Singer Amni Musfirah, a ChildAid performer whose talents were showcased at the Asian Youth Games' opening ceremony, performs at the press conference. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO

THE annual children's charity concert, ChildAid, promises to be a grand affair this year as it will be the first event to be held at Resorts World at Sentosa.

ChildAid is a charity concert organised by The Straits Times and The Business Times to showcase the best of Singapore's young musical talent and to raise funds for two charities - The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund and The Business Times Budding Artists Fund.

The Dec 19-21 concert will give Singaporeans their first peek at one of the integrated resort's theatres; Festive Grand has 1,600 tiered seats and a 1,500sq m stage which is about the size of 3-1/2 basketball courts.

ChildAid's organising chairman Peter Khoo said at a press conference yesterday: 'We are extremely grateful to Resorts World at Sentosa for giving us this honour, which we believe will boost fund-raising efforts. The young performers will create history by being the first to perform at the resort.'

The $6.59billion Resorts World is scheduled to open early next year but vice-president of entertainment Andrea Teo gave assurances yesterday that the theatre would be ready for the concert.

After the concert, the theatre will be closed and refitted for the resort's own resident musical and circus extravanganza, Voyage de la Vie.

Auditions will be held to pick the performers for the ChildAid concert, which is in its fifth year. Three young talents have been confirmed so far: Amni Musfirah, 15, from the School of the Arts; eight-year-old Greenridge Primary School pupil Zidann Zalizann; and Aaron Lee, 13, of Queensway Secondary School.

Mr Khoo said the recession had led to a 40 per cent rise in the number of children who need help. The National Council of Social Service, which administers the ST School Pocket Money Fund, says the fund needs $5.7 million this year - the highest amount it has had to raise since its inception in 2000.

Mr Han Fook Kwang, editor of The Straits Times, said: 'We intend to help as many needy students as possible in these trying times and our tie-up with Resorts World at Sentosa is a big boost to our fund-raising efforts.'

ChildAid has become more than a fund-raising event. It is also a launching pad for many young performers.

Amni Musfirah, together with Lian Kim Selby and Nathan Hartono, both 18 - who all performed at the Asian Youth Games' opening ceremony last month - were ChildAid performers.

Soprano Janani Sridhar, 19, who performed at a ChildAid concert in 2005, sang the national anthem at last year's Singapore Formula One race.

Resorts World has been a sponsor of ChildAid for the past two years.