3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Business Times
Yellow Ribbon Community Arts Festival raises funds to help ex-offenders reintegrate into society
[SINGAPORE] Ang Lai Seng, now an inmate in Changi Prison, has been incarcerated five times for drug offences. He was admitted to a boys' home at the age of 16; at 20, he was sent to prison, and spent nearly 20 years there.
In April 2018, while behind bars, he joined the Visual Arts Hub and started learning how to paint. He had been interested in art at a young age, but did not have a chance to pursue it.
'At first, I didn't think I had any artistic talent, but with encouragement from the instructors, I slowly gained confidence. I started to enjoy the process, and it helped calm my emotions,' he said.
As he became drawn to making art, he became more prolific, completing 35 works in five months in 2024. He said art helps him to heal and is a 'form of release'. His works, rendered in acrylic paint on canvas, are inspired by religious imagery and Chinese cultural symbols.
Ang, now 61, said: 'Even though I may not speak much, my art expresses what I feel inside – my hopes for a second chance to reintegrate into society.'
He moves into a halfway house in October, and plans to continue painting and sharing his art with the community through Canvas, a programme that provides opportunities to former inmates to pursue art after their release.
A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU
Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle
Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself.
Sign Up
Sign Up
'I hope to give back and stay on the right path through this,' he added.
Three of his works were on display at this year's edition of the Yellow Ribbon Community Arts Festival, which concluded a week-long, static art exhibition at One Holland Village on Wednesday (Aug 6).
The festival was launched by the 21-year-old Yellow Ribbon Project, which aims to inspire community action in support of the rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates and ex-offenders.
Singapore Prison Services (SPS) said the festival 'aims to create awareness of second chances and generate acceptance for inmates, ex-offenders and their families in the community'.
The annual event runs through the month of August. A roving art truck will travel to community spaces and landmark locations on weekends, and to schools on weekdays, to bring the art to the public.
The truck, which was stationed in Tanjong Pagar on Aug 2, will make stops in Holland Village, Tampines, Yishun, Bedok, Suntec City and finally, at Gardens By The Bay.
In total, about 60 artworks by 32 inmates and ex-offenders – 19 men and 13 women – are being put on show. SPS said participating in the Yellow Ribbon Community Arts Festival gives them the opportunity to contribute to society, and, it is hoped, to reduce the stigma of their being inmates and ex-offenders.
Each artwork is for sale, with the proceeds going towards the Yellow Ribbon Fund.
SPS said: 'The fund supports ex-offenders in reintegrating into society by funding rehabilitation and after-care programmes both during incarceration and after release.'
These initiatives include skills training, family-support services and community reintegration programmes. Ex-offenders may also choose to pursue art in art institutions.
'By providing structured support in areas like education, employment and emotional well-being, the fund plays a critical role in reducing stigma and helping ex-offenders make the transition back into the community,' said SPS.
Besides the roving art truck, the programme of the Yellow Ribbon Community Arts Festival also includes musical performances by inmates and ex-offenders; they will also run art workshops for children.
