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The Streets Are Alive (With The Sound Of Music)
2 August 2017
People from all walks of life have been coming together, learning new things, having fun and making friends, thanks to public spaces that they can use.
Players of all ages and backgrounds attend the Pianovers Meetup.
Starting from the ground
The Pianovers Meetup is just one of many events created by people to pursue their interests that have mushroomed in public spaces all over Singapore.
It taps another community-led initiative, Play It Forward, which has the support of the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) under its Our Favourite Place programme. Founded by three former members of the NUS Piano Ensemble, Play It Forward gives used pianos a second lease of life by restoring and placing them in public spaces for a period, before the pianos go to beneficiaries such as welfare homes. (Find out more: playitforwardsg.org)
Our Favourite Place allows people to propose ideas to “activate” public spaces, while another URA initiative, Streets for People, focuses on helping citizens turn streets and roads into car-free hives of life.
The URA provided support to start Play It Forward and “adopted” two pianos at the URA Centre. That’s where piano teacher Mr Sng Yong Meng took the opportunity to organise the Pianovers Meetups.
Over in Serangoon, a one-off Streets for People event was organised by a cyclist who wanted to inspire his neighbours to bike.
Mr Lim Zhen Xiong, a public officer, discovered the joys of a cycling commute during an internship in Amsterdam, one of the most cycling-friendly cities in the world. Upon his return to Singapore in 2013, he not only started cycling 14km to and from work three times a week, he wanted to turn his Upper Serangoon neighbourhood into a mini-Amsterdam.
“It was always a nagging thought at the back of my mind to organise something. But the turning point for action only came about when I read a book, Creative Confidence, by Tom Kelley. It was about how to take action to implement changes we believe in,” he said.
Mr Lim took his proposal to the URA. Nine months later, in March 2017, the idea materialised as Sustainability Sunday, a street carnival at a car park in Serangoon Gardens.
Under the Streets for People programme, the URA connected Mr Lim with relevant agencies, such as the Traffic Police and Singapore Civil Defence Force, to get permits for running the carnival.
At Sustainability Sunday, visitors took photos with chalk drawings (bottom left), played games (bottom right) and met sustainability enthusiasts such as cycling interest groups (top left). The event was organised by Mr Lim Zhen Xiong (top right).
Public-people partnership
The URA also works with organisers to shape the events. In the case of Sustainability Sunday, they suggested to Mr Lim that he broaden the scope of the event so that more people could participate.
“Initially I wanted to organise a cycling-only event,” said Mr Lim. “But by turning it into a carnival on sustainability, with booths on upcycling, safe-cycling practices and urban farming, it became more vibrant.”
The opening of spaces to the community has had a far-reaching impact. Participants of the Pianovers Meetup, for instance, are of all ages and from all walks of life. While they may appear to have little in common, many regulars have become firm friends through a shared love for piano music.
Mr Teo, who only started learning the piano at the age of 40, said: “When you play alone, sometimes you don’t feel like practising. But with such meetups, you are inspired to practise and perform. I have also learnt new repertoire from the people I met here.”
Such testimonials keep Mr Sng, the main organiser of the Pianovers Meetup, going. “For most people, piano playing is restricted to lessons and practice at home. This is a stage which changes the way the piano is perceived, as something to bring joy to others.”
As for Sustainability Sunday, Mr Lim was asked by residents to organise it again.
He said: “People really enjoyed roaming around. It was a very organic, stress-free and happy way to spend the day, and they realised that a car park space doesn’t just have to be for cars. It can be turned into something which makes the community more liveable and pleasant.”
Watch the Pianovers Meetup performances at bit.ly/thepianosg or www.thepiano.sg
The URA’s initiatives
Our Favourite Place, which encourages citizens to propose ideas to enliven public spaces, provides support for community-led projects such as Play It Forward. Other projects include art installations in Little India, and portable ping pong tables (Project KamPONG).
Streets for People helps the community turn streets and roads into car-free hives of life, such as with the Sustainability Sunday carnival, as well as at Circular Road, Club Street and Liang Seah Street in Bugis.
Text by Wong Sher Maine
Video courtesy of thepiano.sg