This year, the Singapore Writers Festival 2020 will run until November 8 2020. The 23rd edition of the Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) returns with a theme of ‘intimacy’ and their diverse line-up is curated with that in mind. This year’s theme explores what does intimacy mean in a time where quarantine and social distancing is the norm. There’ll be 30 specially curated programmes to enjoy, and we’ve narrowed down the family-friendly programmes that you should tune into. From storytelling, workshops, to craft sessions, take a look at our picks.
With Creative Director and television personality David Boey presenting this workshop, this family-friendly event will be focused on Furry Tales by Leila. Interspersed with animated readings, you can learn about animal adoption and be inspired by the secret lives of your pets. For the kids who love animals and maybe even wonder if their pets are leading secret double lives. Daniel Boey will be joined by Leia as they talk about their latest fairy tale collection inspired by pets.
This workshop is free with registration and will take place in-person at The Arts House, Living Room on Nov 7th from 1:30pm to 2:30pm. All attendees are required to use the TraceTogether mobile application or token to check-in at the venue.
Books to life is a series of workshops that celebrate stories and authors and encourage the little ones to think more about what these stories mean to them. This session will have an interactive storytelling session with ACT 3 International followed by a drama workshop that explores the different themes in this book. Recommended for ages four to six, this session will feature Eliza Teoh’s book The Lonely Boy and The Ugly Dog. A simple story about an unlikely friendship between a shy boy and a mutt he meets in the streets.
This workshop is free with registration and will take place over Zoom on Nov 4th from 4:30pm to 5:10pm.
Alice Bianchi-Clark will be retelling the story of Carlo Collodi’s Italian fairytale, Pinocchio, using music, song and puppetry. Your little ones can engage with characters from the story in their own digital break-out rooms within the setting of a small and interactive group. Well suited for ages seven to nine.
This workshop is free with registration and will take place over Zoom on Nov 8 from 10am to 11am.
Produced by Act 3 Theatrics, this performance retells the story of Grace who travels everywhere by wheelchair as she cannot walk. Her best friend Shelly decides to take her on a walk one day and they come across several challenges that are difficult for the wheelchair to navigate and this dramatised storytelling tells the story of this journey. An inclusive programme for children of all ages, this dramatised storytelling session features Nikki Ang, who lives with muscular dystrophy and is wheelchair-bound, with actress and educator Amy J Cheng.
This performance is free and is available to watch on SWF’s Youtube channel.
Produced by Elly’s Art Show, this is an online art show with a twist! Join Singapore-based children’s book illustrator Elieth Sardiñas “Elly” and her co-host Berry Bubblegum on a journey with arts and crafts. Together, your kids will make a fun hat with Elly to inspire more stories. Suited for children from ages four to six, all you need are some handy materials. One A4 foam sheet or thick paper (for the body), a smaller coloured paper (for the peak), permanent markers, crayons, white glue, scissors, stapler, and a ruler (optional).
This performance is free and is available to watch on SWF’s Youtube channel.