Singapore Press : CHILDAID INSPIRES YOUNG TALENTS TO LIVE THEIR DREAMS

Aptly themed 'Living Dreams', ChildAid 2016 will see 11-year old guzheng student Sylvia Tan whose 'biggest dream is to travel around the world and to perform at different concerts' fulfill part of her dream on 18 and 19 Novat Resorts World Sentosa. Sylvia will perform with 20 members of local harp ensemble, the Rave Harpers, for her showcase. Similarly, Megan Lau, 15, who religiously trains daily and hopes to do Singapore proud on the international dance stage, will also have an opportunity to display her emceeing skills aside from dancing in one of the song segments.

The concert, into its 12th edition, is organised by The Straits Times and The Business Times, in support of two children's charities. The charities are The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund (STSPMF) and The Business Times Budding Artists Fund (BT BAF).

For 2016, the 90-minute show will feature song, dance and music performances by about 170 talents aged 19 and below, who were selected from auditions held earlier this year.

The concert will also present some unique collaborative pieces by young musicians. Said Mr Jeremiah Choy, ChildAid's creative director, on the concert's artistic direction: 'We facilitated the performers' imagination and experimented with different combinations to showcase the best of our performers. Many of them proposed interesting ideas to translate their dreams into pieces which they could perform onstage. For instance, when we paired vocalists Nandini, who is rather shy, and Zhe Ee, who is an outgoing ukulele player and avid gamer, they each suggested their favourite songs and discussed how they could collaborate. Eventually, they came up with a creative mashed-up version of Maroon 5's Daylight and Imagine Dragons' Radioactive.'

In line with its theme of 'Living Dreams', this year's concert will also see a special segment that documents the achievements of the beneficiaries of both the charities.

Mr Alvin Tay, ChildAid's co-organising Chairman and Editor of The Business Times, said: 'Living Dreams is a portrayal of the hopes and aspirations of the young performers and the beneficiaries of STSPMF and BT BAF, whom ChildAid supports. 2016 has been a spectacular year with breaking news of many young Singaporeans 'living their dreams'such as Joseph Schooling and ex-ChildAid alumnus, Nathan Hartono. We hope to celebrate the dreams of those who have persevered on a road less taken and achieved success in spite of their odds, especially those who were less privileged. This year's concert will feature stories of the many who have benefited through the two children's funds and have blossomed through the years of support.'

Last year, the concert raised nearly $2million for STSPMF and BT BAF. STSPMF gives financial assistance to children from low-income families to help them through school, and BT BAF provides fully-sponsored arts training for young people from financially-disadvantaged backgrounds. This year's ChildAid is produced by arts and cultural non-profit organisation, The RICE Company Limited. Resorts World Sentosa is the official venue partner.

Tickets will be available at all SISTIC outlets from 28 Octoberonwards.

The public can also support the two child charities by donating tohttp://bit.do/ChildAid2016.

Attachments: Performer highlights & Event synopsis

For more information, please contact:

Sum Wai Ying
Head, Marketing Communications & Partnerships
The RICE Company Limited
Email: waiying_sum@therice.sg

Christina Tan (Ms)
Assistant Manager
Editorial Projects
English, Malay and Tamil Media Group
Singapore Press Holdings Limited
DID: 6319 5068
Email: christyf@sph.com.sg

Deror Wong (Mr)
Assistant Manager
Corporate Communications & CSR
Singapore Press Holdings Limited
DID: 6319 1226
Email: derorw@sph.com.sg

About Singapore Press Holdings Ltd

Incorporated in 1984, main board-listed Singapore Press Holdings Ltd (SPH) is Asia's leading media organisation, engaging minds and enriching lives across multiple languages and platforms, ranging from print, digital, radio and out-of-home media.

SPH owns award-winning newspapers, magazines and best-selling books in both print and digital editions, as well as online classified businesses in the region. In addition, SPH has two English radio stations and one Chinese radio station, an out-of-home digital advertising unit, a regional events and conferences arm, and runs a chain of modern retail convenience stores. SPH also has a 20 per cent stake in MediaCorp TV Holdings Pte Ltd, which operates free-to-air channels 5, 8 and U, and a 40 per cent stake in MediaCorp Press Limited, which publishes the free newspaper, Today.

SPH REIT comprises Paragon, a premier upscale retail mall and medical suite/office property in Orchard Road and The Clementi Mall, a mid-market suburban mall. SPH's latest retail development is The Seletar Mall located in Sengkang.

For more information, please visit www.sph.com.sg

About The Straits Times

The Straits Times, the English-language flagship daily of Singapore Press Holdings, is the most-read newspaper in Singapore and is followed widely in the region for its comprehensive coverage of local, regional and world news, provided by its correspondents in 20 bureaus in major cities worldwide.

Launched on July 15, 1845, The Straits Times underwent a major redesign across all platforms in July 2015, when it celebrated its 170th anniversary. This revamp is part of its continuing efforts to refresh its products, maintain quality and stay relevant to the changing needs of its readers. Its integrated newsroom operates round-the-clock, providing readers with news as it happens on all platforms, from its website at www.straitstimes.com, Apple and Android apps to social media.

The Straits Times is a member of three regional and global networks - Asia News Network, the Climate Publishers Network and the Impact Journalism Day alliance of newspapers - and it has won multiple international media awards, including from the Society of Publishers in Asia, the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers, the Pacific Area Newspaper Publishers' Association (Panpa), Society of News Design and Wan-Ifra. The paper's school outreach initiatives have won regular top awards, which included the 2015 World Young Reader Prize given by Wan-Ifra, and Best Young Reader programme award by Panpa.

About The Straits Times Pocket Money Fund

The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund (STSPMF) started in 2000 as a community project initiated by The Straits Times that provides pocket money to children from low-income families to help them through school. STSPMF was established as a Trust on 20 October 2010 and received charity status on 14 November 2011 with Institution of A Public Character (IPC) status effective from 1 January 2012. It is governed by a Board of Trustees. Since the project inception in 2000, STSPMF has helped close to 130,000 cases of children and youth from low-income families, between the ages of 7 to 21 years. Funds raised go towards school pocket money disbursements and support of the social and educational development of the children and youth. For more information, please visithttp://spmf.org.sg.

About The Business Times

The Business Times, a member of the Singapore Press Holdings group, is South-east Asia's leading financial daily. BT brings to its readers daily corporate, financial, economic and political news, analysis and commentary on print and digital platforms. It provides readers with in-depth coverage of Singapore and Asian business and economic developments, as well as global trends that impact Singapore business. BT's lifestyle journalists bring busy executives the latest in recreation, entertainment, the arts, design, food and shopping.

For more information, please visit businesstimes.com.sg.
Facebook: facebook.com/TheBusinessTimes
Twitter: @BTbreakingnews

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/the-business-times
Google+: plus.google.com/+BusinessTimesSgBT

About The Business Times Budding Artists Fund

Initiated in 2004 and adopted by The Business Times in 2005, The Business Times Budding Artists Fund (BT BAF) originated from a conviction that no child with the strong interest and potential in the arts should be denied the opportunity to develop his or her talents due to a lack of financial resources. Since 2005, BT BAF has reached out to more than 15,000 financially-disadvantaged children and youth, between the ages of 6 to19 years old, through a variety of programmes including a structured arts training programme, arts camps, workshops and signature events. BT BAF supports two arts training centres, The Little Arts Academy and 10 Square @ Orchard Central, and is managed by The RICE Company Limited.

About The RICE Company Limited

The RICE Company Limited is a not-for-profit organisation that harvests the potential of the arts and culture for the development of human lives and connecting communities in Singapore with the world. Its core areas of expertise lies in enlivening places and spaces through place making and content creation; building cultural capital through the engagement of arts with business; and developing linkages with communities around the world.

It currently manages two social funds (The Business Times Budding Artists Fund and Sing50 Fund), three creative spaces (The Little Arts Academy, 10 Square at Orchard Central and The Pavilion at Far East Square) and two subsidiaries (Global Culture Alliance and Millet Holdings). More information is available at www.therice.sg.