Enabling inclusion beyond acceptance – persons with disabilities contribute to art, fashion and music for National Day 2023 celebrations
02 Aug 2023
SINGAPORE, 2 AUGUST 2023 – SG Enable, the focal agency for disability and inclusion in Singapore, is championing efforts for a more inclusive National Day 2023, through its collaboration with the National Day Parade (NDP) 2023 Executive Committee (EXCO) to incorporate artwork by persons with disabilities into different aspects of the celebration. In addition to being featured on this year’s NDP packs, the artwork will be transformed into wearable art for 10 Members of Parliament (MPs). Persons with disabilities are also lending their voices to the National Day celebrations, with musical tributes that will be performed at the Gardens by the Bay and Mediacorp National Day Concert (5 August), the GetActive! Singapore Heartland Festivals (5 and 6 August), and the NDP (9 August).
“In the last decade, SG Enable has been at the forefront of transformative efforts to build a more inclusive Singapore where persons with disabilities can actively participate socially and economically. Our participation in this year’s National Day celebrations showcases the immense talents and skills of persons with disabilities. The artwork and musical tributes express their love for Singapore and remind us that an inclusive Singapore, where Singaporeans embrace our diversity and move “Onward as One”, will bring about greater strength and hope for a dynamic and resilient future,” said Ms Ku Geok Boon, CEO, SG Enable.
An inclusive National Day 2023 celebration
This year, SG Enable’s partnership with NDP 2023 EXCO includes:
Artwork on NDP Packs
The NDP 2023 Pack features four different artwork designs – named Diversity, Fabric of Singapore, Connectedness, and Blooming Singapore. These artwork designs comprise 140 art pieces created by 25 persons with and without disabilities from 8 social service agencies, 13 special education schools, and two Institutes of Higher Learning. This collaboration is part of SG Enable’s i’mable public education initiative to celebrate the abilities of persons with disabilities.
The co-creation process fostered a sense of belonging and empowerment among the artists, who had the opportunity to interact with one another, express themselves, discover each person’s unique perspectives, and unleash their creative abilities.
The NDP 2023 Packs feature four artwork designs created by 25 persons with and without disabilities,
as part of SG Enable’s i’mable public education initiative.
Photo by Lianhe Zaobao.
Virtual choral performance during the NDP
The Choir Music Video will showcase the talents of 127 performers with and without disabilities –performers invited by SG Enable, Voices of Singapore (VOS) Starlight Voices, Pathlight School, Compassvale Secondary School, Xinmin Secondary School and Punggol Secondary School. The performers will come together to perform a medley of past NDP theme songs highlighting inclusivity, diversity and unity of voices.
MPs advocate for inclusion with NDP outfits
i'mable Collective, an initiative by SG Enable, nurtures a community of artists and makers with disabilities to showcase their talents and strengthen their abilities in artisanal fields. This multi-sectoral platform includes partners in the people, public and private sectors who, together with persons with disabilities, collaborate and contribute towards the development of a viable market for quality merchandise created by persons with disabilities.
The artwork designs featured on the NDP 2023 Packs have been adapted by SG Enable’s i'mable Collective, working with social enterprise Singapore Fashion Runway (SFR) and local brand Yingthelabel, into a fashion wear collection named Motif Majulah. Motif Majulah, which means “going forward with design”, embodies the fighting spirit of Singapore in promoting disability inclusion and empowerment. 10 MPs have this collection and their choice of outfit for the NDP is not limited to this collection.
These are some of the outfits in the Motif Majulah collection, designed from adapted NDP artwork by persons with disabilities, through SG Enable's i'mable Collective.
Top photos by Yingthelabel; above images by Singapore Fashion Runway.
More photos and images can be found
here
.
We are delighted that our i‘mable Collective makers, ART:DIS and SFR, have also joined hands to custom-make SPS Eric Chua and his family’s outfit for this year’s National Day celebrations.
SPS Eric Chua’s outfit for this year’s National Day celebrations is custom-made
by SG Enable's i'mable Collective makers, ART:DIS and Singapore Fashion Runway.
Image by ART:DIS and Singapore Fashion Runway.
Capsule necklace based on NDP Pack artwork design
i'mable Collective, together with its social enterprise partner, Eden + Elie, crafted a limited-edition capsule necklace in celebration of Singapore’s 58th birthday. Based on the NDP Pack artwork design – Fabric of Singapore, the beaded necklace takes inspiration from an orchid motif, recreating it into a new intricate beaded pattern that features Singapore’s national colours of red and white, together with gold and purple accents.
The collection will be available for sale for 90 days from now on Eden + Elie’s online store. 20% of the sales will be donated to Enabling Village’s upcoming extension, which provides capability building programmes and lifelong learning opportunities for persons with disabilities. Eden + Elie is a jewellery brand based in Enabling Village and an i’mable Collective enterprise partner that develops individuals on the autism spectrum to become skilled bead-weaving artisans.
i’mable Collective and Eden + Elie crafted a capsule necklace (in picture) in celebration of Singapore’s 58th birthday. It is based on an NDP Pack artwork design and
references local elements such as orchids and Singapore’s national colours.
Photo by Eden + Elie.
Our Story choral performance and singalong at Gardens by the Bay and Mediacorp National Day Concert
Dr Darius Lim, an award-winning conductor and internationally published composer will be leading Voices of Singapore (VOS) Starlight Voices, a special needs choir supported by SG Enable’s Enabling Lives Initiative, and VOS Children’s Choir to perform “Our Story” at the Gardens by the Bay and Mediacorp National Day Concert on 5 August. Our Story is composed by Dr Lim to celebrate SG Enable’s 10 years of building an inclusive Singapore with its partners. The concert will be a live broadcast with an expected turnout of about 20,000 people. President Halimah Yacob, who is gracing the concert as Guest of Honour, will be joining the choir on stage to sing with her husband Mr Mohamed Abdullah Alhabshee, and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth, and Social and Family Development, Mr Eric Chua. We hope that, like Home, this song will resonate strongly with all Singaporeans and rally everyone to build a more caring and inclusive Singapore.
Our Story - Music video showcase at GetActive! Singapore Heartland Festivals
Over 500 people, including persons with disabilities, representatives from disability social service agencies and partners from various sectors, and their families and friends, came together to create a music video for Our Story, after it received a most enthusiastic reception at SG Enable’s 10th anniversary dinner in May.
The music video will be showcased at GetActive! Singapore Heartland Festivals over the weekend of 5 and 6 August at the following locations and it is also dedicated to President Halimah Yacob in appreciation of her strong support for disability inclusion:
- ActiveSG Bedok Sport Centre
- ActiveSG Jurong West Sport Centre
- ActiveSG Toa Payoh Sport Centre
- ActiveSG Woodlands Sport Centre
- Our Tampines Hub
Links to the music video can be found here:
- Music video: https://youtu.be/wRiCSFFIKiY
- Music video (with tribute to President Halimah Yacob): https://youtu.be/zXzIXyVHV-I
- More information on the song and video: www.sgenable.sg/OurStoryMV
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