A month of fun, dance, film and doing good

Kicking off Youth Month this Friday will be the three-day Shine Festival, featuring not only youth performances but also more than 60 pop-up stalls and various fringe-activities along Orchard Road.

These include activities such as silk-screening, marble-painting and a community wall mural. Both international and local acts, such as local songwriter-rapper ShiGGA Shay and Korean hip-hop artist Jay Park, will also feature at the festival. In addition, the Singapore Street Festival will take place along the stretch from Ngee Ann City to Mandarin Gallery, where youths will be busking and putting on parkour and kendama performances, among others.

Meanwhile, the National Youth Film Awards will be held on July 23. There were 238 submissions from 14 institutes of higher learning from last year's awards, and the shortlisted nominees will be revealed tomorrow. The awards to be given out include Best Cinematography, Best Sound Design and Best Documentary. There will also be workshops and screenings for those who have an interest in the film industry. Apart from the various dance, film and musical activities, youths will also be engaging in community projects throughout the month.

Speaking to TODAY, National Youth Council (NYC) chief executive officer David Chua said that, in the last two years, the NYC had tried to highlight youths doing good in other areas — be it community projects or overcoming adversity — during Youth Month. “It shouldn’t just come across as a festival where a young person goes out and sings, showcases talent ... there are those who go out and do things for the elderly, for (those with) special needs, or on their own accord, they volunteer for something,” he added.

For example, the Youth Corps Singapore volunteers will be teaching seniors from the AWWA Senior Community Home sign language for two National Day Parade songs, and accompanying them to shop for groceries at a supermarket.

On July 17, a total of 20 NYC youth volunteers will be joining seniors in games and performances to bring some Hari Raya cheer to the residents of Jamiyah Home for the Aged. Fifteen volunteers will also be helping children from disadvantaged backgrounds to build their public-speaking skills through a show-and-tell activity to be held at Telok Blangah Rise. SIAU MING EN