9 Things To Do With Your Grandparents This Sept For A Break From Taiwanese Dramas

Bond with your grandparents this September

Images adapted from: National Arts Council

We may know our beloved ah gong, nenek, or paati for the soap operas they watch or the delicious food they whip up, but many of us may not know of their life stories growing up in a time so different from our own.

Happening this September, the Silver Arts Festival 2017 is the perfect opportunity to not only learn more about them, but also have a blast and connect over performances and activities you’ll both enjoy.

Here’s 9 things you don’t want to miss at the festival:

– PERFORMANCES –

1. Listen to The Sam Willows of your grandparents’ time

Image credit: M’GO Films

Book your tickets to the Rocking Good Times concert and whisk your grandparents back to the 60’s, as you jam along to bands that were cool enough to perform regularly at the Zouk and Clarke Quay of their time – and hey, you could bust a move or two with grannie too.

These bands include Pest Infested, known for their R&B numbers, and psychedelic blues group The Straydogs, both of whom were pioneers of Singapore’s music scene and inspirations for local musicians we know and love today.

Other musical performances you can look forward to at the festival include An Afternoon with Vasantham Boys, a fun indo-jazz music concert featuring Indian pop hits from composers like AR Rahman. The Vasantham Boys are also Singapore’s only professional Indian pop-rock fusion band – so you’re in for an afternoon of top notch music for sure!

Rocking Good Times
Venue: SOTA Concert Hall
Date & Time: 10th Sep (Sunday), 4.30PM
Tickets: $12, $10, $8 (Senior citizens above 60)

Note: Tickets available at all Singpost Outlets or here. 

An Afternoon with Vasantham Boys
Venue: National Library Building, The Plaza
Date & Time: 10th Sep (Sunday), 4.30PM

Note: This programme is in Tamil and English

2. Watch a play in someone else’s home in true kampung spirit

I Am by Ajuntha Anwari. Image credit: National Arts Council 

When I say that a novel home-theatre experience awaits at Open Homes @ Silver Arts, I mean home-theatre, literally. Unlike typical plays, these 30-minute plays in the homes of strangers allow you to interact with your hosts as they open up and share their true experiences with you.

Plus, if you or your grandparents are interested in sharing personal experiences, simply join the Open Homes Workshop that’ll have you mastering the art of storytelling.

Note: Each play is limited to 16-20 audience members. Tickets ($15) are available here or at SingPost outlets. Reporting times and respective venues will be communicated via phone 2 weeks before the show. 

I Am
Venue: Joo Chiat
Date & Time: 14th – 15th Sep: 8PM | 16th Sep: 2PM & 4PM

Alice in Her Wonderland
Venue: Bukit Panjang
Date & Time: 19th – 20th Sep: 8PM | 23rd Sep: 10AM & 12PM

Bak Serumpun Serai Yang Banyak Gunanya (Like The Lemongrass With its Many Uses)
Venue: Clementi
Date & Time: 21st – 22nd Sep: 8PM | 23 Sep: 2PM & 4PM

Open Homes Workshop
Venue: Tampines Regional Library, Programme Zone
Date & Time: 17th Sep: 2PM-5PM
Website

3. Watch dialect plays that you won’t catch on mainstream TV

Image credit: Centre 42

Dialect programmes have been banned from local television channels for over a decade, much to the chagrin of many of our grandparents. Surprise them with local plays performed in Cantonese and Teochew, like the comedic The Coffin Is Too Big For The Hole and No Parking On Odd Days – two famous monologues of the late theatre doyen Kuo Pao Kun.

If your grandparents constantly have Hokkien oldies blasting from their radio, treat them to Classic Minnan Hits from Past to Present, with popular hits performed by veteran singer Xie Jin Shi and his daughter.

Double Bill: No Parking On Odd Days & The Coffin Is Too Big For The Hole
Venue: Our Tampines Hub, Festive Arts Theatre
Date & Time: 9th Sep: 7.30PM | 10th Sep: 11AM, 3PM
Tickets: $12, $8 (Senior citizens above 60)

Note: Tickets available at all Singpost Outlets or here. English and Chinese subtitles available for the audience as well.

Classic Minnan Hits from Past To Present
Venue: National Library Building, The Plaza
Date & Time: 9th Sep: 3PM – 4PM

Bonus: Jio your grandparents out for a heartwarming movie date

Wonder Mama. Image credit: National Arts Council

We don’t normally go to the cinemas with our grandparents, mainly because the films aren’t exactly grandma and grandpa-friendly – imagine bringing them to catch Deadpool.

However, Silver Features is our chance at bringing them out on a movie date! Choose from among comedy, drama, or rom-com, with films like The Journey (2014) and Wonder Mama (2014).

Rayqal by Sufyan Sam’an. Image credit: National Arts Council

There’s also Singapore Silver Shorts, an anthology of 5 heartwarming local films in a 90-minute long screening. This year, two new commissions, Happy to See You Too by Yee Chang Kang and Rayqal by Sufyan Sam’an, will make their world premiere at the festival.

Directed by award-winning filmmakers, these films revolve around life and relationships in Singapore. You’re in for some quality tear-jerkers, so don’t forget the tissues.

Note: Check for more information on Silver Features and Singapore Silver Shorts here.

– EXHIBITIONS –

1. Watch memories from the past come to life at this digital art exhibit

Image credit: National Arts Council

I’ve never had the chance to ask my grandparents what they used to do as their past-times when they were younger. And while Virtually Home may not have the answer to my questions, its virtual reality (VR) tours might provide a better inkling of what they enjoy – both then and now.

The exhibit will feature the works of creative seniors who’ve tried their hand at storytelling, videography, VR photography, and even social media editing and publishing; bringing life to their fondest memories and favourite spaces.

Venue: National Library Building, The Plaza
Date: 7th – 24th Sep

2. Ditch your millennial filter and view the world through the eyes of the elderly

Image credit: National Arts Council

In an age of carefully curated Instagram feeds, seemingly ordinary things like our humble heartlands may not exactly scream “insta-worthy”, but this exhibition will prove you otherwise.

Featuring photographs captured by senior citizens in their neighbourhood, Telling Our Stories gives us a glimpse into their daily lives. You’ll be sure to leave the exhibition with a fresh perspective, inspired to find beauty in our everyday surroundings too.

Venue: Our Tampines Hub, Festive Walk East
Date: 3rd – 14th Sep

– ACTIVITIES –

1. Make DIY handicrafts together like clay cups and matching trinkets

Image credit: National Arts Council

Head over to Cup Stories to make a new mug to lim kopi with, old-school style. And if you want to bring your customised cup up a notch, feel free to bring along knick-knacks to decorate your creations with, like treasured memorabilia such as your grandparents’ favourite brooches.

Note: Registration required via library e-kiosks or here.  

‘Monster’ tassel key chains and personalised coasters. Image adapted from: National Arts Council

Nobody said only couples can get matching keepsakes, so go ahead and get them with your grandparents at Craft Marathon. Not only will you leave with a handmade souvenir that’s truly one of a kind, but you’ll also be able to get hands-on and do something together with gramps and granny.

Cup Stories
Venue: Toa Payoh Public Library, Programme Zone
Date & Time: 9th Sep: 1.30PM-4.30PM

Craft Marathon
Venue: National Library Building, The Plaza
Date & Time: 9th – 10th Sep: 1PM-4PM

2. ‘Draw’ masterpieces on your photographs with lights and a camera

Family portraits will never be the same with this magical photo technique. Image credit: Edubuzz

If you didn’t know that drawing with light was actually a thing, you’re not alone. And no, it’s not waving a lit sparkler maniacally in hopes of catching it on camera.

Create masterpieces with light at the Light Painting Workshop, where all you’ll need is a hand-held light source, a camera and some brain juice to get those creative shots going. And there’s no need for ah ma to worry about next-level tech jargon – these simple camera tricks are easy to learn.

Note: Registration required via library e-kiosks or here.  

Venue: Toa Payoh Public Library, Programme Zone
Date & Time: 10th Sep: 1PM-3PM

3. Take home your own dialect dictionary that’ll help you charm aunties and uncles

Image adapted from: National Arts Council

We’ve seen guidebooks for all sorts of languages, even ones for Singlish, but we’ve yet to come across a dialect guide book. Well, now you can colour in your own at Create Your Own Dialect Book, which would be so useful for helping us pick up the lingo of our neighbourhood aunties and uncles. Jin jia ho!

Note: Registration required via library e-kiosks or here. 

Venue: library@chinatown, Programme Zone
Date & Time: 17th Sep: 1.30PM-4PM

Mark your calendars for Silver Arts Festival 2017

Image credit: National Arts Council 

Organised by the National Arts Council to encourage the integration of arts into the lives of seniors, Silver Arts Festival raises the awareness of how seniors can participate in the arts, and how it’ll benefit their overall well-being.

It’s a platform catered for them to both reminisce and share memories with the younger generation, as well as a chance for their children and grandchildren to spend quality time with them.

Image adapted from: National Arts Council 

What’s more – 3 pairs of tickets are up for grabs for each of the following shows at Silver Arts Festival:

• Syair Biola (Songs From The Violin): This theatre production features nostalgic tunes from the likes of P. Ramlee and Teresa Teng, following the story of Kampong Biola and its residents.
• Songs of Guidance: Performed by Hokkien songstress Mdm Oon Ah Chiam, this musical will tug at your heartstrings as it highlights topics like family and filial piety. You might even leave with an earworm or two!

To stand a chance to win, simply:

1. Like and share this post.
2. Comment and tell us your fondest memory with your grandparents.

Note: Syair Biola is performed in Malay with English subtitles. Songs of Guidance is performed in Hokkien.

So don’t let this opportune festival go to waste – take your grandparents out for a fun outing and bond over more than just the usual reunion dinners and MediaCorp dramas!

Find out more about Silver Arts Festival 2017 here!

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This post was brought to you by the National Arts Council.