As a social impact hub dedicated to working towards the common good, Temasek Shophouse (TSH) hosted four main events in the first quarter of 2022, all of which highlighted the importance of strengthening the social fabric of our nation.

Encouraging Innovation at a Young Age

The three-week long “Invention Sprint Workshops” for youths aged between 11 and 18 culminated in a Show-and-Tell session. Initiated by IDE Academy and supported by TSH, the programme aims to promote awareness on pressing social and environmental issues, catalyse innovative solutions to meeting the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), and foster active citizenry among participants. As part of this Show-and-Tell, 13-year-old Luqman Hakim Kamaludeen and Elisha Lee presented their idea, Eco-washer, to an audience of parents, educators, and the public. This machine was devised to enable rural communities to reuse water from daily activities and make it portable. Click here for a video capturing the highlights of the workshops and the exhibition. 

Empowering Youth through Art

As part of the efforts to tackle the rise of mental health issues and understanding the hidden voices/inner world amongst children and youth in Singapore, oscar@sg grantee SHINE Children and Youth Services collaborated with TSH to host a week-long Visual Art Exhibition titled “Our Unheard Youths: Will You Hear Us?”. This exhibition showcased the final artworks of vulnerable and at-risk children and youth who experienced life challenges. The exhibited pieces were the products of this group of children and youth who used different forms of art expressions learning to apply art therapy to the creation process and were a reflection of the artists’ innermost thoughts and life struggles. By sharing these deep thoughts and feelings that are not often articulated, SHINE and TSH hope to educate the public on the invisible voices and resilience of the next generation as well as empower youth to use alternative means to express their struggles.

Honouring Change-Centred Design

The roving island-wide President*s Design Award Singapore (P*DA) arrived at TSH in January, where it was open to the public for two weeks. P*DA is Singapore’s highest honour awarded to members of the design community across all disciplines, paying tribute to a group of remarkable people who transform the lives of the local and global community through excellent and thoughtful design. This exhibition encourages more people to experience and understand first-hand how design possesses the ability to positively impact the environment and local communities. Click here to check out the design works.

Cultivating Empathy through the Generations

From 16 March - 30 April 2022, TSH is hosting an auditory exhibition that promotes the theme of age friendly society; bridging between the generations through the sharing of personal stories. “Lend Me Your Y…ears” encourages the wider community to pause, listen, and learn from recorded conversations of inter-generation bonding. The exhibition celebrates the insights and wisdom that could be gleaned from the older to younger individuals and vice versa, and seeks to cultivate empathy in a multi-generational society. We invite the public to come to TSH, participate and reflect on these insights as we embrace building a more inclusive and age friendly community. Click here to view the video about the exhibition.

These activities in the first quarter of 2022 are just the beginning. As we look forward to an eventful year championing the common good, we are ever grateful for partners who share the same heart and vision to come alongside us and create impact at TSH. We look forward to using this space to encourage more social and environmental initiatives, all alongside like-minded partners.