Returning for its second edition, the Mental Health Awareness & Wellbeing Festival invites migrant writers, local writers, and mental health professionals to share their diverse perspectives on mental wellbeing during the pandemic and beyond. Held on 9 October, its slate of programmes – including a panel discussion, storytelling performance, mindfulness activity, and more – explores ways that communities can build resilience together and celebrates art as a valuable tool for self-expression and coping with difficult times.
Opening speeches by Janelyn Dupingay (Migrant Writers of Singapore) and Karisa Poedjirahardjo (Sing Lit Station)
Keynote address by Ooi Sze Jin (Founder, A Kind Place)
Resilience: Playing to Our Strengths brings together panellists with diverse perspectives to share about their experiences with mental health, resilience, support initiatives and resources available. While much of the discourse on mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic has focused on its negative impacts, are there stories of hope and resilience worth sharing? What are ways that communities can come together to strengthen mental health support systems? Is there a limit to resilience, and at what point must we look towards structural support or change?
Featuring: Dr Carol Loi, Evelyn Obillo, Michael Cheah, Omar Sakib, Jay Ong (Moderator)
Kelly, a victim of human trafficking, comes back from her struggled life as a mental health advocate. She meets Ali, a migrant construction worker suffering from depression due to a COVID-19 lockdown. Kelly introduces Ali to Helen a mental health counsellor. Will Helen and Kelly be able to help Ali and save him from drowning in depression?
Featuring: Akm Mazharul Abedin, Rachel Nip, Sonia Serrenade, Jay Ong (Host)
How often do we miss out on the stories of people close to us because of our busy lives? Everyone has a story to tell. Be they migrant or local, professional writer or not. In this programme, storytellers celebrate the everyday and the commonplace. By paying attention to the little things, one can reflect on their emotional well-being and bring new perspectives to light.
Featuring: Claire Betita de Guzman, Dimple Kaur, Mahita Vas, Sumun Biswas, Julie Ann Tabigne (Host)
This short talk provides a brief overview of common mental illnesses and serves to supplement conversations on mental health we aim to spark through this festival.
Featuring: Serene Goh
Humour can be a powerful tool to hold space for difficult conversations while easing tension. Similarly poetry plays with words to draw out many meanings from a single line. In this reading, poets draw from a common attitude of play found in both poetry and humour to look at situations from a different perspective and empower a greater sense of control. As conversations around mental health tend to focus on negatives and difficulty, how can we instead look towards humour to strengthen our resilience?
Featuring: Abu Ubaidah Bin Eliase, Jedidiah Huang, Lorelyn De la Cruz Arevalo, Rema Tabangcura, Stephanie Dogfoot
After a jam-packed day of talks and performances, let’s wind down together and take stock of the present moment before parting our separate ways. This participatory activity equips you with grounding practices that can be done anywhere. Whether you are out for a walk, riding the bus – maybe the story you are writing is getting intense – being in the present moment can help us find compassion towards ourselves and each other.
Featuring: Chua Ning Pei
Opening speeches by Janelyn Dupingay (Migrant Writers of Singapore) and Karisa Poedjirahardjo (Sing Lit Station)
Keynote address by Ooi Sze Jin (Founder, A Kind Place)
Resilience: Playing to Our Strengths brings together panellists with diverse perspectives to share about their experiences with mental health, resilience, support initiatives and resources available. While much of the discourse on mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic has focused on its negative impacts, are there stories of hope and resilience worth sharing? What are ways that communities can come together to strengthen mental health support systems? Is there a limit to resilience, and at what point must we look towards structural support or change?
Featuring: Dr Carol Loi, Evelyn Obillo, Michael Cheah, Omar Sakib, Jay Ong (Moderator)
Kelly, a victim of human trafficking, comes back from her struggled life as a mental health advocate. She meets Ali, a migrant construction worker suffering from depression due to a COVID-19 lockdown. Kelly introduces Ali to Helen a mental health counsellor. Will Helen and Kelly be able to help Ali and save him from drowning in depression?
Featuring: Akm Mazharul Abedin, Rachel Nip, Sonia Serrenade, Jay Ong (Host)
How often do we miss out on the stories of people close to us because of our busy lives? Everyone has a story to tell. Be they migrant or local, professional writer or not. In this programme, storytellers celebrate the everyday and the commonplace. By paying attention to the little things, one can reflect on their emotional well-being and bring new perspectives to light.
Featuring: Claire Betita de Guzman, Dimple Kaur, Mahita Vas, Sumun Biswas, Julie Ann Tabigne (Host)
This short talk provides a brief overview of common mental illnesses and serves to supplement conversations on mental health we aim to spark through this festival.
Featuring: Serene Goh
Humour can be a powerful tool to hold space for difficult conversations while easing tension. Similarly poetry plays with words to draw out many meanings from a single line. In this reading, poets draw from a common attitude of play found in both poetry and humour to look at situations from a different perspective and empower a greater sense of control. As conversations around mental health tend to focus on negatives and difficulty, how can we instead look towards humour to strengthen our resilience?
Featuring: Abu Ubaidah Bin Eliase, Jedidiah Huang, Lorelyn De la Cruz Arevalo, Rema Tabangcura, Stephanie Dogfoot
On 25 April 2021, Migrant Writers of Singapore hosted the inaugural Mental Health Awareness & Wellbeing Festival with the theme “Building Back Better: Mental Health Beyond COVID-19”. Its programmes – which include a panel discussion, storytelling session, yoga and meditation, film screening, stand-up comedy, and poetry reading – champions mental well-being among locals and migrants alike. Held at the Tzu Chi Humanistic Youth Centre, the Festival was live-streamed online with a limited on-site audience of 50, in accordance with the government’s Safe Management Measures,
feat. MP Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Guest of Honour), Lim Choon Choon, Zakir Hossain Khokan
Building Back Better feat. Dr. Carol Loi Tien tau, Dr. Chan Lai Gwen, Janelyn Dupingay, Jevon Ng, Pranay Roy (Moderator)
feat. David Wong Hsien Ming, Indah Yosevinah, Julie Ann tabigne, Masum Hasan Jewel, Rajendran Vijayakant, Rea Maac (Host)
feat. Stephanie Dogfoot
feat. Ellen lavilla, Saleemah Ismael, Tasrif Ahmed, Windu Lestari, Eliz Morante (Host)
feat. Rena Pierron
feat. “The Kitchlets” by Clarisse Chua
feat. Ning Pei Chua
feat. Theophilus Kwek
There is something for everyone at our fairs and festivals, with topics ranging from mental health to mother language appreciation. Prepare to be blown away by dynamic and interdisciplinary showcases while discovering a wide array of writers.
There is something for everyone at our fairs and festivals, with topics ranging from mental health to mother language appreciation. Prepare to be blown away by dynamic and interdisciplinary showcases while discovering a wide array writers.
