Batik Stories with the Peranakan Indians
Explore the art of batik in a weekend of hands-on activities, community-led tours, vibrant performances, and more!
Presented in partnership with the Peranakan Indian (Chitty Melaka) Association of Singapore.
Drop-in Experiences
Craft-it: Kopiah
Known as talapa in Tamil, kopiah is a form of headgear worn by men from the Chitty Melaka community. In this family-friendly activity, craft a simple fabric kopiah using batik patterns and glue!
Suitable for ages 6 and above.
Craft-it: Addigai
Visit the Jewellery Gallery on Level 3 and be inspired by a Chitty Melaka addigai (necklace) on display. Add sparkly designs to a craft pendant and string it with colourful beads to create your very own addigai.
Suitable for ages 6 and above.
Let’s Dance and Make Music!
Join us for colourful dance and music performances with garments inspired by the batiks on display at the museum!
Dance and Sing with Melissa Sidek: 12.30pm
Angklung Fun with Angklung Empire: 6pm
Discover Batik
Watch a batik waxing demonstration and try your hand at painting a collaborative batik. Make your own handkerchief* using natural tie-dyes, and browse a selection of local brands, including Studio Gypsied, Think Batik, and Batikrolls.
*Limited slots per day. While supplies last.
Dress up at The Batik Shop
Visit The Batik Shop and learn how to wear a sarong with the Peranakan Indian community! Try on outfits and pose for a polaroid picture* with friends and family.
*One picture per person. While supplies last.
Special giveaway: Batikrolls
Have you been to the Batik Nyonyas exhibition yet? Present your admission sticker to get a free slice of cake* from Batikrolls!
*Limited to 1 slice per person. While supplies last.
Registered Programmes
Let's Cook: Pulut Tekan
Join us for a cooking demonstration with expert home chef Kamala Pillay. Learn how to make pulut tekan (glutinous rice cakes) and enjoy a tasting portion of this delicious treat!
Suitable for ages 6 and above.
Register hereLet's Make: Kopiah
Dive into the art of kopiah making in this hands-on sewing workshop with Merlin Pillay to make your very own kopiah! Visit the Fashion Gallery on Level 3 to check out the kopiah on display and see how yours compares.
Strictly for ages 14 and above.
Register here
Batik Stories: Storytelling in the Galleries
Explore the Batik Nyonyas exhibition with storyteller Hafiz Rashid and listen to captivating stories and folktales inspired by the works on display.
Suitable for ages 12 and above.
Register here
Peranakan Indian Stories: Weaving inclusivity into our multiracial fabric
Join a community-led tour in the galleries with a focus on batik in Peranakan Indian culture through personal stories and experiences.
Suitable for ages 12 and above.
Register hereVisit the special exhibition
Immerse yourself in a weekend of Peranakan culture as our communities take over our spaces to present their unique heritage. In this quarterly series of programmes, diverse Peranakan communities will share their knowledge and insights with visitors through performances, cooking, crafts, and community-led tours of our galleries.
DISCOVER WHAT'S ON
Special Exhibition
Batik Nyonyas: Three Generations of Art and Entrepreneurship
11 Oct 2024 – 31 Aug 2025
Family, art, and entrepreneurship converge in the story of three visionary Peranakan women from Indonesia – Nyonya Oeij Soen King, her daughter-in-law Nyonya Oeij Kok Sing, and her granddaughter Jane Hendromartono. From the 1890s to 1980s, they produced impressive batiks in the renowned batik centre of Pekalongan on Java’s north coast. This exhibition explores the lives and works of these women, revealing how each became a batik master in her own right, and how they responded to the rapid political, cultural, and economic changes of their times to run a business that produced great art.
DETAILS
Programmes
Daily Guided Tours at Peranakan Museum
Daily
Guided tours led by our volunteer docents are available daily.
DETAILS
Lectures and Seminars
Entrepreneurship and the batik industry in Pekalongan
27 November 2024, 7 to 8pm
This talk examines the development of Pekalongan’s batik industry in the context of Indonesia’s quest for independence, as well as shifting market forces within the nation and beyond.
DETAILS