What do we need to build whole communities?

Creating Narratives for Change is an annual community festival for citizens who want to explore change-making in Singapore. Each year, we gather at the civic centre to work on the things that matter to us that need to change.

In collaboration with the Resident Partners of Common Ground Civic Centre, we further our exploration into holistic well-being at work, at home and within our communities. Over two weekends, we ask: How can our different values, experiences, skillsets and perspectives come together to build whole communities?

Our Collaborators

What’s happening at
Creating Narratives for Change 2024

This year, we want to invite citizens to contribute to addressing specific social concerns in a free but scaffolded way. Be part of an ecosystem for change and enter into the change-making process at your desired level of participation.

1

First, we want citizens to help each other
GAIN AWARENESS for a specific social concern.

2

Next, we want to help each other LEARN A SPECIFIC SKILL to help us work on the specific social concern.

3

Finally, we want to convene groups of people to COLLABORATE ON A CO-CREATIVE SOLUTION with each other.

CHOOSE HOW YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE:

WEEKEND 1:
17 AUG 2024, SAT

Start Something!

In Weekend 1, we invite you to start something. Start your change-making process, start a new way of doing things, start small, start big!

Over 3 sessions, we will scaffold the change-making process and work on small solutions to big problems together. Choose 1 out of 3 key themes centred around our personal, professional and civic lives.

  • Date: 17 Aug 2024, Sat
    Time: 8am - 6pm (Full-day) - Registrations begin at 8am
    Location: Common Ground Civic Centre

  • 8:00am - 9:00am
    Registrations

    9:00am - 10:30am
    Creating Narratives for Change Festival Opening: The Start Point

    10:30am - 11:00am
    Morning Break

    11:00am - 12:30pm
    Session 1: Gain a new awareness!

    12:30pm - 2:00pm
    Lunch Break

    2:00pm - 4:00pm
    Session 2: Learn a new skill!

    4:00pm - 4:30pm
    Afternoon Break

    4:30pm - 6:00pm
    Session 3: Collaborate with others!

    1. Choose the theme you want to explore for the day.

    2. Meet with like-minded citizens, and learn and work alongside them on the things that matter to you!

    3. Over 3 sessions, you will gain a new awareness, learn a skill and collaborate on a small solution to a big problem together.

    4. Connect with new and old friends at Creating Narratives for Change Festival Opening: The Start Point.

    5. Light refreshments provided all day!

  • Weekend 1 All-day Pass: $75 (excl. GST and platform fees)
    This ticket gives you full-day access to CNFC Festival Weekend 1, which includes CNFC Festival Opening: The Start Point and 1 key theme of your choice consisting of 3 sessions.

    Pay-it-Forward: $75 (excl. GST and platform fees)
    This ticket goes towards an individual, group or community who may otherwise not be able to attend due to financial barriers.

    Early Bird Discount: 15% off
    Chope your spot early and save! Early Bird ends on 21 Jul 2024, Sun.

WEEKEND 2:
24 AUG 2024, sat

Start Somewhere!

In Weekend 2, we invite you to start somewhere, here with us. Start at your desired level of participation, the themes that matter to you, the communities you want to get to know...

Over the day, create the change-making experience you want for the day by choosing from 10 interactive sessions led by 10 socially-oriented organisations.

  • Date: 24 Aug 2024, Sat
    Time: 8:30am - 8:30pm (Multiple sessions concurrently) - Registrations begin at 8:30am
    Location: Common Ground Civic Centre

  • 8:30am
    Registrations

    9:30am
    Parallel Breakout Sessions A

    11:30am
    Fuel Up: Lunchtime Citizen Conversations

    1:00pm
    Parallel Breakout Sessions B

    4:00pm
    Parallel Breakout Sessions C

    6:30pm
    Creating Narratives for Change Festival Closing: The Pit Stop

    1. Choose from 10 experiences, themes, topics and skills you want to explore.

    2. Meet with like-minded individuals who also want to work on the things that matter to you.

    3. Gain a new awareness, learn a skill or collaborate on a small solution to a big problem together.

    4. Connect with new and old friends at Creating Narratives for Change Festival Closing: The Pit Stop.

    5. Light refreshments provided all day!

  • Weekend 2 Single Session Ticket: $30 (excl. GST and platform fees)
    This ticket gives you access to 1 session of your choice at CNFC Festival Weekend 2 and CNFC Festival Closing: The Pit Stop (RSVP required due to limited slots available).

    Weekend 2 All-day Festival pass: $75 (excl. GST and platform fees)
    This ticket gives you full-day access to CNFC Festival Weekend 2, which includes 3 sessions of your choice and CNFC Festival Closing: The Pit Stop (RSVP required due to limited slots available).

    Pay-it-Forward Festival ticket: $30 (excl. GST and platform fees)
    This ticket goes towards an individual, group or community who may otherwise not be able to attend due to financial barriers.

    Early Bird Discount: 15% off
    Chope your spot early and save! Early Bird ends on 21 Jul 2024, Sun.

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON AT THE FESTIVAL

WEEKEND 1

Festival Opening:
The Start Point

What is one thing you will like to change? What if we applied a new approach that might not have come to mind before?

At the Festival Opening: The Start Point, we will gather as a whole group for a lighthearted start to the day to get to know one another, find out what matters to each of us, and explore new ways of seeing, thinking and doing.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION:
The Festival Opening is for Weekend 1 ticket-holders.

WEEKEND 2

Festival Closing:
The Pit Stop

A no- frills get-together, the Festival Closing: The Pit Stop is a celebration of 2 weekends of change-making process, and a brief rest before we continue the work beyond Creating Narratives for Change Festival.

Gather over food and drinks with new and old friends to connect, express gratitude and exchange ideas for what's next.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION:
The Festival Closing is for Weekend 1 and Weekend 2 ticket-holders. RSVP is required due to limited capacity.

WEEKEND 2

Lunchtime Citizen Conversations:
Fuel Up

Over lunchtime, Fuel Up on food, ideas and new perspectives with short bursts of conversations on different themes and topics, which include: What does it mean to have good exits?, What does it mean to build whole communities? and more.

Bring-Your-Own lunch and pop into a room!


REGISTRATION INFORMATION:
The Festival Closing is for Weekend 1 and Weekend 2 ticket-holders. RSVP is required due to limited capacity.

FESTIVAL PROGRAMME OVERVIEW

17 AUGUST 2024, SAT | WEEKEND 1
24 AUGUST 2024, SAT | WEEKEND 2


@ COMMON GROUND CIVIC CENTRE
21 BEDOK NORTH STREET 1, SINGAPORE 469659

Our commitment of care at the festival

Our collaborators for the festival are 10 socially-oriented organisations who care deeply about different values, causes and communities of people.

Based on their inputs on what matters to them, here are some things we would like to commit to at the festival so that this can be a joyful, safe and empowering space for more of us.

There’s so much for us to learn! But for now, we welcome you and all our guests to share the following commitments with us.

SUSTAINABILITY

We are going
GREEN-ER

With the help of Green Boss, Heng Li Seng and Green Nudge, we are greenifying the Festival! The intention this year is not to eliminate, but to reduce and minimise.

That could look like reducing individually wrapped snacks, printing responsibly, reusing items such as lanyards, etc.

You are also strongly encouraged to Bring-Your-Own reusable cups, cutlery and containers for your coffee, lunch and snacks!

ACCESSIBILITY

We are
FAMILY FRIEND-LIER

With the help of Playeum, we want to ensure that parents and caregivers are able to join us at the festival without worry.

At the civic centre, we have private nursing spaces and pantry facilities for food and milk storage.

Beyond facilities, we are also piloting child-minding services at the festival for children ages 6 and up.

If you require this service, you may select from 3 time slots:

  • 9:30am - 11:30am

  • 1pm - 4pm

  • 3pm - 6pm

As this is a pilot, we will have limited spots available on a first come, first served basis!

Community

Pay-it-Forward
if you can!

We want to ensure that members of different communities are able to access the festival.

As such, a proportion of the earnings from ticket sales will go towards complimentary tickets to individuals from groups or communities who may otherwise not be able to attend due to financial barriers.

If you would also like to contribute, you may purchase an additional ticket via the Pay-it-Forward ticket category. This contribution will help us give others the same meaningful experience that you’ll have at the festival!

INCLUSIVITY

We want to welcome
more of us at the civic centre

We have amenities and facilities at the civic centre that you may use so that your time at the civic centre is a comfortable, safe and conducive one.

  • Separate microwaves and refrigerators for Halal and non-Halal food

  • Privacy rooms for prayer, nursing, calls/meetings or quiet time

  • Wheelchair-friendly facilities, such as ramps, lifts and accessible toilets

WELL-BEING

Taking care of
yourself and each other

As you get into conversations with fellow participants, you’ll get to hear stories, insights and perspectives that may resonate with you.

Do be mindful not to share identifiers or personal information without consent.

We ask that we respect everyone’s privacy and to check in with each other on what’s OK and not OK to be shared beyond the festival.

Privacy

Photography
at the festival

To help us capture the festivities, there will be event photography during the festival.

If you would not like your photos taken, you may approach Front-of-House to receive a coloured lanyard that will indicate your preferences to our photographers, festival team and fellow participants.

What do we need to build whole communities?

Let’s talk about it at Creating Narratives for Change 2024.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • Over two weekends, we will gather for different conversations and experiences about what matters to us that need to change:

    Weekend 1: Start Something! | 17 Aug 2024, Sat

    In Weekend 1, we invite you to start something. Start your change-making process, start a new way of doing things, start small, start big! Over 3 sessions, we will scaffold the change-making process and work on small solutions to big problems together. Choose 1 out of 3 key themes centred around our personal, professional and civic lives.

    Weekend 2: Start Somewhere | 24 Aug 2024, Sat

    In Weekend 2, we invite you to start somewhere, here with us. Start at your desired level of participation, the themes that matter to you, and the communities you want to get to know. Over the day, create your own change-making experience by choosing from 10 interactive sessions led by 10 socially-oriented organisations.

  • Weekend 1: Start Something!
    Date: 17 Aug 2024, Sat
    Time: 8am - 6pm (full-day) - Registrations begin at 8am

    Weekend 2: Start Somewhere!
    Date: 24 Aug 2024, Sat
    Time: 8:30am - 8:30pm (multiple sessions concurrently) - Registrations begin at 8:30am

  • You may purchase tickets for:

    • Weekend 1: Start Something - HERE

    • Weekend 2: Start Somewhere - HERE


    Your contributions will help Common Ground Civic Centre:

    • Pay our partners and collaborators an honorarium for their time, effort and skillsets

    • Invite individuals from groups or communities who may otherwise not be able to attend due to financial barriers

    • Provide light refreshments during the day, partially catered by home-based businesses, local businesses in Bedok Central, and our next-door neighbour, One Two Eat!

  • Not at all. Citizen, in this case, loosely refers to anyone who is currently living in Singapore and has a vested interest in working on what’s not working together.

  • We're sorry you're no longer able to join us! Unfortunately, your ticket is non-refundable. However, if you would like to transfer your ticket to someone else, you may write in to community@ourcommonground.com.sg.

  • With thanks to and support from our Resident Partner, Playeum, we are piloting child-minding services for Weekend 2 of the festival (24 Aug) for children ages 6 and up.

    There will be 3 time slots with limited capacity that parents and caregivers may choose from on a first come, first served basis:

    • 9:30am - 11:30am

    • 1pm - 4pm

    • 4pm - 6pm

    If you require child-minding services during your session, you may register during the checkout process upon ticket purchase.

    If you have any questions regarding this, please feel free to write in to community@ourcommonground.com.sg.

  • With support from our Resident Partner, Green Nudge, we are finding small, practical and feasible ways to go green. The goal is to minimise, not eliminate and we'll need your help to do so!

  • You may refer to the following pages for a more comprehensive list of FAQs for each programme segment: Weekend 1: Start Something and Weekend 2: Start Somewhere.

    If you have any additional questions not listed here, feel free to get in touch with us at community@ourcommonground.com.sg.