Events, volunteer opportunities and activities to look out for in Youth Month 2023
Celebrate Youth Month in the best possible way.
In celebration of Youth Month, the National Youth Council (NYC) has curated a list of activities for youths.
These include a music festival, volunteering opportunities, as well as dialogues for youths interested in chiming in on social issues.
Here are some things to look forward to this month:
Somerset Belt events
1. Majulah Music Night 2023
Enjoy live performances at Somerset Skatepark during Majulah Music Night 2023, a festival with local and regional acts, on Jul 30 at 6.30pm.
Local acts include actor-singer Glenn Yong and Hongjoin. There are also artists from Malaysia, Taiwan and China.
The festival will also feature F&B offerings and art installations, for a complete experience at the Somerset Belt. Tickets for Majulah Music Night are now available at $48 per ticket, or purchase a bundle of three tickets for $135, five for $215, and 10 for $380.
2. Film showcase: ‘Fresh Meat’
*SCAPE’s first-ever ticketed theatrical film screening, Fresh Meat, will six feature short films with varying genres from comedy to horror. These films are made by nominees and award recipients of the National Youth Film Awards (NYFA).
It will be screened at Suntec Golden Village on Jul 8 and Aug 12.
Tickets for the public are priced at $15.50 each. Singapore Film Society members, *SCAPE Communities and students can purchase the tickets at a discounted price of $13.50.
Ticket purchases can be made on the Golden Village website.
3. You Decide @ the Red Bus Challenge
As part of efforts to refresh the Somerset Belt, the iconic Red Bus at the Youth Park will undergo a refresh.
The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and the National Youth Council is holding a contest to allow youths to control the fate of the Red Bus. Called the You Decide @ the Red Bus Challenge, youths can stand a chance to win $2,000 worth of vouchers.
Participants, who can join either individually, in pairs or in groups, will be tasked to create a new design that answers the challenge statement – What do we want to do with the Red Bus to align it with the Somerset Belt plans, and with present and future youths?
The submitted designs will be evaluated by judges from Jul 25 to 31 for the top 10 designs, followed by a second round of evaluation by the public to pick out the top three.
Registration for the challenge will close at 11.59pm on Jul 6. Interested participants can fill out the registration form and the list of information on the Somerset Belt website.
4. K-Pop Random Play Dance
Youths can can get together to dance to the latest K-pop songs at *SCAPE’s K-Pop Random Play Dance (KRPD) on Jul 14.\
KRPD is a returning event held monthly at *SCAPE, with a different song list each month. This edition of the dance gathering is held at the Youth Park.
Volunteering opportunities
5. Community Fair
The Youth Corps Singapore will hold a Community Fair for youths to find out more about volunteering.
Held on Jul 16, from 11am to 5pm, the fair will feature 21 exhibitors from youth-led interest-based clusters and affiliates. Youths can learn more about the various communities and causes that the Youth Corps help, such as seniors, children, mental health, persons with special needs and the environment.
The fair will also mark the close of Youth Corps’ Do Good Fest 2023.
Some interactive workshops will be held at the fair too.
The Travel Makers, a pilot programme will allow youth volunteers to help persons with special needs to take public transport independently. It was developed in partnership with MINDS and the Public Transport Council, to foster caring and inclusive commuters.
There is also a Dialect Challenge held by the Youth Corps Eldercare Cluster, a group of youths who are passionate about sustaining positive change in the eldercare landscape. The interactive session will provide potential volunteers with an understanding of the importance of learning dialects to befriend and care for seniors with dementia.
Those who want to sign up as a volunteer at the fair can do so too. Project Sarana, a Youth Corp affiliate led by a team of Singaporean youths supporting the migrant worker community, are looking for volunteers to help improve migrants’ resting spaces during the fair.
Beyond Project Sarana, youths who are passionate about supporting the migrant worker community can volunteer at the Youth Corps Exercise Programme with Migrant Brothers. Youths can interact with migrant workers through sports such as Badminton and Table Tennis.
Civic Activities for Youth Month
6. Race and Religion Dialogue
A dialogue on race and religion will be held at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) by Mr Eric Chua, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) and Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) on Jul 28.
This dialogue is part of a series of engagements and workshops with self-help groups, educational institutions, and civil society groups which will reach about 6,000 youths over the course of three years.
These engagements will equip youths with the skills to participate in and facilitate conversations on sensitive issues, using NYC’s Civic Conversations Toolkit on Race and Religion as a resource to foster open discussions.
7. Kopi Session: Housing
A ‘Kopi Session’ discussing the concerns youths have regarding obtaining housing for singles and second-timers will take place on Jul 3.
Held by Minister of National Development Mr Desmond Lee, Kopi Sessions are conversations held to allow youths to share their views and discuss important national topics.
Due to land constraints and competing needs, the Housing Development Board (HDB) has prioritised access to public housing for certain groups with more urgent needs such as first-timer families. This session will discuss how singles and second-timer families can be supported, and explore alternative solutions.
