LumiNation 2020 celebrates the stories of migrant communities and their contributions to Singapore

Co-presented by The Arts House and Persatuan Bawean Singapura

When: From August 1, 9am 

Besides the Javanese, the Baweanese is another significant sub-ethnic Malay community in Singapore. The group's migration into Singapore has been recorded as early as 1837, and intensified at the turn of the 20th century – motivated by an indigenous ethos referred to as 'merantau'. The word translates to 'wandering' and refers to the tradition of Baweanese men and women leaving the community at an early age to gain wealth, knowledge, and life experience. 

Orang Phebien: The Baweanese in Singapore is a three-part video series that gives insight to the factors influencing the migration of the Baweanese to Singapore and their integration with various local communities. Through the short webisodes, you'll learn about their history, cultural practices, and perspectives from second and third-generation Baweanese living in Singapore.

Presented by The Arts House

When: August 8, 9am 

Urban architecture academic Imran Tajudeen examines the importance of places within the concept of migration. In The Shape of Home Abodes in Colonial Singapore, he talks about the neighbourhoods that have formed through the arrival of the smaller migrant communities to Singapore. Beyond the shophouses and 'colonial bungalows' we're all familiar with, Tajudeen examines a range of building types developed for Singapore's diverse range of migrants. 

Examining the Chulia, Javanese and Southern Chinese coolies of the 19th century, for instance, Tajudeen explores the marks they've etched on Singapore's landscape.

Presented by The Arts House 

When: August 16, 4pm 

The relationship between the colonial project and migration isn't entirely based on the accounts of individuals and communities. It extends to the natural world as well. Historian Timothy Barnard explores how the British colonial administration not only introduced a new status quo to society – but also foreign flora and fauna that left a profound effect on the indigenous population which fundamentally altered Singapore's ecosystem. 

Presented by The Arts House

When: August 29, 5pm 

It's a common sight to see migrant workers in Singapore working at residential estates and manicured urban landscapes. In Sounds of Precarious Labour: Transient Workers, Hidden Musicians, Ethnomusicologist Tan Shzr Eee brings forth the soundscapes of a migrant worker's day instead, revealing their unseen private lives. 

This conversation investigates the sonic realms of communities and identities claimed by low-wage migrant workers in marginalised and precarious labour, focusing on unequal musical, sonic and labour flows around the multicultural city-state of Singapore in Southeast Asia.

Presented by The Arts House

When: August 30, 4pm 

Why are some migrants considered more worthy than the others; and why do some groups integrate more easily into the Singapore identity? 

Led by Anju Mary Paul, this talk explores the power of imagination in constructing the identity of migrants in our society. The first half of this talk explores the power of shifting mental maps in shaping how potential migrants rate and rank different destination options, discussing how different groups think about Singapore before and after they arrive. The second half, on the other hand, highlights how different groups of migrants to Singapore have been classified in the collective imagination.

Stay for a Q&A session after the talk.