MEDIA RELEASE
9 April 2018
A WIDE RANGE OF EVENTS FOR SINGAPORE’S BICENTENNIAL COMMEMORATION IN 2019
The eclectic mix will showcase the width and depth of Singapore’s 700-year history
Singapore, 9 April 2018 – The Singapore Bicentennial Office (SBO) has announced a series of events to commemorate the nation’s bicentennial in 2019.
The bicentennial is an opportunity to reflect on 200 years of history from 1819, one of the key turning points that changed our trajectory. It will also examine the 500 years prior to 1819, as these formative years lend context to our evolution.
Singaporeans can look forward to the Singapore Bicentennial’s anchor event: an experiential showcase held at the Fort Canning Centre from June to September 2019, which will bring Singaporeans on a reflective journey of key milestones in 700 years of Singapore’s history, and the significant contributions of Singapore’s early settlers and communities. Another anchor event in 2019 is the Find Your Place in History trails, which will feature projection installations at various historical spots, some lesser-known than others. The trails will allow Singaporeans to experience Singapore through the years, and learn of the less prominent points in our history, in-situ. Both will bring history alive in an engaging and interactive way for all Singaporeans, young and old, from all walks of life.
Many events in the line-up will leverage pre-existing annual events and will feature a more purposeful look further back into Singapore’s history. Taken together, the events in the 2019 calendar will provide many opportunities for Singaporeans to reflect on our history through different platforms.
Minister Desmond Lee, co-chair of the Ministerial Steering Committee for the Singapore Bicentennial said, “When planning the line-up, we factored in the diversity of the nature of events – exhibitions, roadshows, conferences, national events, festivals and trails – to maximise the reflective experience for Singaporeans throughout 2019. These will be held at various locations across the island, including in the heartlands, within the Civic District, and at key historical spots in Singapore. In doing so, we hope for all Singaporeans to participate actively.”
For instance, Singaporeans can look forward to a variety of exhibitions organised by the Asian Civilisations Museum, National Museum of Singapore, National Library Board, and the National Gallery of Singapore.
Major events and festivals like the i Light Singapore festival, the National Day Parade, Chingay 2019, the Night Festival and Singapore Heritage Festival, will also reflect the theme of the Bicentennial.
Other exciting listings include an augmented reality trail by NHB and NParks, and a series of programmes as part of the Malay CultureFest at the end of 2019.
Refer to the attachment for the events calendar.
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About the Singapore Bicentennial
The Singapore Bicentennial in 2019 is the commemoration of the 200th anniversary of Raffles’ landing in Singapore, which was one of the key turning points in our history. It will be an opportunity for us to reflect on how our nation came to be, how far we have come, and how we can go forward together.
Aside from looking at the 200 years from 1819, the Bicentennial will also go back further 500 years to the 14th century, to appreciate the context of Singapore’s evolution leading up to 1819. The commemoration will also examine how we have responded to, and been part of, regional and global influences and events.
In these 700 years, we went from being a place with a geographically strategic location, to a nation and people with unique characteristics.
For more information, please contact:
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Yee Yeong Chong
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Alisa Chopard
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Dawn Marie Quek
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