Community Engagement Festival (CE Fest) October 2022

Article written by Elizabeth Chew

In CE Fest AY 2022/2023, we aim to eliminate prejudice against communities and to inspire CAPTains to pursue their passion in community engagement. This CE Fest engaged 238 CAPTains, as well as 27 community partners. The theme “Through Their Eyes” was chosen to encourage CAPTains to learn about different communities from their perspective by stepping in their shoes.

There were a total of 12 trails: Our Hawkers’ Succession Stories, Life Beyond Bars, Woods to Goods (new), Addictions, Local Produce, Rough Sleepers, Faiths in Peace, Intellectual Disabilities (new), Morticians + End of Life, LGBTQ+, Local Theatre and Home Truly (new). The incorporation of new trails provided CAPTains with opportunities to connect with a more diverse range of communities in Singapore.

There were three parts to a CAPTain’s journey in CE Fest – pre-engagement, actual engagement, and the finale. During the pre-engagement session, CAPTains addressed their doubts and misconceptions and gained a better understanding  about their chosen community through the sharings by the community partners. Subsequently, during the actual engagement, CAPTains interacted with the communities. To celebrate the end of the event, community partners and CAPTains were invited to CAPT for a finale where they had lunch together and partook in the gallery walk to learn about the other trails.

Onboard the trails in CE Fest AY 2022/ 2023, I was given the opportunity to expose myself to many of the communities. CE Fest allowed me to broaden my worldview and gain more knowledge, as well as empathise with the difficulties these communities face, such as the societal stigma and preconceived notions toward them. Through CE Fest AY 2022/2023, I believe CAPTains are also inspired to extend their community engagement efforts beyond this event to learn more about the hidden communities in Singapore through their eyes.