Things to do in Singapore today

The National Museum of Singapore is taking its physical Bicentennial exhibition, An Old New World: From the East Indies to the Founding of Singapore, 1600s – 1819, off-ground and online with its digital version from April 15. The virtual exhibition transports you back in time to the bustling trading port of the East Indies that drew the attention of the Dutch and British East India Companies. The East Indies was the centre of the spice trade, comprising the Malay Peninsula and Indonesian Archipelago, but the European arrival is only a fraction of its longer history. Uncover the other factors at play leading up to the events of 1819 through this informative exhibition. There are two modes of navigation to choose from – guided and self-exploratory. The former invites you to explore featured artefacts and the surrounding showcases while listening to narrations by curators Daniel Tham and Iskander Mydin about Knowledge and Power and Seeing the Indigenous. You can also read from the tour script instead by clicking on a button on the bottom right-hand corner. The self-exploratory mode allows you to check out the exhibition at your own pace. The museum has also announced plans to add more content at a later stage. This includes upping the history game with a commentary for lower secondary students. The commentary complements the museum’s educational resource An Old New World: Investigating Singapore’s History from Pre-Colonial to the Present released along with the physical exhibiti

Independent art gallery space Coda Culture is organising an online charity art sale in support of Singapore's migrant workers. The sale features artworks by 17 artists, mostly inspired by events that have happened in Singapore over the past few months.  Jennifer Teo's Bullshit Painting (Apology) features a familiar quote we've all heard on the news, while Loo Zihan's Temporary Measures: a procession of physical proximity is a one-on-one performance that takes the form of a 9.5 km walk with the artist in Singapore, lasting approximately 180 minutes. The latter explores the question of how labour-power is abstracted in monetary terms, and the contradiction between the use and exchange value of service as a commodity. Who exactly determines which services are essential and what happens to bodies that are deemed dispensable?  Upon the sale of the artwork, Loo Zihan will arrange for a time with the purchaser for the performance, whilst adhering to the restrictions in place during the post-'circuit breaker' period. Yen Phang's Your Pound Of, on the other hand, is a sculpture created with pigment ink on toilet paper. All works are priced at $750, the average monthly salary of migrant construction workers in Singapore. 100 per cent of the proceeds from the sale will be donated to local NGO Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2), who are helping affected workers living in dorms by ensuring that they have enough funds in their prepaid SIM Cards and facilitating contact tracing. The collect

Nothing screams 'weird, wacky and wonderful' quite like Haw Par Villa. Built in 1937 as Tiger Balm Gardens, the little park of horrors along Pasir Panjang Road is a sight to be seen, especially when you're looking to quench your thirst for the offbeat in Singapore. It's peppered with colourful, gaudy Chinese folklore-themed statues but the main star of the show is the Ten Courts of Hell, a dim-lit cave of gruesome tortures. While its gates remain closed due to the ongoing crisis, you can still catch a glimpse of Haw Par Villa in the local documentary, The Last Artisan. It follows master craftsman Teo Veoh Seng who first started out as an apprentice at the park decades ago, and now at 83, he has finally decided to hang up his paintbrushes. Combining interviews with animation, the documentary spotlights the artisan whose quiet dedication has preserved a uniquely charming slice of an ever-changing city. What will then happen to the park once Teo Veoh Seng retires? There's only one way to find out: watching The Last Artisan. The documentary is available via The Projector's online platform from now until further notice at US$9.99 for a 24-hour period. On June 7 at 5pm, join director Craig McTurk and Teo Veoh Seng's daughter Adeline Teo for a live Q&A session on The Projector's Facebook page. Post your burning questions in the comment section of the Q&A video or send them to The Projector's inboxes via Facebook, Instagram or email (info@theprojector.sg) before or during the sesh. 

While the gates of the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall (SYSNMH) remains temporarily locked, for now, the Internet becomes the key to getting your culture fix. Delve into the history and cultural significance of the annual Wan Qing Dumpling Festival as it returns with its very first digital edition from June 1 to 30. The online portal welcomes all in uncovering ancient Chinese myths and practices through a line-up of family-friendly digital initiatives such as cooking classes, game contests, quizzes, interactive craft demonstrations, and more. Also known as the Dragon Boat Festival, the Dumpling Festival is celebrated by Chinese communities around the world. But what's the correlation between dragons and dumplings? No fire-breathers involved, the festival commemorates the death of China's national hero Qu Yuan with rice dumplings, realgar wine, and dragon boat races. To bring a slice of Chinese heritage, culture, and arts closer to home, SYSNMH is making its Wan Qing Dumpling Festival accessible to all via its Facebook page. There is a myriad of activities for families to try together such as a cooking tutorial of the traditional Chinese rice dish bak zhang, DIY craft activities including folding your very own origami dragon boat, and an interactive game of catching rice dumplings where you can stand a chance to win exclusive museum merchandise. If you're in the mood for a story, cosy up for an animated storytelling session about rice dumplings and how the practice of dragon

After its ground-breaking debut in Paris two years ago, National Gallery Singapore's first travelling Southeast Asian art exhibition makes its anticipated return to the Gallery from March 27 to September 27. The Latiff Mohidin: Pago Pago exhibition gives you a glimpse into the life and practice of Malaysian modernist painter and poet Latiff Mohidin, highlighting how his travels across Europe and Southeast Asia have influenced modern art in this region. The exhibition features over 80 artworks and writings, including some of his earliest, displayed alongside rare photographs and films specially chosen from private and public collections in Singapore and Malaysia. A hand-drawn map of Kampong Glam – exclusively created by Latiff Mohidin himself for this exhibition – is also featured. It showcases the complex layers of the vibrant neighbourhood as he recalls from the 1950s. One for the books if you're into art and history.

With the stage curtains drawn at the Esplanade, annual traditions for theatre lovers in Singapore, including spending the evenings with local contemporary plays, are put on hold. But alas, the show must go on. The Studios was initially scheduled to take centre stage at Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay from March 25 to April 26 this year. However, due to the circuit breaker measures, the annual theatre season has taken a raincheck. Refusing to let this setback rain on its parade, The Studios has decided to log online from now until Jun 12 to showcase eight compelling productions including two new original productions and six productions from the series' 17 years of archives. These productions are available to stream online via Esplanade Offstage for free.  From June 6 to 12, get ready for the premiere screening of Lost Cinema 20/20 by Brian Gothing Tan, and the audio presentation of The Heart Comes to Mind by Checkpoint Theatre. The former traverse through the notion of dreams, our subconscious and film, while the latter follows a father and daughter coping with the loss of their wife and mother. Both of these productions were caught up in the midst of the ever-evolving global situation, and as such, they are presented in these modes. But don't go on without starting on the six archival recordings of Harap by Teater Ekamatra and To Whom It May Concern by The Finger Players (May 16-22), Dark Room by Edith Podesta and Nothing by Cake Theatrical Productions (May 23-29), and A Good

There's no denying that staying at home for an uncertain period of time can bring about a sense of restlessness, especially among the young and perhaps, the young at heart. To spice up the stay-home routine, the National Youth Council (NYC) has launched MehGoWhere, a youth-centric microsite that takes you back to those Tumblr days with its kaleidoscopic thumbnails – and rightfully so.  Aimed at keeping youths in Singapore engaged while practising social distancing at home, the nifty site offers resources to keep 'em in the know, lighthearted content for a laugh, interesting activities for some brain work, and cool ideas like switching up the next food delivery. Even if it's the serious stuff you're particularly concerned about such as the current situation, mental health, career, and financial planning, the site is brimming with resources that might just answer all your burning questions. MehGoWhere also makes a great tool to connect with fellow youngsters, especially if social distancing is making you feel a tad lonely. Other activity highlights include practising self-care with a guided stress-busting yoga session hosted by Youth Corps Singapore, catching feel-good movies with other cinephiles in watch parties, and revive the kampung spirit by joining virtual gatherings hosted by FriendZoneSG. If you've been bitten by the Tik Tok bug, update your feed with weekly challenges. Hashtagged #MehGoWhereChallenge, the challenges invite all to reenact trends and put a little spin t

With virtual tours of landmarks, museums, and art galleries around the world available at your fingertips, you don't even have to step outside your comfy abode to visit these places – unless you need some fresh air, of course. Joining the virtual bandwagon is the Singapore Philatelic Museum. The museum is currently closed for a major facelift and is expected to re-open at in 2021. But that doesn't mean you can't take a peek at the what goes – or rather went – on the inside. Home to a wide variety of postage stamps ranging from Singapore as well as philatelic archival material from the 1830s to the present, the Singapore Philatelic Museum is an ace start to learn about postal history including the first stamp and the evolution of stamps to becoming a gateway into the world, spotlighting on different subjects such as science, technology, history and culture. The museum also holds special themed exhibitions such as The Little Prince: Behind the Story, Shaking It With Shakespeare, and The League Against Evil: A DC Super Heroes Exhibition. And now, you can explore these exhibitions in your slippers at the comfort of your home. Take a virtual tour around the museum and marvel at the cool collections of stamps, artworks, and other paraphernalia by zooming in. If you've got a VR headset, put it on and hit the VR mode for an elevated experience. It works with DIY cardboard VR viewers too. Start your virtual adventure at the Singapore Philatelic Museum here.

Stretch your dollar for some retail therapy as GSS returns with the best deals and steals in the city. Cop everything from wardrobe staples to home furniture at up to 70 percent off the original retail price. The spotlight shines on local talent this year with participating up-and-coming Singaporean brands, designers and restaurants.

Quench your thirst for culture online with the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM). Travel the region without leaving your house through a virtual exploration of ACM's collection of Asian antiquities and decorative arts masterpieces. Otherwise, try your hand at recreating Asian masterpieces with household items. Get the kids to join in the fun too with ACM's kid-friendly online resources, making learning extra fun.