A memorable moment from the storytelling session as children hold up unique traditional puppets for a group photo.
The Singapore Sports Museum, with its unique collection of exhibits, artefacts and memorabilia, tells the tales of some of the country’s greatest sporting legends.
But on a balmy afternoon on June 28, the last Saturday of the mid-year school holidays, a very different story was being brought to life there.
A unique heritage storytelling session marked the climax of “Shadow Play: Wayang Kulit Crafts”, a drop-in activity curated by the Singapore Sports Museum. This activity brought the art of wayang kulit to young participants in the month of Children’s Season 2025 and as a lead-up to Harmony Fest! 25.
Children captivated by the Wayang Kulit puppet show at the Singapore Sports Museum
More than 50 people, including children aged five to 12, attended the event, which was fully subscribed.
Wayang kulit, or puppet-shadow theatre, is a traditional art form that can be traced as far back as the 9th century. It finds its roots in Javanese culture and often depicts Hindu epics, accompanied by traditional music and narration. Over time and as tales travel through to neighbouring regions such as Malaysia and Singapore, these stories also get adopted and adapted to local context.
For years, storyteller Mr Hafiz Rashid has used wayang kulit as a medium to present such folklore in more interactive, digestible formats to audiences, young and old. As a trained museum docent, he has extensive experience conducting tours at locations such as the Malay Heritage Centre and the National Library.
By marrying his skills as a docent and his passion for the history, culture, and folklore of the Malay Archipelago, he soon found a way to share these oft unheard of tales with more.
An interactive moment at the museum as the audience admire a beautifully decorated puppet up close
“It’s really (about) raising awareness,” said the 32-year-old. “These are curated storytelling programmes where it’s more factual, so it's not just purely storytelling. You incorporate cultural aspects as well. For me, it allows me to raise awareness of stories from the region.”
But even if there were countless stories he could tell, Mr Hafiz made it a point not to simply share just any story. For him, it was important to tie in with the backdrop of the session – in this case, the Singapore Sports Museum, and the values of sport, sporting endeavours and athletic feats. The veteran storyteller was also keen to demonstrate that even in storytelling and wayang kulit, sport has a place, and wanted the tale he chose to show that.
Preserving cultural heritage: a Wayang Kulit story teller, Mr Hafiz shares the beauty and storytelling power of traditional puppetry
After hours of research delving through texts at the National Library, he landed on the tale of Prince Seri Rama vying for Princess Siti Dewi’s hand in marriage.
To succeed, Prince Seri Rama had to complete challenges with a bow and arrow – not unlike archery – and lift a tree, just like how a weightlifter would summon strength to lift a hefty barbell off the ground
Mr Hafiz’s latest group of listeners certainly were intrigued, not least by the wayang kulit puppets made from buffalo hide incorporated in the storytelling session.
Story teller, Mr Hafiz recounting the story of Prince Seri Rama through puppet play
Over an hour, participants were taken back in time, as they listened to the tale of Prince Seri Rama and his strongman feats from another era come to life before them.
The young audience interacted with Mr Hafiz as they listened, asked questions and learned basic Malay words while the story was told. They also tried their hand at colouring and creating their own shadow puppets.
It was certainly not your average weekend or school holiday activity.
For one thing, few participants on the day – their parents included – had seen wayang kulit in real life. Even for those from the Malay community, this was a rare experience.
Mr Mustaffa Othman, a 62-year-old civil servant who brought three grandchildren, a grandnephew and grandniece to the event for their first experience of wayang kulit storytelling.
Bringing stories to life — children hold and play with a vibrant puppet
He said: “Wayang kulit is a bit of a dying art form. I don’t think the younger ones in Singapore know much about it. It’s very rich in history and it’s good for us to know more about it.
“We’re here for the kids. We want them to be occupied on the weekends, and this is one of the healthiest activities we can do.”
Father-son duo having fun doing a hands-on activity — crafting their own puppet
He added: “It’s good to relate our lives with some history. This is a great initiative to create awareness among the younger generation. It’s interactive, they get to play with figurines, it’ll help them to remember the experience.
“In a year or two, they may start to understand more.”
For Ms Linda Shariff, it was the unique format that stood out.
Said the 45-year-old, who was at the storytelling session with her husband and five-year-old daughter: “Normally when you go for storytelling it’s always out of a book. This was different – the story came to life
“We’re always looking for activities for children, especially during the school holidays. Storytelling is something my daughter has always been interested in, plus we’ve never been to this museum before.
“Kids are used to sitting in front of someone with books. Not a setting like this, so it was a good learning experience for her.
Ms Shariff added: “I’ve never seen wayang kulit before, so this was also my first time experiencing it. It’s a nice setting to experience something cultural in the backdrop of the sports museum.”
For storyteller Mr Hafiz, hours spent buried in research and preparation all becomes worthwhile when he sees his young audience engaged and leaves remembering something from the session.
Father-daughter duo trying to maneuver the puppet
He said: “Quite a number of the people who attended today are not from the Malay community. For me, that’s good, because we should not gatekeep stories to a certain community.
“But of course, there's also a responsibility for me. I work mostly with traditional stories, so I feel called to honour them, to stay true to them. When not many people are aware of the stories, all the more you have to stay true to them.
“When my audience remember things, it means they’ve heard my story. It was entertaining enough for them to remember certain aspects. I’ve done my job.”
The Singapore Sports Hub regularly runs family-friendly events with fun-filled activities for young participants. Look out for more to come at the Singapore Sports Museum, and join us next time!
