The Eurasian Association Celebrates 100 years of Community Building in Singapore
Singapore, 18 December 2018 – Next year marks a significant milestone in the history of The Eurasian Association as it celebrates 100 years in Singapore. Celebrations for the Eurasian Association’s centennial anniversary are set to take place from 31 December 2018 to 31 December 2019. These aim to instil a sense of belonging among Eurasians young and old, as well as to raise awareness with the wider Singapore community about Eurasian heritage, culture and achievements. “100 years is certainly a long way to come for the Eurasian Association, with much cause for celebration of the community’s achievements across various areas in society such as the civil service, education and sports. We hope that the centennial activities will bring the Eurasian community closer and build deeper connections with all Singaporeans through our shared history. Moreover, younger Eurasians can gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of their rich heritage and help inspire future generations of Eurasians”, said Dr Alexius Pereira, President, The Eurasian Association.
Celebrating all things Eurasian
One of the highlights of the centennial celebrations is the Eurasian Festival, to be held on 27 July 2019. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is expected to grace the festival, which aims to celebrate the progress of the Eurasian Association over the last 100 years, and how it has improved the lives of Eurasians through education and welfare. It also celebrates the contributions of Eurasians to nation-building. To spread greater awareness about Eurasian culture, the festival will include a cultural exhibition, displaying the history of Eurasians in Singapore, highlighting pioneer Eurasians who played a pivotal role in Singapore’s early growth and development and shedding light on Eurasians today who are contributing to Singapore’s success.
Furthermore, members of the public will be able to experience a slice of Eurasian culture with an array of craft booths showing traditional handicrafts of the Eurasian community such as crochet, knitting and tatting, a chance to try out the famed Eurasian cuisine, as well as enjoy band and dance performances.
New Eurasian Heritage Gallery to be launched
The Eurasian Association will also launch its newly revamped Eurasian Heritage Gallery at the Eurasian Community House in September 2019. This milestone event will be graced by President Halimah Yacob. Previously conceptualised as three separate galleries, the new Eurasian Heritage Gallery will integrate all galleries into a seamless and cohesive presentation of the Eurasian story. The gallery seeks to promote awareness about the roots of the Eurasian community, pioneers who have contributed to nation-building, as well as various aspects of Eurasian culture such as religion, cuisine, music and sports. In collaboration with the Eurasian Heritage Committee and the National Heritage Board’s Singapore Philatelic Museum, existing exhibits will be enhanced with more photos, artefacts and oral histories. Moreover, the gallery will feature interactive multimedia to increase the appeal to younger generations.
Some treasured artefacts that the public can look forward to include a three-tiere cake stand passed down from generation to generation to serve sugee cake. In addition, items donated by well-known Eurasian sporting heroes like Joseph Schooling and Heather Siddons will be on display in the gallery.
New Coffee Table Book on Eurasian heritage
To mark its 100th anniversary in Singapore, the Eurasian Association will also be launching an official coffee table book. Set to be launched in October 2019, the book aims to capture the history of the Eurasian Association from 1919 to 2019, the Eurasian Association’s milestones against the backdrop of Singapore’s progress and how the Eurasian Association has contributed to the Singapore community through its key pillars of education and welfare.
In addition, to expand the collection of oral history from the Eurasian community, the Eurasian Association has partnered with the National Archives of Singapore (NAS) on a unique oral history project. Volunteers, including local radio veteran Brian Richmond, will be interviewing members of the Eurasian community to capture their memories and record significant stories of the past.
This exercise will help Eurasians to recall how the Eurasian community has lived in the past, and instil a great sense of pride in all Eurasians young and old.
The Eurasian Association’s centennial celebrations will start on 31 December 2018 and end on 31 December 2019.
For more information about the line-up of activities for the 100th-anniversary celebrations, please visit http://www.eurasians.org.sg/.
Image Credit: The Eurasian Association Singapore
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