ARMENIAN STREET PARTY CELEBRATES PERANAKAN HERITAGE IN SINGAPORE

SINGAPORE, March 17 (Bernama) -- The Armenian Street Party, held over the weekend at the Peranakan Museum and its vicinity, celebrated the rich diversity of Peranakan community’s cherished intangible cultural heritage of art, culture, fashion, and cuisine.

Peranakan Museum manager (Audience) Deborah Lim said the annual festival, organised by the museum, brought to life more than what is showcased within its galleries, with live music performances, fashion makeovers, and cooking demonstrations.

She explained that for each edition of the festival, the museum works closely with various Peranakan communities and partners in Singapore to create memorable experiences for all festivalgoers.

Themed Peranakan Stars this year, the festival was presented in partnership with The Peranakan Association Singapore (TPAS), the Peranakan Indian Association (PIA), and the Arab Network @ Singapore.

“Peranakan Museum curates a variety of programmes and events with our various partners to ensure that there’s something for visitors of all ages to enjoy at the festival. We want to bring them closer to the communities to broaden public understanding of Peranakan heritage and culture,” she told Bernama.

Lim said that among the highlights were the outdoor art installation Enduring Blessings by local visual artist Ashley Yeo, which will be on display beyond the festival dates, until March 31, at the entrance of the museum.

“Designed in creative consultation with veteran kebaya maker Raymond Wong of Rumah Kim Choo and Steward of Intangible Cultural Heritage, the work reflects her (Yeo’s) deep appreciation for Peranakan art and is inspired by Peranakan textiles and furniture,” she said.

Peranakan Museum also partnered with the national media network Mediacorp this year for the launch of Emerald Hill – The Little Nyonya Story, the spin-off of the renowned TV series The Little Nyonya, which is currently also available on Netflix.

Mediacorp has also donated four sets of sarong kebayas and accessories worn by the casts to the Peranakan Museum, which are currently showcased in the museum’s fashion gallery.

Lim said that Peranakan Museum’s permanent galleries, spread across three floors at Armenian Street, explore Peranakan life through themes related to origins, home, and style as aspects of identity.

Following its reopening in 2023 after nearly four years of renovation work, the curatorial approach was expanded to include contemporary expressions of Peranakan culture, through contemporary art, fashion, design, and craft, created by local and regional artists, artisans, and designers.

“We have also now incorporated some digital mediums as new ways of connecting with today’s audiences, such as interactive maps, conversations in Baba-Malay, and video demonstrations and interviews,” she added.

Touching on the community, she said that in many ways, the Peranakan in Singapore reflects the country’s history as a Southeast Asian port city, where diverse influences mixed to create a unique, vibrant, and ever-evolving multicultural identity.

“There are many different cross-cultural combinations of Peranakans, from the Arab Peranakans, Chinese Peranakans (also known as Baba-Nyonya), Chitty Melakans (or Peranakan Indians), Eurasian Peranakans, to Jawi Peranakans,” she said.

Lim shared that it is at the heart of Peranakan Museum’s mission to highlight this diversity and present the cross-cultural art and intangible cultural heritage of the communities from Southeast Asia.

-- BERNAMA