Creating Meaningful Experiences

Lum Jia Yi,
Prunella Ong,
and Deborah Lim

At the core of its mission, ACM strives to champion innovation in tradition and build a heritage and arts ecosystem of local artisans, designers, practitioners, and community partners. There are no fancy strategies, just an unwavering commitment to creating meaningful experiences. We hope to engage audiences by inspiring wonder with ACM’s collections and Singapore's rich intangible cultural heritage, energise the community, and establish a platform for diverse voices to be seen, heard, and understood.‍

In our second collaboration with students from the School of Fashion at LASALLE College of the Arts, the Audience team mentored them to conceptualise a range of programmes and activities. These include a family friendly activity trail booklet, as well as accessible and enriching drop-in activities and fashion-related workshops to engage the public. These are presented in tandem with #SGFASHIONNOW 2022, and designed with the goal of promoting the diversity, accessibility, and sustainability of Singapore fashion to the wider public.

Student Curator Celestine Wong introducing the garments on display in a digital tour of #SGFASHIONNOW 2021.

This year’s offerings are an extension of the Audience team’s continued efforts to work closely with our stakeholders and communities. Tapping on the students’ industry expertise and bold ideas, together with ACM's knowledge of our target audiences, the team worked closely with the students to refine and bring them to life. Through regular discussions and feedback sessions, we were able to offer insights about our communities, as well as advise the students on the realities of museum work on the ground, especially during a pandemic. In addition, the students were given on-the-job opportunities to experience the process of planning programmes at ACM. 

In striving to be a museum for all, ACM aims to uplift the community by creating offerings accessible to visitors from all walks of life. In line with this commitment, we work closely with partners and industry experts to evaluate our resources and programmes for each target audience. Our #SGFASHIONNOW 2022 programme offerings, where suitable, will be closely guided by findings from an ongoing accessibility audit of ACM’s public programmes. It is our hope that in addition to motivating aspiring designers and fashion enthusiasts, #SGFASHIONNOW 2022 will also create a safe space for underserved audiences to get acquainted with Singapore fashion.

Student Curator Gabrielle Yeo leading an onsite tour of #SGFASHIONNOW 2021.