SINGAPORE – Young people keen on spearheading their own heritage projects can now tap funding from the Government under a new initiative.

Launched on Thursday, the Young ChangeMakers – Youth Heritage Kickstarter Fund encourages those aged 15 to 35 to contribute to and increase the vibrancy of Singapore’s heritage programmes. Another of the fund’s objectives is to build capabilities among a younger generation of enthusiasts as they conceptualise, plan and execute their projects.

National Heritage Board (NHB) deputy chief executive for policy and community Alvin Tan said at a media briefing that the grant will “allow the youth to have a more active hand in shaping the future of heritage in Singapore” through platforms their peers can relate to.

The new fund is an extension of the National Youth Council’s (NYC) Young ChangeMakers grant, which was launched in 2005 and supports youth-led projects that benefit Singapore’s community and society.

NHB said that the heritage projects can take on various forms, such as an exhibition, a guided tour, a talk, lecture or workshop, as well as a temporary outdoor installation.

Selected projects will have up to 80 per cent of their costs funded, capped at $7,000 each, depending on the merits of the project. Grants are disbursed on a reimbursement basis.

Mr Tan said that requiring grant recipients to raise the remaining 20 per cent of the project costs will help instil in them a sense of ownership and encourage them to be more invested in the outcome of their projects.

Should recipients face difficulties in executing their projects as funds are disbursed on a reimbursement basis, the board is prepared to exercise flexibility according to the circumstances of each case, he added.

Successful applicants will also be supported by NHB and NYC through networking and mentorship opportunities to conceptualise and implement their projects.

The grant was created in response to the results of a survey that NHB conducted with its youth panel – a group of 32 students and working adults who advised the board on how to better engage the youth.

At least six in 10 of more than 1,000 survey respondents said they would volunteer their time and services at an NHB museum and/or heritage event in Singapore, while three in 10 indicated an interest in developing projects to promote heritage awareness here.

Asked what support they would like to receive, those who wanted to develop their own projects indicated mentorship as a top need, followed by funding.

The survey also canvassed respondents for project ideas. Among the ideas suggested were presenting heritage through creative and interactive mediums, community-led efforts to make heritage more accessible, and exploring lesser-known histories of issues of interest to young people today.

NHB said more findings from the survey, which was conducted from July to September 2023, will be released in mid-2024, when it launches its first Youth Heritage Blueprint that will list strategies to strengthen and sustain interest in heritage among young people.

NHB youth panel member Phoebe Pang, 22, a history major at Nanyang Technological University, said that funding is often a major hurdle for students who wish to start their own projects. The fund provides a springboard to turn ideas into reality, she added.

Fellow panel member Ng Wee Liang, 24, a real estate undergraduate at the National University of Singapore, said that mentorship opportunities offered through the grant will guide young people with project ideas, such as publishing a book, who are unsure of how to execute them.

The grant will be available for a period of at least two years from Friday, after which its effectiveness will be reviewed.

About the grant

• Singaporeans or permanent residents residing locally, aged 15 to 35, are eligible to apply. For those applying in groups, Singaporeans and/or PRs should comprise the majority.
• Application comprises two stages. It can be submitted online through the OurSG Grants Portal. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to pitch their ideas at a monthly Young ChangeMakers Open Mic.
• More details will be published on the grants page of NHB’s website on Friday.