Learn how to fix broken toys, go on tours at My Community Festival

Do not throw away stuffed toys that are hanging by a thread or childhood chou chou (smelly) pillows that have lost their shape - extend their life instead.

Ms Jane Cher, from Stuffed Toys Hospital, switches out toys' cotton stuffing with polyester or changes the outer fabric to give them a longer lifespan. She is one of 10 fixers and craftspeople taking part in this year's My Community Festival's Find My Fixer programme. They will show people how to fix broken or worn-out household items.

Ms Cher, 24, started her business with her mother in 2018, and quit her full-time job as a community manager at a start-up company two months ago to attend to the increasing number of orders.

Another fixer, Ms Winnie Wong, will hold a workshop on how to transform broken crockery into a plate, a bowl or a pair of earrings.

The self-taught kintsugi artist, 29, began exploring the Japanese art of repairing fragmented pottery using resin and pigmented powder, as a creative outlet while recovering from depression years ago.

She said: "I met others at workshops who have gone through a hard time and have found kintsugi to be therapeutic."

My Community Festival, organised by non-profit organisation My Community, with support from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), will run from Aug 5 to 21.

The festival offers an insight into the lives of Singaporeans and the way they eat, live and pray.

Now in its third year, it will have its biggest line-up of activities, with 64 tours and workshops split into eight programme series, one of which is Find My Fixer.

The anchor programme this year, My Home, Truly, will take participants on tour to show how people such as migrant workers and animal shelter workers live in Singapore.

A new addition to the festival is the focus on three villages - Changi Village, Alexandra Village and Chinatown. Participants can immerse themselves in the neighbourhoods to learn about their community and rich culture.

STB director of arts and cultural precincts Lim Shoo Ling said: "With the resumption of international travel, offerings like My Community Festival spark curiosity and excitement about what Singapore has to offer, and allow both locals and visitors to discover lesser-known stories and hidden gems.

"We hope these unique experiences and interactions will foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of the different communities... who call Singapore home."

In 2020, when the festival was launched, 2,650 tickets for physical events were sold. Last year, 3,950 tickets were sold. For more information and to get tickets, visit https://mycommunityfestival.sg

Bakery assistant Catherine Khoo, 26, said the programmes offered are unique and she is interested in the one about the 10 major religions in Singapore. "It would be interesting to learn more about lesser-known ones like Zoroastrianism and Jainism," she added.