This October, look forward to Story Fest 2023 happening on 6 and 7 October, in time for the Children’s Day weekend.
Families will be able to listen to three storytellers via a leisurely stroll along the Singapore River, learn about the precinct’s rich history at three art benches in the Civic District. Story Walk will then end with a craft session at the Arts House.
Stories at the Art Benches
Story Fest shines the spotlight on Benchmarks – a collection art benches in the district crafted by various Singapore-based artists. Storytelling takes place at three of the benches in October: This is Not a Bench, A Micropolyphonic Stage and Restore/Neural Artefact Black.
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We were invited to a preview of Story Walk and found it to be a family-friendly and enlightening experience.
Apart from fresh air by the picturesque Singapore River, it was an apt opportunity to clock steps while making memories with loved ones.
Storytellers Wesley Leon Aroozoo, Laura Kee and Hafiz Rashid regaled us with tales of the Singapore River, Arts House, Godowns, Asian Civilisations Museum as well as pioneers.
Participants were also invited to share their perspectives of the art benches and even participate in the storytelling by sitting, observing and feeling.
It was immersive, especially for the children who were free to move around while listening.
It was a refreshing and unique experience for our family to experience a guided walk and storytelling session in the Civic District. We learnt about the history of the places, stories of the communities in bite-sized portions easily digestible even by the six year olds.
Kamini Ramachandran, Creative Producer of StoryFest, shared “The Civic District has always been a place that has held the stories of many communities. The monuments and heritage sites are custodians of history, oration and performed words. We also have The Singapore River winding through as a link to tales from our past. Story Walk is an artistic response to remember the many storytellers who sat by the River and shared tales. I would like our participants to become curious about the stories that reside within the walls of monuments and in the forms of artworks.”
Craft Session Post-Walk
After the walk, we were led to the Arts House to participate in a craft session by local artists Victor Emmanuel and Stellah Lim. We made our own paper benches and then printed motifs of the river, otters, wood grain, butterflies, orchids onto the benches before sticking them onto a postcard with a backdrop of Singapore River.
Story Walk ended with a simple craft that even the littlest of participants can create. It was also a welcome respite from the heat.
Something for Everyone at Story Walk, Story Fest 2023
Story Walk happens on 6 and 7 October for an hour per session. The morning session is suitable for families with children ages 6 to 8, while the evening session is tailored for general audiences.
The walk starts and ends at the Arts House.
Tickets are priced at $10 each. Buy your tickets here.
If you want to go on your own art walk around the Singapore Civic District and to learn more about the monuments found there, read our story about the Civic District.
