4 Realise Your Somerset Projects to check out at Somerfest 2022

If you are a youth seeking inspiration to kickstart your business plan, then Somerfest 2022 is the event for you.

Somerfest 2022 houses 22 Realise Your Somerset Projects (RYSP) from Friday (Nov 25) to Dec 18. The RYSP awarded $3,000 to $50,000 to initiatives in the creative arts, retail, mental wellbeing, urban sports, sustainability and environment, and technology.

This is one of the platforms by the Somerset Belt to empower youths to create possibilities through experimenting with creative and impactful ideas with other like-minded youth and partners.

Visitors can gain a plethora of experiences at the RYSP installations ranging from creative arts, urban sports, entrepreneurship and community events.

Here are four of the 22 RYSP projects that you can check out while you are there:

Housed in the iconic Red Bus, Strangers Touch is an art project under the guise of a retail store. It attempts to nudge the way we view everyday touch by bringing the stranger closer to domestic spaces.

Visitors can expect to have an immersive experience with a range of tactile products that will challenge and provoke touch in their daily spaces. These products range from polymer clay and aluminium massage sticks to night lamps made from epoxy resin.

Members of the public can use this experience to bring back forgotten surfaces that tow the line of being uncanny and alluring.

Strangers Touch will be at the Somerset Youth Park from Nov 25 to Dec 18.

Sit back and have meaningful discussions over a scoop of ice-cream.

Colour palette is mentored by Christopher Soh, a senior lecturer who teaches business in Republic Polytechnic. Together with his student Mirza Rusyaidi and his friends, the team wants to enable youth mental wellness by selling colourful ice-creams.

The Somerset Scoop is a delicious trio of ice-cream flavours – kaya burnt cheesecake, blueberry lavender and cranberry yakult that are unique to the Somerset Belt. The cranberry yakult is a healthier option, while the kaya burnt cheesecake is a local spin for all to indulge in.

You can also participate in a social media challenge and redeem a free ice-cream when you visit the SCOOOP container between Dec 16 and 18.

Be guided to discover your work habits and contribute to the conversations that centres around the future of work culture at the self-compassion lab.

An installation by 10 creative youths, the lab is targeted at youths who engage in creative practices. It aims to build their capacity for self-awareness which will then lead to self-advocacy in work conditions.

Youths can come by the installation and contribute to a final data mapping of the state of young creative workers in Singapore.

Visitors can also prepare their own self-care kits at the self-compassion lab that consists of snacks, stickers, sweets and to-do lists.

An industry-focused exhibition, the project hopes to equip youth creatives to do their best work by recognising what they need in their work culture and environment to allow that.

You can access its self-compassion guide and tools here.

Attendees can also be well on their way in following David Copperfield’s footsteps at Where the Magic Happens.

Singapore’s very first magic-themed festival is a three day event designed to promote the art of magic through co-creation with various art forms like theatrical performances, visual art installations, spatial design and music.

The festival aims to transform the Somerset Youth Park into a magical wonderland with fun filled magic inspired activities.

Where the Magic Happens will take place from Jan 6 to Jan 8, 2023.

Beyond immersing in RYSP booths, youths looking to start their own businesses can network with Somerset youth founders at Sandbox Somerset at the Somerset Youth Park.

Sandbox Somerset is organised by Invade, in partnership with the Somerset Belt Office, under the National Youth Council (NYC).

Close to 100 entrepreneurs from the creative, retail and food and beverage industries will showcase their innovations and hold networking, panel, and mentoring sessions over two weekends.

It will be held from Nov 25 to 27 and Dec 2 to 4 from 2pm to 9pm.