ProgrammeClick ‘details’ to reveal or hide info
More than 1,000 people attended the Kristang Language Festival!
Keen to see what they did?
0930–1000
Opening Ceremony
Venue: Ngee Ann Auditorium, Asian Civilisations Museum
- Branyo performance by the 1511 O Maliao Maliao Dance Troupe from Malacca
- Booths: Documenting Eurasian stories, Kristang language books sale, and games!
- Programme overview
No registration required.
1000–1130
The Story of Kristang: Past Glories and Present Struggles
Moderator: Victor Olsen
Venue: Ngee Ann Auditorium, Asian Civilisations Museum
What is Kristang and where did it come from? Is it still spoken anywhere? Why is it known by many names? Dr Bruce M. Lockhart from the National University of Singapore, together with Kristang researchers and speakers Alan Norman Baxter and Stefanie Pillai, and Kristang writer and poet Joan Margaret Marbeck will provide a vivid and exciting introduction to the language of the Portuguese-Eurasians, its history, and its current status.
Registration required.
1130–1230
The Future of Kristang: Dreams and Awakenings
Moderator: Fuad Johari
Venue: Ngee Ann Auditorium, Asian Civilisations Museum
What is going to happen to Kristang in the near future? Are children learning it? What can you do to get involved? Sara Santa Maria, teacher of Kristang in the Portuguese Settlement in Malacca, Kevin Martens Wong from the Kodrah Kristang revitalisation initiative in Singapore, and Elisabela Larrea, researcher of Macanese Creole theatre, will talk about linguistic revitalisation and how they are reviving Kristang in Singapore and Malaysia, and Maquísta in Macau.
Registration required.
1330–1500
Kristang Language for Beginners
Venue: River Room, Asian Civilisations Museum
Interested in learning conversational Kristang? Experienced teachers and writers Sara Santa Maria and Kevin Martens Wong will introduce you to some choice phrases in the Portuguese-Malay creole. Jenti Kristang kumih tantu!
Registration required.
1330–1500
Language Documentation for Beginners
Venue: Discovery Room, Asian Civilisations Museum
What kinds of fieldwork are being done on languages? How do linguists document languages? Field linguists Dr Michael Erlewine and Dr Mário Pinharanda Nunes will take participants through the basics of documenting and preserving endangered languages like Kristang and Kristang’s sister creole in Macau, Maquísta.
This would be of special interest to those with some knowledge of Kristang, though this is not a pre-requisite.
Registration required.
1500–1600
Eurasian Dance for Beginners
Venue: River Room, Asian Civilisations Museum
Be swept off your feet by the exciting and energetic steps of the Kristang branyo dance as Sara Santa Maria guides you through the moves of these and other traditional Eurasian dances.
Registration required.
1500–1600
Eurasian Food for Beginners
Venue: Discovery Room, Asian Civilisations Museum
Love pang susi, sehbak, kari debal and other tasty Kristang delectables? Tickle your tastebuds with chef and owner of Mary’s Kafe, Mary Gomes as she teaches you how to prepare versions of sehbak and pang susi made with chicken!
Registration required.
1900–2130
Gala Dinner [SOLD OUT]
Venue: Legends Ballroom @ Hotel Fort Canning
Enjoy a sumptuous spread of Portuguese-Eurasian cuisine at the Legends Ballroom, Hotel Fort Canning! Look forward to Kristang songs, branyo performances, and some dancing. Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean will grace the event as Guest of Honour. Highlights:
- Launch of first-ever Kristang Collaborative Online Dictionary
- Launch of the first Kristang board game: Southern Islands (Ila-Ila di Sul)
- Presentation of winning submissions for Kristang Poetry Competition and a reading of winning entries
- Branyo performance by O Maliao Maliao Dance Troupe
- Music by The Music Men
All excess funds from the Gala Dinner will be donated to charity.
Registration required.
0930–1030
The Southern Islands Board Game Competition
Venue: River Room, Asian Civilisations Museum
Join us for the first ever Southern Islands board game competition, with representatives from Singapore schools and Kodrah Kristang classes fighting for the favour of the Temenggong!
Ila-Ila di Sul (Southern Islands) is a professionally-designed, bilingual English-Kristang, treasure-seeking board game first developed for Kodrah Kristang classes. It will be launched by Mr Teo Chee Hean, Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister, at the Festival Gala Dinner on 20 May 2017.
All winners will walk away with a copy of the board game.
Registration required.
0930–1100
Forum: How Eurasian is Kristang?
Venue: Ngee Ann Auditorium, Asian Civilisations Museum
Not every Eurasian knows how to make sugee cake or wants to learn Papia Kristang: Why? Why do some Eurasians have Portuguese, Dutch and British heritage? What are new Eurasians? What does it mean to be Portuguese? Explore the rich and diverse strands of the Eurasian community in a forum specifically dedicated to understanding the vibrant and varied histories of Singapore’s Eurasians.
Registration required.
1100–1230
Languages of Singapore Trail
Venue: River Room, Asian Civilisations Museum
The Languages of Singapore Trail seeks to provide you with the opportunity to learn a little of Singapore’s many diverse languages and dialects — we’re featuring more than 10! Each language will be represented by a handful of speakers at a table and participants can go from table to table to learn from hosts and hear their stories.
Featuring speakers and learners of more than 15 of Singapore’s heritage languages such as Baba Malay, Bengali, Bugis, Cantonese, Hainanese, Hakka, Javanese, Kristang, Malayalam, Minangkabau, and Singapore Sign Language.
Don’t know which language to start with? Don’t panic, we will have an activity book to help plan your way around the tables. Trace the journeys of our ancestors as they made their way to our island home while learning about the languages they brought with them.
One language per table. Join any of them.
Registration required.
1100–1230
Eurasian Stories: Conversations about being Eurasian
Venue: Discovery Room, Asian Civilisations Museum
Eurasian Stories: Conversations about being Eurasian seeks to provide a safe space for conversations about what it means to be Kristang and/or Eurasian in Singapore. It will play home to human ‘Books’ — actual Eurasians from a wide variety of backgrounds — whom participants will be able to loan out for up to half an hour of small-group conversation facilitated by a Librarian, who is there to ensure the safety and well-being of the Books. We will be featuring the following identities: Thai Eurasian, Eurasian National Serviceman, Eurasian Daughter, Eurasian Telephonist, Eurasian Musician in the Public Spotlight, Eurasian Muslim, Eurasian Environmentalist, Eurasian Actress, Eurasian Artist with a Medical Condition, Eurasian Athlete, Eurasian Teacher, Glocal Eurasian, and East Coast Eurasian. Registration required.
This event was inspired by the Human Library movement, which began in Copenhagen in 2000 and seeks to facilitate sharing and conversation between people from all walks of life, and work toward countering negative stereotypes and prejudices about minority communities that abound in society today.
Registration required.
1400–1500
Minority Languages in Singapore: Challenges and New Horizons
Venue: Ngee Ann Auditorium, Asian Civilisations Museum
What can be done for minority languages like Kristang in Singapore? How have other minority language communities successfully preserved and revitalised their own languages, heritage and traditions in the Lion City? Panellists Dr Ritu Jain, Dr Chua Ai Lin and Dr Nala Huiying Lee will examine these and other obstacles and new directions for minority languages in Singapore.
Registration required.
1500–1600
Closing Ceremony
Venue: Ngee Ann Auditorium, Asian Civilisations Museum
- Presentation of The Southern Islands Board Game Competition winners & participating schools
- Branyo dance finale by the 1511 O Maliao Maliao dance troupe from Malacca
- Speech by Kevin Martens Wong, Director of Kodrah Kristang & Kristang Language Festival
No registration required.