities as world famous Nanta from Korea entertains with their energetic percussion performance. Swing along to the feel-good tunes of Jack and Rai from EIC (I've heard these guys sing and they are great! Plus they are very humourous and charming too).
You can also be wowed by a magic performance at the galleries by Jeremy Pei (first time in a museum!), and swing to the Dikir Barat beat. Bringing the event to a climax will be the lucky draw for the brand new Subaru Forester car (COE included)! Oh, and entry to ACM is also at a flat rate of only $2!
For more details of Explore Singapore!, do check out this post by Kim on our media preview yesterday.
If you need photographs, do feel free to pick from my own rather amateurish efforts on Flickr here.
Do also Join our Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=81381490726j
For more information on Explore Singapore!, visit our official website at
http://exploresingapore.com.sgLabels: Explore Singapore, Heritage, museums, NHB, yesterday.sg
