National Archives of Singapore - Oldham Theatre
07:00 PM - 08:00 PM
Free Admission
Archives Unlocked: Voices from the Margins – Reconstructing Community Memory through Oral Archives
Date: 8 May 2025
Time: 7pm - 8pm
Venue: NAS Oldham Theatre
Price: Free upon registration (Click on "Find Out More" to register)
How do we uncover the stories of communities with limited written records? This talk explores how oral narratives can illuminate the lived experiences, linguistic practices, and cultural memory of underrepresented communities. Drawing from the speaker’s research on the Singapore Malayalee community—including work featured in From Kerala to Singapore—and her role on the Indian Community Oral History Committee, the session reflects on how oral testimonies, archival interviews, and audio recordings can bring forgotten histories to light. Attendees will gain insight into how these narratives contribute to Singapore’s intangible cultural heritage and enrich our understanding of community identity.
About the Speaker
Dr Anitha Devi Pillai is an educator, writer, and researcher with expertise in heritage, oral history, and Indian diaspora communities in Singapore. She is the author of From Kerala to Singapore: Voices from the Singapore Malayalee Community (2017), serves on the Indian Community Oral History Committee, and was the Guest Curator of a national exhibition on the Singapore Malayalee community (2023-2024). Her work blends creative writing, translation, and historical research. A three-time recipient of her university’s teaching excellence award, she was conferred the National Day Commendation Medal in 2024 and currently serves as President of the Singapore Association of Applied Linguistics.