RE-ROUTE BY PLUS COLLABORATIVES

About Re-Route by Plus Collaboratives:

Helmed by creative brains, Mervin Tan and Cheryl Sim from Plus Collaboratives, Re-Route is a creative placemaking festival that immerses visitors in an alternate storytelling of the Little India district through a collective of creative voices, to demonstrate how design can be used as a tool to spotlight our heritage. With curated experiences, installations, programmes, and other design interventions, it aims to encourage people to detour from their usual routes to explore the district with a new perspective and connect with Little India’s lesser-known history.

“As tourism gradually resumes in the post-pandemic world, we saw the opportunity to fuel the appeal of Singapore’s historical areas through domestic and international tourism. This September, Re-Route Festival focuses on Little India, which is well known to many as a historical site and a centre of amenities. Whether people head down to Little India for a specific purpose or to explore heritage sites, visitors tend to only concentrate on specific areas without fully appreciating the characteristics of the location. The Re-Route Festival intends to introduce story cores that will draw people into other areas of Little India and explore the untold histories of the area.”

– Mervin Tan and Cheryl Sim, Founders of Plus Collaboratives

The design intervention at each site below will pay homage to its own unique identity, heritage, and community:

Race Course: A former sports and recreational hub for horse racing for the upper class, it will be re-interpreted as a modern day Sporting Social Club, in a nod to the sporting spirit, dynamism and atmosphere of its past. The Club will feature a member’s lounge and café, a festival-branded retail store, sidewalk games and installations that are inspired by movement and leisure.

New World Amusement Park: A popular nightlife destination from the 1920s to 1960s, it will be re-interpreted as a Surreal Playscape, to draw back on the curious and vibrant spirit of the former park. Playful, larger-than-life interactive installations, costume and fashion design displays and live entertainment will see it come to life again.

Serangoon Road: Harking back to its beginnings as one of the earliest roads built in Singapore that served as a link between town settlements and Serangoon harbour, the activation will shine the spotlight on trades that sprang from the road’s formation, such as brick kiln trade and rattan work. Keep an eye out for a main observatory tower, installations and workshops from traditional craft makers and businesses.

Organiser

Plus Collaboratives

Founded by Mervin Tan and Cheryl Sim, PLUS is an award-winning interdisciplinary group that designs, curates and develops experiences for government bodies and notable companies like the People’s Association, Krisflyer and Mandai Wildlife Reserve. Recognized for its user-centric design processes, PLUS is a proud recipient of local and international awards; iF Design Awards, Singapore Good Design Mark and more.