Playgrounds are much more than a place for children to explore and develop their creativity; they bring people of all ages and backgrounds together – children, their parents, grandparents, and other caregivers. Making friends and building social networks are important for everyone’s well-being, and a playground can help with this for young mothers and domestic workers alike.
The National Museum of Singapore, in collaboration with the Housing & Development Board, recently launched an exhibition titled The More We Get Together: Singapore’s Playgrounds 1930 – 2030. The exhibition invites visitors to relive their childhood memories as well as think about future playgrounds. In response to the exhibition which runs till September this year, HOME has partnered with the National Museum to present a special event on June 10th this year, where we will look at the role playgrounds play in the life of migrant domestic workers, and the children they care for.
At the event we will have readings by domestic worker writers from the book, Our Homes, Our Stories, and we would love to hear from you too! Therefore we would like to invite all domestic workers in Singapore to join our writing competition with the theme:
The more we get together: Domestic workers at the Singapore playground
What do playgrounds mean to you? What role have they played in your life? Did you meet your friends there?
We’d love to hear your thoughts, anecdotes and memories!
The competition is open to all domestic workers in Singapore. The children they take care of, their parents, or grown-ups reminiscing their own childhood caregivers are also welcome to contribute. Prose as well as poetry can be submitted.
The best stories will be published on the MyVoice blog. The top 3 entries will receive a special prize and the writers are invited to share them at our event on June 10th 2018.
If you don’t have much experience writing, or find the English language a challenge, don’t worry. We have experienced editors and translators to help with your work. If your story is selected, you will work directly with them to get it in a good shape.
Please send your stories, poems and photographs to [email protected]
Deadline: May 21st 2018
If you’d like some more inspiration, you may visit the ongoing exhibition at the National Museum. Admission is free for everyone! More information here on the :
The More We Get Together: Singapore’s Playgrounds 1930 – 2030.
From the iconic dragon playgrounds of the 1970s to today’s modern, inclusive and community-built versions, playgrounds have played a part in our collective experience of growing up in Singapore.
Explore different playground surfaces, examine the original blueprints of the iconic mosaic playgrounds, and discover how we have defined our playgrounds, not only in terms of physical boundaries and equipment but also in terms of their place and meaning in society. You can also hear from people who have built (and are building) these playgrounds, design your own, and contribute to the building of the National Museum of Singapore’s very own playground!
The More We Get Together is an exhibition developed by the National Museum of Singapore in collaboration with the Housing and Development Board.
Follow our hashtag #OurSGPlaygrounds!
MyVoice @ HOME : the place for Singapore's migrant workers to share their stories