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Straits Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Facts and myths intersect at the National Museum's new glass rotunda installation
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox SINGAPORE – In one popular myth passed down in Malay folklore, tidal changes are explained by a massive crab that resides among the roots of a magical tree named pauh janggi. The tree is above pusat tasek – or 'navel of the ocean', in Malay – and the crab's daily forays in and out of this gaping hole in the ocean floor are said to cause the rise and fall of the seas. This myth will be one of the stories told with the use of animation at the National Museum of Singapore's (NMS) Shaw Foundation Glass Rotunda, which re-opens on Aug 8 after closing in October 2024 for a revamp. The glass rotunda's new permanent exhibition, Singapore Odyssea, traces about 700 years of Singapore's history, culminating in a transition zone between the rotunda and the Singapore History Gallery. In addition to pauh janggi, three other myths are presented in this zone: Sang Nila Utama, the Palembang prince who supposedly named Singapore; the swordfish attack that gave Bukit Merah its name; and Raja Chulan, a Chola king who is said to have explored the waters near Singapore in a diving bell. Multidisciplinary artist Brian Gothong Tan, Singapore Odyssea's creative director, said the display incorporates myths as they are the lifeblood of civilisations. Brian – whose experimental film Waking The Fluorescent Lion was screened in the rotunda as part of the NMS' opening festival in December 2006 – said Singapore Odyssey goes beyond the traditional colonial understanding of the city by mixing ancient maritime history with myths. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Business No clarity yet on baseline or pharmaceutical tariffs with US: DPM Gan Singapore Grace Fu apologises for Tanjong Katong sinkhole, says road may stay closed for a few more days Singapore Terrorism threat in Singapore remains high, driven by events like Israeli-Palestinian conflict: ISD Singapore Liquidators score victory to recoup over $900 million from alleged scammer Ng Yu Zhi's associates Singapore Man on trial for raping woman who hired him to repair lights in her flat Sport IOC president Kirsty Coventry a 'huge supporter' of Singapore Singapore Child and firefighter among 7 taken to hospital after fire breaks out in Toa Payoh flat Singapore S'pore can and must meaningfully apply tech like AI in a way that creates jobs for locals: PM Wong It's 'an expansion of our collective consciousness,' he said. Ms Priscilla Chua, principal curator at the NMS, added: 'Myths have long existed even before history was recorded.' 'Before the written word, this was what communities and people held onto, and what enabled them to understand what's going around them within the region, and help them to understand who they are, in the past and present,' she said. A designer from local animation studio CraveFX working on the designs for pauh janggi, a mythical tree. ST PHOTO: LUTHER LAU Ms Chua said that Singapore Odyssea is designed to be an immersive multimedia experience that creates a 'visually inspiring depiction of Singapore's history', with an emphasis on visuals. 'It's meant to be experiential, rather than artifacts,' said Ms Chua. 'We wanted visitors to have a 30-minute teaser of Singapore's history, before they enter the Singapore History Gallery to see the actual objects that depict the country's history.' The glass rotunda's coming re-opening marks the completion of the first phase of an ongoing overhaul of the NMS' permanent galleries . The Singapore History Gallery will admit its last visitors on Nov 16 before undergoing a year-long revamp, while the five level two galleries closed in September 2023 for a refresh. These galleries are slated to re-open in 2026. Ms Melissa Chan, Singapore Odyssea's art and design director, said the display begins by showcasing Singapore's maritime connections with the world through a new LED-covered sphere that represents the globe. An artist's impression of the new LED sphere in the National Museum of Singapore's glass rotunda. PHOTO: CRAVEFX, GSM PROJECT, KIN PRODUCTIONS AND NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SINGAPORE Referencing the glass rotunda's previous exhibit Story Of The Forest – designed by Japanese firm teamLab and displayed from 2016 to 2024 – Ms Chan said the only major physical change is Singapore Odyssea's new sphere, which helps to highlight the geometry and structure of the rotunda. After passing under the sphere, visitors will make their way down a sloping ramp, alongside projections that depict Singapore's history in reverse chronology. Mr Joshua Tan, the new exhibit's multimedia director, said this gives visitors a sense that they are digging deeper into the past, while their walk downwards on the ramp brings across the idea of excavation. In conceptualising the narrative for this section's projection, creative director Brian said the team looked at 'trauma points' in Singapore's history, such as separation from Malaysia and colonisation. He said that the design of projections here was inspired by temple reliefs in places such as Angkor Wat in Cambodia. The team that worked on Singapore Odyssea includes (from left to right) National Museum of Singapore principal curator Priscilla Chua, creative director Brian Gothong Tan, art and design director Melissa Chan and multimedia director Joshua Tan. ST PHOTO: LUTHER LAU At the end of the ramp, visitors enter a space within the rotunda where they can view vignettes of Singapore's history, before moving into the transition zone where the four myths are showcased. Multimedia director Joshua said that while the visuals displayed in the zone are animated, artists drew inspiration for them from real-life examples. For instance, he said, the team went on intertidal walks to conceptualise the animations for the transition zone, where the team presented pauh janggi as a mangrove tree, and also incorporated locally-found species into their designs, such as hawksbill turtles, ribbon jellyfishes and gold-spotted mudskippers. This, he said, makes the display a mix of myths and reality, while Brian said that the depiction of wildlife nudges visitors to consider humans' relationship with the natural world, especially as Singapore has lost much of its natural landscape during the colonial era. An original soundtrack that incorporates sound recordings from around Singapore was composed for Singapore Odyssea. Mr Zahin Anwari, the display's lead sound designer, said the soundtrack also includes singers from as far away as Bulgaria and Egypt, who were sought for the tonality and exoticism of their voices. Ms Chua hopes the 'travel back in time' experience that the rotunda offers will pique visitors' curiosity about Singapore's history. 'The concept of time travel has always had the allure of mystery, excitement and adventure and that's precisely the kind of experience we want to create for visitors,' she said.
Rhyl Journal
21-07-2025
- Health
- Rhyl Journal
Chris Packham backs call for delayed report into autistic deaths to be published
Signatories including broadcaster Chris Packham – who has spoken about being autistic – demanded the long-awaited report be published as soon as Parliament returns from its summer break. He is among campaigners who have written to Health Secretary Wes Streeting to say the country is 'standing by year after year while vulnerable people die'. The latest Learning from lives and deaths report (LeDeR) – expected to show data for 2023 – was due to be published around November last year but it is understood it has been held up over 'practical data issues'. The LeDeR programme was established in 2015 in an effort to review the deaths of people with a learning disability and autistic people in England. Annual reports are aimed at summarising their lives and deaths with the aim of learning from what happened, improving care, reducing health inequalities and preventing people with a learning disability and autistic people from early deaths. In the letter to Mr Streeting, signed by various groups including charities Autism Action and Mencap as well as bereaved families, the delay to the latest report was branded 'unacceptable'. They said: 'It took at least 17 years for the Government to establish this vital initiative after the 1998 finding that people with learning disabilities were 58 times more likely to die before the age of 50 than the general population. 'Although it was established to 'get to the bottom of why people with learning disabilities typically die much earlier than average, and to inform a strategy to reduce this inequality,' 10 years later – too many people are still dying premature, preventable deaths. 'In response, the Government is showing a shocking lack of urgency and has let the only discernible tool to understand and act on these deaths be caught up in delay and bureaucracy.' The most recent report, which showed data for 2022, confirmed care and outcomes for people with learning disabilities are still often below acceptable standards compared with the general population. Of the 2,054 adults with a learning disability who died that year and had a completed recorded underlying cause of death, 853 (42%) had deaths classified as avoidable. This was down on the 2021 figure of 50% of avoidable deaths among adults with a learning disability, but was 'significantly higher' than the percentage for the general population across Great Britain, which was 22.8% in 2020 – the latest data available at that time. Last month, the parents of an autistic teenager who died after being prescribed medication against his and his parents' wishes hailed the publication of guidance they hope will safeguard others as a 'significant milestone'. A report in 2020 found 18-year-old Oliver McGowan's death four years earlier at Southmead Hospital in Bristol was 'potentially avoidable'. He died in 2016 after being given the antipsychotic Olanzapine and contracting neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) – a rare side-effect of the drug. An independent review later found that the fit and healthy teenager's death was 'potentially avoidable' and his parents, Paula and Tom McGowan, said their son died 'as a result of the combined ignorance and arrogance of doctors' who treated him. In June, his parents – who have campaigned since his death for improvements in the system – welcomed the publication of new guidance aimed at ensuring safer, more personalised care for people with a learning disability and autistic people. Learning disability charity Mencap described the delay to the latest LeDeR report as 'disappointing and worrying', and said the Government must 'not shy away from the uncomfortable truth that for many years the healthcare system has failed people who are already marginalised in so many ways'. Autism Action chief executive Tom Purser accused the Government of 'systemically devaluing the lives of autistic people and those with learning disabilities' by delaying the long-awaited annual report and giving campaigners and families 'empty reassurances'. He added: 'There must be systemic changes in the way this information is collected, recorded, shared and acted upon – and it needs to be accountable and written into law. We are calling on this data to be published annually and independently of the Government and the NHS. 'Without these changes the Government has nothing to learn from and more vulnerable lives are at stake.' A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'We inherited a situation where the care of people with a learning disability and autistic people was not good enough and we recently published a code of practice on training to make sure staff have the right knowledge and skills to provide safe and informed care. 'We are committed to improving care for people with a learning disability and autistic people. The Learning from Lives and Deaths report will help identify key improvements needed to tackle health disparities and prevent avoidable deaths.'
South Wales Guardian
21-07-2025
- Health
- South Wales Guardian
Chris Packham backs call for delayed report into autistic deaths to be published
Signatories including broadcaster Chris Packham – who has spoken about being autistic – demanded the long-awaited report be published as soon as Parliament returns from its summer break. He is among campaigners who have written to Health Secretary Wes Streeting to say the country is 'standing by year after year while vulnerable people die'. The latest Learning from lives and deaths report (LeDeR) – expected to show data for 2023 – was due to be published around November last year but it is understood it has been held up over 'practical data issues'. The LeDeR programme was established in 2015 in an effort to review the deaths of people with a learning disability and autistic people in England. Annual reports are aimed at summarising their lives and deaths with the aim of learning from what happened, improving care, reducing health inequalities and preventing people with a learning disability and autistic people from early deaths. In the letter to Mr Streeting, signed by various groups including charities Autism Action and Mencap as well as bereaved families, the delay to the latest report was branded 'unacceptable'. They said: 'It took at least 17 years for the Government to establish this vital initiative after the 1998 finding that people with learning disabilities were 58 times more likely to die before the age of 50 than the general population. 'Although it was established to 'get to the bottom of why people with learning disabilities typically die much earlier than average, and to inform a strategy to reduce this inequality,' 10 years later – too many people are still dying premature, preventable deaths. 'In response, the Government is showing a shocking lack of urgency and has let the only discernible tool to understand and act on these deaths be caught up in delay and bureaucracy.' The most recent report, which showed data for 2022, confirmed care and outcomes for people with learning disabilities are still often below acceptable standards compared with the general population. Of the 2,054 adults with a learning disability who died that year and had a completed recorded underlying cause of death, 853 (42%) had deaths classified as avoidable. This was down on the 2021 figure of 50% of avoidable deaths among adults with a learning disability, but was 'significantly higher' than the percentage for the general population across Great Britain, which was 22.8% in 2020 – the latest data available at that time. Last month, the parents of an autistic teenager who died after being prescribed medication against his and his parents' wishes hailed the publication of guidance they hope will safeguard others as a 'significant milestone'. A report in 2020 found 18-year-old Oliver McGowan's death four years earlier at Southmead Hospital in Bristol was 'potentially avoidable'. He died in 2016 after being given the antipsychotic Olanzapine and contracting neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) – a rare side-effect of the drug. An independent review later found that the fit and healthy teenager's death was 'potentially avoidable' and his parents, Paula and Tom McGowan, said their son died 'as a result of the combined ignorance and arrogance of doctors' who treated him. In June, his parents – who have campaigned since his death for improvements in the system – welcomed the publication of new guidance aimed at ensuring safer, more personalised care for people with a learning disability and autistic people. Learning disability charity Mencap described the delay to the latest LeDeR report as 'disappointing and worrying', and said the Government must 'not shy away from the uncomfortable truth that for many years the healthcare system has failed people who are already marginalised in so many ways'. Autism Action chief executive Tom Purser accused the Government of 'systemically devaluing the lives of autistic people and those with learning disabilities' by delaying the long-awaited annual report and giving campaigners and families 'empty reassurances'. He added: 'There must be systemic changes in the way this information is collected, recorded, shared and acted upon – and it needs to be accountable and written into law. We are calling on this data to be published annually and independently of the Government and the NHS. 'Without these changes the Government has nothing to learn from and more vulnerable lives are at stake.' A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'We inherited a situation where the care of people with a learning disability and autistic people was not good enough and we recently published a code of practice on training to make sure staff have the right knowledge and skills to provide safe and informed care. 'We are committed to improving care for people with a learning disability and autistic people. The Learning from Lives and Deaths report will help identify key improvements needed to tackle health disparities and prevent avoidable deaths.'
Leader Live
21-07-2025
- Health
- Leader Live
Chris Packham backs call for delayed report into autistic deaths to be published
Signatories including broadcaster Chris Packham – who has spoken about being autistic – demanded the long-awaited report be published as soon as Parliament returns from its summer break. He is among campaigners who have written to Health Secretary Wes Streeting to say the country is 'standing by year after year while vulnerable people die'. The latest Learning from lives and deaths report (LeDeR) – expected to show data for 2023 – was due to be published around November last year but it is understood it has been held up over 'practical data issues'. The LeDeR programme was established in 2015 in an effort to review the deaths of people with a learning disability and autistic people in England. Annual reports are aimed at summarising their lives and deaths with the aim of learning from what happened, improving care, reducing health inequalities and preventing people with a learning disability and autistic people from early deaths. In the letter to Mr Streeting, signed by various groups including charities Autism Action and Mencap as well as bereaved families, the delay to the latest report was branded 'unacceptable'. They said: 'It took at least 17 years for the Government to establish this vital initiative after the 1998 finding that people with learning disabilities were 58 times more likely to die before the age of 50 than the general population. 'Although it was established to 'get to the bottom of why people with learning disabilities typically die much earlier than average, and to inform a strategy to reduce this inequality,' 10 years later – too many people are still dying premature, preventable deaths. 'In response, the Government is showing a shocking lack of urgency and has let the only discernible tool to understand and act on these deaths be caught up in delay and bureaucracy.' The most recent report, which showed data for 2022, confirmed care and outcomes for people with learning disabilities are still often below acceptable standards compared with the general population. Of the 2,054 adults with a learning disability who died that year and had a completed recorded underlying cause of death, 853 (42%) had deaths classified as avoidable. This was down on the 2021 figure of 50% of avoidable deaths among adults with a learning disability, but was 'significantly higher' than the percentage for the general population across Great Britain, which was 22.8% in 2020 – the latest data available at that time. Last month, the parents of an autistic teenager who died after being prescribed medication against his and his parents' wishes hailed the publication of guidance they hope will safeguard others as a 'significant milestone'. A report in 2020 found 18-year-old Oliver McGowan's death four years earlier at Southmead Hospital in Bristol was 'potentially avoidable'. He died in 2016 after being given the antipsychotic Olanzapine and contracting neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) – a rare side-effect of the drug. An independent review later found that the fit and healthy teenager's death was 'potentially avoidable' and his parents, Paula and Tom McGowan, said their son died 'as a result of the combined ignorance and arrogance of doctors' who treated him. In June, his parents – who have campaigned since his death for improvements in the system – welcomed the publication of new guidance aimed at ensuring safer, more personalised care for people with a learning disability and autistic people. Learning disability charity Mencap described the delay to the latest LeDeR report as 'disappointing and worrying', and said the Government must 'not shy away from the uncomfortable truth that for many years the healthcare system has failed people who are already marginalised in so many ways'. Autism Action chief executive Tom Purser accused the Government of 'systemically devaluing the lives of autistic people and those with learning disabilities' by delaying the long-awaited annual report and giving campaigners and families 'empty reassurances'. He added: 'There must be systemic changes in the way this information is collected, recorded, shared and acted upon – and it needs to be accountable and written into law. We are calling on this data to be published annually and independently of the Government and the NHS. 'Without these changes the Government has nothing to learn from and more vulnerable lives are at stake.' A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'We inherited a situation where the care of people with a learning disability and autistic people was not good enough and we recently published a code of practice on training to make sure staff have the right knowledge and skills to provide safe and informed care. 'We are committed to improving care for people with a learning disability and autistic people. The Learning from Lives and Deaths report will help identify key improvements needed to tackle health disparities and prevent avoidable deaths.'
North Wales Chronicle
21-07-2025
- Health
- North Wales Chronicle
Chris Packham backs call for delayed report into autistic deaths to be published
Signatories including broadcaster Chris Packham – who has spoken about being autistic – demanded the long-awaited report be published as soon as Parliament returns from its summer break. He is among campaigners who have written to Health Secretary Wes Streeting to say the country is 'standing by year after year while vulnerable people die'. The latest Learning from lives and deaths report (LeDeR) – expected to show data for 2023 – was due to be published around November last year but it is understood it has been held up over 'practical data issues'. The LeDeR programme was established in 2015 in an effort to review the deaths of people with a learning disability and autistic people in England. Annual reports are aimed at summarising their lives and deaths with the aim of learning from what happened, improving care, reducing health inequalities and preventing people with a learning disability and autistic people from early deaths. In the letter to Mr Streeting, signed by various groups including charities Autism Action and Mencap as well as bereaved families, the delay to the latest report was branded 'unacceptable'. They said: 'It took at least 17 years for the Government to establish this vital initiative after the 1998 finding that people with learning disabilities were 58 times more likely to die before the age of 50 than the general population. 'Although it was established to 'get to the bottom of why people with learning disabilities typically die much earlier than average, and to inform a strategy to reduce this inequality,' 10 years later – too many people are still dying premature, preventable deaths. 'In response, the Government is showing a shocking lack of urgency and has let the only discernible tool to understand and act on these deaths be caught up in delay and bureaucracy.' The most recent report, which showed data for 2022, confirmed care and outcomes for people with learning disabilities are still often below acceptable standards compared with the general population. Of the 2,054 adults with a learning disability who died that year and had a completed recorded underlying cause of death, 853 (42%) had deaths classified as avoidable. This was down on the 2021 figure of 50% of avoidable deaths among adults with a learning disability, but was 'significantly higher' than the percentage for the general population across Great Britain, which was 22.8% in 2020 – the latest data available at that time. Last month, the parents of an autistic teenager who died after being prescribed medication against his and his parents' wishes hailed the publication of guidance they hope will safeguard others as a 'significant milestone'. A report in 2020 found 18-year-old Oliver McGowan's death four years earlier at Southmead Hospital in Bristol was 'potentially avoidable'. He died in 2016 after being given the antipsychotic Olanzapine and contracting neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) – a rare side-effect of the drug. An independent review later found that the fit and healthy teenager's death was 'potentially avoidable' and his parents, Paula and Tom McGowan, said their son died 'as a result of the combined ignorance and arrogance of doctors' who treated him. In June, his parents – who have campaigned since his death for improvements in the system – welcomed the publication of new guidance aimed at ensuring safer, more personalised care for people with a learning disability and autistic people. Learning disability charity Mencap described the delay to the latest LeDeR report as 'disappointing and worrying', and said the Government must 'not shy away from the uncomfortable truth that for many years the healthcare system has failed people who are already marginalised in so many ways'. Autism Action chief executive Tom Purser accused the Government of 'systemically devaluing the lives of autistic people and those with learning disabilities' by delaying the long-awaited annual report and giving campaigners and families 'empty reassurances'. He added: 'There must be systemic changes in the way this information is collected, recorded, shared and acted upon – and it needs to be accountable and written into law. We are calling on this data to be published annually and independently of the Government and the NHS. 'Without these changes the Government has nothing to learn from and more vulnerable lives are at stake.' A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'We inherited a situation where the care of people with a learning disability and autistic people was not good enough and we recently published a code of practice on training to make sure staff have the right knowledge and skills to provide safe and informed care. 'We are committed to improving care for people with a learning disability and autistic people. The Learning from Lives and Deaths report will help identify key improvements needed to tackle health disparities and prevent avoidable deaths.'
