Make a Trip to Curiocity

Discover, Learn, and Tell Singapore Stories Through NLB’s New Initiative


Singapore, 5 January 2022 – The National Library Board (NLB) launches Curiocity, an initiative which spotlights various facets of Singapore’s history that may have been hidden in plain sight across the country. Everyone is invited to discover and engage with Singapore’s history through a series of creative installations, treasure hunts and talks for all ages, complemented by a digital storytelling website.

Curiocity aims to inspire greater appreciation of Singapore identity and heritage by eliciting a sense of curiosity and wonder of the country’s hidden stories.  It is the first of many initiatives that NLB will be rolling out in the coming months as part the Singapore Storytellers role under NLB’s LAB25 (Libraries and Archives Blueprint 2025). LAB25 is NLB’s five-year journey where we invite everyone to reimagine libraries and archives of the future.

 

Immerse in Singapore’s history through a Curiocity showcase, Light Installation and Satellite Displays peppered across the island

Highlights from Curiocity: Places & Perspectives (3 January - 3 February 2022), include a main showcase at Level 1 Plaza at National Library Building, titled Encore in the City. This experiential showcase takes visitors through colourful nooks and crannies to uncover six old icons of Singapore's entertainment landscape in the Bras Basah Bugis Precinct and the Civic District.

Come 14 January 2022, patrons can also enjoy the Light Installation at Level 1 Plaza at National Library Building, as well as Satellite Displays at three locations in the Civic District: The Arts House, Asian Civilisations Museum and Esplanade Park. These immersive installations will transport visitors into the city’s past, and visitors can explore the various connected themes of history and community through imaginative ways. The Curiocity light installations, done in collaboration with National Gallery Singapore (NGS), is part of Light to Night Festival 2022, a marquee event of Singapore Art Week spearheaded by NGS.  

 

Embark on Curiocity Treasure Hunts across three neighbourhoods in Singapore  

To encourage Singaporeans to discover the country and its history, the interactive Curiocity Treasure Hunts will guide participants on a journey across old and new districts in Singapore from 24 January to 10 April 2022 – Kampong Glam, Yishun and Punggol – to unravel the stories about our past, present and future as a nation through NLB’s resources.

 Learn about the history and significance of the Malay Heritage Centre in Istana Kampong Glam, the seat and historic home of the Malay royalty in Singapore. You can also pick up some interesting facts about Punggol and Yishun - did you know that there were two zoos in Punggol, and that Nee Soon Village in Yishun was called Chan Chu Kang (or Jia Chui Kang) around the early 1920s?

 To join the Treasure Hunt and win up to $1,000 worth of vouchers, patrons simply have to borrow physical books or eBooks to earn points and get clues through the NLB Mobile app. You can solve the clues by deep-diving into the Curiocity storymaps and discovering interesting articles, photos and videos.

More information about the installations, treasure hunts and programmes can also be found at https://curiocity.nlb.gov.sg/.

 

Deep dive into NLB’s heritage materials from the collections of the National Library and the National Archives of Singapore

NLB’s Curiocity initiatives are complemented by a refreshed Curiocity website. It leverages story maps, or place-based digital storytelling, to provide patrons an interactive and immersive way to uncover and rediscover the history of Singapore through a curated selection of heritage materials from the collections of the National Library (NL) and the National Archives of Singapore (NAS). The Bras Basah Bugis storymaps in particular, share the history of Bras Basah and Bugis from multiple perspectives through food, entertainment and learning.

 

Stay engaged through a variety of supplementary programmes, and an upcoming Singapore Storytellers Channel

In addition to the Curiocity showcase, there will be physical and online programmes in different formats – such as in-person tours, workshops and online talks. We will also debut a new series of videos on NLB’s YouTube page under the Singapore Storytellers Channel in April. These include mini-documentaries based on stories from BiblioAsia, our flagship publication, as well as a food and cooking series based on the food history related collections from the archives.

Come mid-2022, patrons can also explore the history and heritage of our country’s landscape and landmarks through the David Parry Maps collection on Wikimedia Commons, part of NLB’s efforts to make public domain maps accessible to all. NLB will also further increase the availability of our collection for public use. From mid-2022, over 40,000 images from the National Library and the National Archives of Singapore will be progressively made available for free download from PictureSG.

 

LAB25 Singapore Storytellers initiatives – Schedule of Events:

  • 3 Jan – 3 FebEncore in the City showcase @ National Library Building
  • 14 Jan – 3 Feb:
  • Psychic Cinema 2065 Light Installation @ National Library Building
  • The River Connects Satellite Installation @ Asian Civilisations Museum
  • A Tessellation of Memories Satellite Installation @ The Arts House
  • LUMBA Satellite Installation @ Esplanade Park

  • 24 Jan – 10 Apr: Curiocity Treasure Hunt
  • Kampong Glam: 24 Jan – 13 Feb 
  • Yishun: 21 Feb – 13 Mar 
  • Punggol: 21 Mar – 10 Apr 
  • Apr 2022: Singapore Storytellers Channel
  • May 2022: National Library Creative Residency - The Residents will share their concepts and prototypes in public talks from May 2022 onwards.
  • Mid-2022: Free-for-download content on PictureSG and Wikimedia Commons

Please refer to the Annex A for more information on Curiocity and its initiatives, andAnnex B for the upcoming programmes and initiatives under LAB25’s Singapore Storytellers. Interested individuals can also visit https://curiocity.nlb.gov.sg/ for more information.

 

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About the National Library Board

The National Library Board (NLB) nurtures Readers for Life, Learning Communities and a Knowledgeable Nation by promoting reading, learning and history through its network of 27 public libraries, the National Library and the National Archives of Singapore. NLB also forges strategic partnerships that encourage awareness, appreciation and greater discovery of Singapore’s history through its rich collections on Singapore and the region.

 

NLB achieves excellence through innovation, focusing on citizen engagement and co-creation, resource and digital innovation. This creates learning opportunities, greater access to library resources, services and archival collections, as well as a continual development of innovative library spaces. Established on 1 September 1995 as a statutory board, NLB is under the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI).

 

For more information, please visit the NLB websiteFacebookInstagramLinkedIn and YouTube.