Snap a photo, make a pledge to S’pore’s future, and contribute to charity

SINGAPORE – A visual window into Singapore’s evolving story – across the nation’s past, present and future – will allow visitors to capture a photo as a pledge to their shared journey with the Republic into the future and, at the same time, contribute to charity.

This comes ahead of the

SG60 Heart&Soul Experience

at Orchard Library, a national exhibition that will be launched on Aug 26.

From Aug 18 till Dec 31, the free and interactive Windows of Time photo booths will be available at the level 1 atrium of Orchard Central from 9am to 10pm; the entrances of Punggol and Jurong regional libraries from 10am to 9pm, excluding public holidays; and the Singapore Pools building lobby in Middle Road from 8am to 9pm.

As part of the 2025 Community With A Heart initiative, the Tote Board and Singapore Pools will pledge $1 for every photo taken at the booths, with the total pledges capped at $500,000.

The money raised will go to supporting four charities through Community Chest – the Children’s Aid Society, Club Heal, Mindfull Community and Singapore Association for Mental Health – dedicated to championing mental wellness.

The SG60 Heart&Soul Experience has seen high demand, with the opening weekend oversubscribed and numerous bookings from big groups waiting to be scheduled. More than 1,700 people daily can enter the ticketed experience, which is free to the public.

Executive creative director Gene Tan, who is also the National Library Board’s (NLB) chief librarian and chief innovation officer, said: “I am very touched by the enthusiastic response, which has gone beyond our expectations.”

The showcase, which will run till Dec 31, is expected to attract some 400,000 visitors.

Free tickets can be booked at 

www.heartandsoul.gov.sg

The national showcase, which uses immersive storytelling and generative artificial intelligence, enables visitors to chat with a lifelike digital librarian about their lives and interests.

Their answers are used to generate personalised trailers of themselves living, working and playing in an envisioned future Singapore.

They can even hold a conversation with their future selves.

At the end of the exhibition, each visitor will receive a bookmark with a QR code that links to a personalised 25-second trailer.

The flagship event for Singapore’s 60th year of independence, or SG60, is jointly developed by the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) and NLB.

More than 110 partners across the public, private and people sectors have contributed insights and future plans that have shaped the showcase’s content, including

the Forward Singapore blueprint

and the Singapore Green Plan 2030.  

A key highlight of Heart&Soul is Windows in the Sky, a floor-to-ceiling multi-sensorial space, where visitors can experience how the story of their own future unfolds alongside others through a stunning display of sound, visuals and sensations.

The zone culminates in a dramatic finale sequence generated based on the visitor’s responses to various interactive elements throughout the experience.

The exhibition was created by the team behind The Bicentennial Experience in 2019 and the SG50 Future Of Us exhibition in 2015. 

The SG60 Heart&Soul ticketed experience

, available in the four official languages, runs for approximately 60 to 90 minutes and is recommended for visitors aged seven and above. It is held at Orchard Library on levels 3 and 4 of Orchard Gateway, from 9am to 6pm on Mondays, and from 9am to 10pm from Tuesdays to Sundays.

There is also a non-ticketed installation series at the level 1 atrium of Orchard Central and Orchard Gateway that is open from 9am to 10pm daily.

This will be a visual tribute to SG60, tracing the nation’s journey through time. Visitors will be able to walk alongside historical figures in colourised archival videos from the National Archives of Singapore from the 1900s to 2025.

Besides the Windows of Time photo booths, Singaporeans can also look forward to the Windows of Time short film. It follows a Singaporean woman through a time-travelling journey, which echoes the immersive experiences at the Heart&Soul Experience.

The short film is now playing across free-to-air TV, digital and social platforms.

Various windows, each framing an imagined scene from a future Singapore, can also be found at some bus stops and on certain buses and digital screens to offer a peek into what life could be like in the next 60 years and beyond.

NLB chief executive Ng Cher Pong said: “Windows of Time is a heartfelt extension of the SG60 Heart&Soul Experience. It not only invites Singaporeans to reflect on our shared journey as we look ahead to the future, but also offers a simple way for everyone to give back to our community.”

The partnership with Tote Board and Singapore Pools turns moments of connection into tangible support for charities championing mental wellness, he added.

“This initiative reflects the spirit of Heart&Soul, bringing Singaporeans together to care for one another, building a more compassionate and inclusive tomorrow,” he said.

Tote Board CEO Tan Choon Shian said by joining hands with MDDI and NLB for this SG60 milestone, the Tote Board Group brings together technology and social purpose to create an engaging new way for Singaporeans to give back to the community.

Singapore Pools began Community With A Heart in 2023 to make doing good easy and meaningful, said its CEO, Mr Lam Chee Weng.

“Now, with Windows of Time, we’re taking that spirit further – turning every photo into support for mental wellness,” he said.

“As part of SG60, we’re proud to stand with Tote Board, MDDI, NLB and our wider community to honour how far we’ve come – and to help shape a kinder, more compassionate Singapore.”