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22 Oct 2025

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Not Mere Spectators: The Makings of Multicultural Singapore

20251022-FM_Spectators-42

MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release

 

 

NEW FOUNDERS’ MEMORIAL EXHIBITION SHINES SPOTLIGHT ON MULTICULTURALISM AND INVITES ALL OF US TO PLAY AN ACTIVE ROLE

Through art, interactives and citizen stories, Not Mere Spectators explores multiculturalism in Singapore’s formative years and challenges visitors to consciously shape what lies ahead

 

 

From left: Entrance of Not Mere Spectators: The Makings of Multicultural Singapore at the City Hall Chamber of the National Gallery Singapore;  Connect section of the exhibition which is part one of a three-part audio play, Becoming a Nation, inspired by S. Rajaratnam and his radio play, A Nation in the Making. Photo credits to Founders’ Memorial, National Heritage Board

 

Singapore, 22 October 2025 – In conjunction with SG60, the Founders’ Memorial presents Not Mere Spectators: The Makings of Multicultural Singapore, an exhibition held at the City Hall Chamber of the National Gallery Singapore from 31 October 2025 to 29 March 2026.

 

2            Not Mere Spectators invites visitors to step into 1950s–1970s Singapore when multiculturalism was thought about, talked about, and consciously forged through policies, ground-up efforts, and the daily choices of ordinary citizens. What challenges or dilemmas arose? How did these tensions play out in the lived realities of citizens? Visitors are then challenged to connect history to present-day life by thinking deeper about what multiculturalism means to them, and to find their place in multicultural Singapore’s ongoing story.

 

3            As the Founders’ Memorial’s second pilot exhibition after Semangat yang Baru: Forging a New Singapore Spirit in 2023, Not Mere Spectators also seeks to test different exhibition and programming ideas and formats in the lead up to the Memorial’s opening in 2028. It unpacks and explores the distinct founding value of multiculturalism through the use of art, interactive media, and conversation prompts to spark reflection and honest dialogue about living together in our multicultural society and the importance of nurturing this value for Singapore’s future.  

 

4          Professor Tan Tai Yong, Co-Chair of the Founders’ Memorial Committee, said: “This pilot exhibition, together with the other initiatives of Project Citizens – The First Million, is a key part of the Founders’ Memorial’s continued public engagement efforts. We enter a deeper exploration of the decisions, dilemmas, and lived experiences surrounding multiculturalism and how this value defines and shapes Singapore. The conversations and insights gained will bring us closer to the vision of the Memorial as a shared space that belongs to Singaporeans of all walks of life.”

 

Aneka Ragam Ra’ayat: People’s Cultural Concerts in the early nation-building years

 

5          On 9 December 1959, founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew stood atop the steps of the former City Hall, now the National Gallery Singapore. He addressed the crowds that came in their thousands to join the Aneka Ragam Ra’ayat[1] (“People’s Cultural Concerts”) held at the finale of National Loyalty Week. In his words, they were “not just mere spectators” but “active participants” in building a nation that belonged to all — words that inspired the exhibition’s title.

 

6            The Aneka Ragam Ra’ayat were a series of free open-air concerts that deliberately brought together different cultures on one stage, launched by the newly established Ministry of Culture just two months after Singapore attained self-governance. This snapshot in Singapore’s history is used as a starting point in the exhibition for visitors to begin their exploration, as well as a metaphor that uniquely encapsulates Singapore’s approach to multiculturalism:  intentional, participatory, and ever-evolving.  

 

7          Dr Uma Rajan, Indian dance pioneer who performed at Aneka Ragam Ra’ayat and contributed to the exhibition said: “My experience participating in Aneka Ragam Ra’ayat helped me understand and develop myself as a true multiethnic Singaporean. It was more than just arts and culture development; it brought us closer as a people as we were learning how to be a cohesive and harmonious society. I hope that through this exhibition, younger Singaporeans can gain insights to our heritage and efforts gone into developing our multicultural identity.”

 

Highlights of the exhibition journey

 

8            Visitors will explore the ideals behind efforts to forge a multicultural nation, the competing voices that emerged, and how people navigated these tensions as they adjusted to change. In uncovering these lesser-known aspects of Singapore’s multicultural journey, Not Mere Spectators hopes visitors will take home a renewed appreciation for the multicultural Singapore we live, work and play in today. They will also be confronted with contemporary news headlines as a reminder that multiculturalism remains a work in progress. Conversation prompts interspersed in the gallery invite visitors to reflect and have deeper conversations about what it means to live in multicultural Singapore and connect the words of the national pledge “one united people” to how we live today.

 

9            The exhibition packs various highlights into the City Hall Chamber:

  • Multimedia presentations such as a two-minute immersive animation on Aneka Ragam Ra’ayat by Finding Pictures and an original three-part audio play by local playwright Kaylene Tan on the themes of language, race and national consciousness inspired by S. Rajaratnam’s 1957 radio plays on “A Nation in the Making”;
  • Original artworks to spark reflection on how we connect and relate across differences such as Eating on Banana Leaves (1979) by Chua Mia Tee and Lovers on a Train (2021) by Yeo Tze Yang;
  • Interactives such as a motion-sensor dance projection and a photobooth of Singapore’s beloved common spaces;
  • Artefacts such as the original 1966 letters on the National Pledge between Ministers Ong Pang Boon and S. Rajaratnam;
  • Deeply personal stories of interracial relationships, adoptions, and the 1964 racial riots; and historical and contemporary “aunt agony” forum letters by interracial couples published in English and vernacular press.

A place for thought-provoking conversations

 

10          Ms Wong Hong Suen, Director, Founders’ Memorial, said: “Multiculturalism is foundational to our nation and pervades every part of our daily lives. Yet it is complex and deeply personal, and we hope to spark more open and honest conversations about upholding our unity and diversity. Ultimately, we want to inspire Singaporeans to be active in making the multicultural Singapore they want to see. Our founding leaders and citizens consciously worked towards a vision and established multiculturalism as a core Singapore value. We too must continue to do the same today and seek to connect more deeply and deliberately, especially so as our society grows increasingly diverse and the world becomes increasingly divided.”

 

11          In the spirit of building bridges across divides, the exhibition will have programmes to promote mutual understanding between people of different backgrounds and cultures.

  • #NoStrangerDanger encourages visitors to strike conversations on their experiences with multiculturalism with others in the exhibition space, even strangers.
  • On the Flipside: Conversations on Multiculturalism brings locals and foreigners together to have open and authentic conversations on multiculturalism, anchored on the exhibition’s content.
  • Aneka Ragam Remix brings communities together to reimagine Aneka Ragam Ra'ayat and participate in a multicultural mix of song and dance.
  • We Pledge Ourselves – Scenario Room provides an opportunity for students to roleplay as educators navigating Singapore's language policies from the 1950s-1980s, exploring the values exemplified by the founding generation and reflecting on their relevance today.

An initiative of Project Citizens – The First Million

 

12        Not Mere Spectators is one of the initiatives of Project Citizens – The First Million, a signature SG60 initiative of the Founders’ Memorial to pay tribute to Singapore’s founding generation. Since April 2025, the Founders’ Memorial has been collecting stories through its Senior Engagement Programme. These stories bring to life the values embodied by the founding generation in independent Singapore’s early nation-building years. Project Citizens Pop-ups have also been travelling island-wide to locations such as community hubs and libraries, encouraging Singaporeans to reflect on the founding generation’s citizenship journey and what it means to be Singaporean. These initiatives are ongoing until March 2026.

 

13        Visit Not Mere Spectators: The Makings of Multicultural Singapore at the City Hall Chamber, National Gallery Singapore from 31 October 2025 to 29 March 2026. Admission is free for all. For more information, please visit go.gov.sg/notmerespectators.

 

 

[1] Aneka Ragam Ra’ayat was a series of free, open-air cultural concerts with a strong multiracial theme organised by the then Ministry of Culture from 1959 to early 1960s. The concerts were popular and held all over Singapore. They were aimed at developing a sense of unity among the people by promoting a better understanding and appreciation of the arts and culture of each ethnic group.