Due to the pandemic, the National Museum had to close its doors and radically alter its programming. The usual programming that encourages footfall and engagement was out of bounds due to social distancing and hygiene measures. At the same time, Singaporeans were still navigating the new boundaries and prioritising other activities that were open to them again (with the easing of lockdowns) instead of heading to the Museum for its permanent collections. NMS had to find a way to keep its offering top of mind and re-engage its core audience target (students, families with children) by finding a new way to present history and its artefacts.

Artefacts have lives. They were born and lived in different homes and places before they were placed in museums. We wanted to tell the tales of what they had seen and gone through, on a platform that everyone was familiar with: Zoom. So people could hear their stories, speak to it, and ask them anything—from politics and culture, to food and art—in relation to the time period they were in. Played by seasoned theatre actors and stand-up comics, every object delivered a unique story and responded to audiences in real-time. In a time when people were encouraged to stay home, we not only brought museum objects to life. We brought it into their homes.

The strategy was 3-pronged when approaching the media for the story:

a) to highlight the innovative nature of the programme that allowed people to speak directly to the artefacts themselves on the year’s most talked-about and used platform, Zoom

b) to showcase unusual and unexpected artefacts that might often be overlooked but have immensely rich stories to tell, such as the night-soil bucket, providing a fresher take on heritage and history

c) to use an emerging young talent in the industry (Jacky Ng) as a spokesperson for the programme at a time when art performers’ roles were been put into question, thus showcasing the potential for the local art scene to reinvent itself despite COVID restrictions

To truly bring each museum artefact to life, we carefully selected theatre practitioners, improv actors, and stand-up comics to get into the role. Each artist had to study extensively the background behind each object, and work in learning points into their script. They were also required to engage the audience and improvise on the spot, responding to questions and comments as it is a live event.

A month prior to the 4-day event, people were able to sign up for the hour-long sessions on Peatix. Social media posts, website updates and PR stories went out to encourage people to sign up. The stream of the interactive sessions was then simultaneously broadcasted on Facebook live to allow for maximum participation and cross-engagement across the Museum’s channels.

The activation achieved media coverage worth S$1.2 million, with 65 pieces across broadcast (TV and radio), digital and print. The 4-day event garnered over 300,000 views and participants, with an average of 450 of individual live interactions per 60 minutes of live session. Far exceeding the equivalent of the 1457 average Museum attendance per day.