SINGAPORE - When 10-year-old Marcus Koh started playing with his yo-yo in 2003, the only child told his parents that he would be a world champion one day.
They believed him, and this helped the self-taught yo-yo star fulfil his dream when he clinched the coveted title at the 2011 World Yo-Yo Contest organised by the International Yo-Yo Federation in Orlando, Florida.
Today, the 30-year-old boasts six signature yo-yos under his name, and conducts yo-yo lessons for schools and students aged seven and up under his own company.
Mr Koh now hopes to raise up the next generation of yo-yo enthusiasts as part of the Singapore Street Festival 2023 – a common theme among the festival’s various organisers.
The festival, which runs from July 7 to Aug 13 at four malls – 313@Somerset, Jem, Parkway Parade and Paya Lebar Quarter – is an annual non-profit social and community project that was founded in 2002.
It provides young people with a platform and opportunity to showcase their skills in the performing and visual arts. It also allows them to be trained in organising events for their peers.
The theme this year will be The Nxt Generation, implying curiosity, creativity, innovation, novelty and forward thinking.
The Singapore Yo-Yo Championship – organised by Mr Koh together with the Yo-Yo Association of Singapore – will take place on July 23.
There will be a beginners’ corner for passers-by and aspirants to pick up yo-yoing skills. Mr Koh said he may even hold a beginners’ competition, if there are enough sign-ups at the event.
Chartered financial consultant Serene Teo, 29, will be organising an event with busking performances that feature J-pop, anime and cosplay at Jem on July 30.
She has been hooked on J-pop since she caught the bug from a classmate while studying at Temasek Secondary School. Since then, she has performed at events and online, and has even composed a few Japanese songs.
While K-pop has its legions of fans, the J-pop subculture is still growing on social media, thanks to anime and cosplay, she said.
“J-pop has brought me many close friends. It’s now time to give back to the community by grooming a new generation of performers,” she added.
Artist Sufian Hamri, better known as TraseOne, will be helming the 20th-anniversary celebrations of street art here. There will be graffiti painting and mural painting competitions, and a digital art showcase across the four Lendlease malls in July and August.
Influenced by skateboard magazines that frequently featured graffiti art at skateparks and skateboard decks, he began doing street art in 1999. Today, he is regarded as one of the leading pioneers of the local street art movement. Part of the street collective RSCLS, he has done numerous commissioned works locally and overseas.
“I guess it is because of my experience from organising past events that allows me to share what I have learnt and gone through with the younger generation,” said the 42-year-old.
He believes it will be a learning experience for him as well.
“We did not have social media back then to spread awareness about our interests. It was by word of mouth and pure hard work,” he said. “Now with various social media platforms available, some things can go viral in the blink of an eye.”
And social media is why the yo-yo, which has been around since at least 500BC, is cool again, said Mr Koh.
“Yo-yo will never die,” he said. “It has always experienced waves of up and down, and it’s now cool again due to the yo-yo videos on TikTok.”
Parents should encourage their children to pick up the yo-yo as it promotes hand-eye coordination, increases attention span and takes them away from their mobile phones, he said.
“It also encourages creativity, adaptability and patience when you try to pull off some tricks and recover from your mistakes,” he added.
Find more information on the Singapore Street Festival 2023 or register for the activities at singaporestreetfestival.com
