Delight in the spirit of racial and religious harmony, by heading down to OCBC square at the Singapore Sports Hub for Harmony Fest! 2024 on 6 and 7 July from 9:30am to 4:30pm.
This year’s theme, “It Begins With #YOUnity”, invites all Singaporeans to embrace the core values of fostering racial and religious harmony for a YOUnited society.
Jointly organised by Kallang Alive Sport Management (KASM) and the Racial and Religious Harmony Circle (or Harmony Circle for short), the event aims to bring individuals from all walks of life together through exciting games, cultural performances, and captivating exhibitions.
Harmony Fest! 2024 officially kickstarts the Racial and Religious Harmony Month in July, where we commemorate the importance of racial and religious harmony and celebrate our diversity by bringing Singaporeans of different backgrounds and cultures together.
This is aligned with the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth’s SGinHarmony efforts to strengthen mutual understanding and respect for our cultural diversity. Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth & Second Minister for Law, will be the Guest of Honour at the opening of the event on 6 July.
Quek Swee Kuan, Chief Executive Officer of KASM, said, “We are pleased to once again partner the Racial and Religious Harmony Circle to host this year’s edition of Harmony Fest! at the Singapore Sports Hub. As the destination for Singaporeans and visitors when it comes to live sport, entertainment and lifestyle events, the Sports Hub can play an integral role in uniting diverse communities and cultures, especially through our community activities and celebrations that are open to all. We remain committed and will continue to create occasions where we can bring communities together and strengthen community bonds and ties.”
Chandramohan S/O Maruthan, one of the Co-leads of the Harmony Circle Organising Committee for Harmony Fest! said, “Harmony Fest! 2024 brings communities together by fostering trust, mutual respect, co-operation, and harmony, values that are essential for a cohesive society. It has been an enriching and enlightening experience for me. As Co-lead, I had the opportunity to collaborate with different teams, including seniors, youths, and those with physical challenges. This has deepened my appreciation for various cultures and reinforced the importance of inclusivity. The event also provides a platform for interaction within the community, allowing participants to appreciate the various cultures within our society.”
Goh Peck San, also Co-lead of the Harmony Circle Organising Committee for Harmony Fest! added, “The experience has been enriching. I have had the opportunity to visit schools to introduce Harmony Circle to the younger generations. I see hope amongst our youths and look forward to greater participation from them in the Harmony Circle activities. The interaction with youths also inspired me to develop future programmes to make Harmony Circle more involved and relevant in our society.”
Harmony Fest! features four interactive zones and installations that represent the four core values of Harmony Circle: Trust, Respect, Cooperation, and Harmony.
These values, which have been instrumental in preserving Singapore’s racial and religious harmony over the years, are integrated into our diverse lineup of activities.
Participants will get to engage in experiences designed to strengthen relationships and deepen understanding of cultural diversity, all in one vibrant and inclusive hub!
In a bid to etch our mark in history, everyone is invited to help set a Singapore record in a unique and YOUnified way. In the spirit of racial harmony, capture unforgettable photos individually or with friends and families and contribute these snapshots to a photo montage by uploading them on https://go.gov.sg/rrhm24digitalmontage.
Take this opportunity to explore the Singapore Kindness Movement booths and Kindsville Adventure Trail, where children can enjoy activities such as water stickers application, letter-writing to Singa, shrink art and colouring.
These activities are designed to shed light on the importance of kindness and racial and religious harmony in our diverse community. The Adventure Trail, starting from OCBC Square, aims to celebrate Singapore’s rich multicultural heritage by guiding participants on a journey of discovery.
Placed strategically along the trail are statues of the five K-I-N-D-ness Cubbies, each clutching a signage. These signages serve dual purposes – providing clues for the treasure hunt and imparting valuable information on different aspects of our society’s diverse cultures and traditions to allow participants to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of racial harmony and inclusivity.
Step into a new era of learning with OTTODOT’s special racial harmony-themed edition of its customised interactive games to educate youths on the significance of racial and religious harmony. Participants can learn about the important values of Trust, Respect, Cooperation, and Harmony in an interactive and engaging manner.
Founded by two passionate individuals who are dedicated to nurturing every child’s love for learning, OTTODOT designs customized educational games. They have created a unique and educational experience at the festival, offering a fun twist to learning about the Harmony Circle’s key values.
But that’s not all! Discover a series of captivating and educational exhibits, including the Harmony Circle booth, School of Science and Technology’s project showcase, and an exhibition which captures diverse wedding customs from the rich traditions of Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian ethnic groups, as well as a Total Defence Gallery. Each exhibit offers a unique perspective of our community, providing a meaningful and enriching experience for all.
This year we will celebrate diversity in our community through a line-up of activities that promote inclusivity and spotlight the contributions of persons with disabilities (PWD) to our community – all in one dynamic and shared space!
PWD groups such as Runninghour and the Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC) will be setting up booths to create awareness and engage participants. Try-outs for para-sports will also be conducted for all to participate in.
“We have been working with partners such as Singapore Sports Hub, to showcase para sports in prominent public spaces and raise awareness that persons with disabilities can participate in sports and lead an active, healthy lifestyle. Through para sports try-outs, we can expose persons with disabilities to different para sports available for their unique abilities, e.g. Boccia and Powerchair Football, while changing the mindsets of the public. This provides a platform for wonderful moments of interaction, regardless of ability and background. We are heartened to be involved in Harmony Fest!, an event that welcomes people from all walks of life. Indeed, together, we can take small steps towards an inclusive, harmonious, and united Singapore,” said Dr Teo-Koh Sock Miang, President, SDSC.
Taking place at the heart of the event are performances that showcase and celebrate Singapore’s rich and diverse cultural heritage as our three main ethnic groups come together in one vibrant stage.
Look forward to two days of performances, including a dynamic Chinese Drums ensemble, enchanting Indian folk art, and a captivating Malay traditional dance and musical.
These performances feature talented students from Nanyang Girls High School, ITE College West, LASALLE College of the Arts, University of the Arts Singapore as well as performers from People’s Association Narpani Pearavai and traditional Malay band Nobat Kota Singa.
Nadi Singapura will also be collaborating with Zhenghua Secondary School’s drum ensemble to present an exciting drum performance.
Thaddeus Tan, a youth representative from Macpherson Harmony Circle who is participating in the Harmony Fest! activities said, “Harmony Fest! brings Singaporeans of all races and religions together to celebrate our treasured racial and religious harmony through fun and exciting activities and events. As youths, we can contribute to racial and religious harmony by understanding the diversity of races and religions in Singapore and establishing good rapport with friends from various backgrounds.”
