About
My Last Journey
My Last Journey
We often think of life and death as opposites, but what if the two are inseparably linked? What if it is through acknowledging the inevitability of death that we come to truly appreciate the beauty of life?
Taking place from 1 to 17 November 2024, the fifth edition of My Community Festival invites you to explore this profound connection by confronting the unknown and reflecting on the impermanence of our time here. We hope you will uncover a deeper appreciation for the present moment, for the relationships we make, and for the people and things that we often take for granted.
Organised by non-profit organisation My Community – with support from Lee Foundation, Ang Chin Moh Foundation and Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth – the festival features an extensive line-up of guided tours, discussions, reflections and a festival village at Chinatown thoughtfully curated around the theme “My Last Journey”.
MCF2024 aims to open a space for healing, growth, and the celebration of life in its fullest form. Because when we come face-to-face with death, we are reminded just how precious it is to live.
My Last Journey
Celebrating life through experiencing death
My Community Festival 2024 is born from this personal journey, a festival that invites us all to explore the thin line between life and death and embrace the full spectrum of human life. Death teaches us that our time in this world is finite, and in that awareness lies the power to live more consciously, more meaningfully, and more connected to our purpose.
This year’s programmes, curated based on the theme ‘My Last Journey’, therefore seeks to explore the varying perspectives of death across different cultures, beliefs and traditions. This isn’t about morbidity or fear, but about understanding how close calls and moments of vulnerability can lead to an awakening—a celebration of every breath, every relationship, and every fleeting moment of joy.
In addition to the more popular programmes from the previous editions including ‘After Hours @ My Community’ and ‘What’s for My Dinner?’, MCF2024’s repertoire includes several newly conceptualised series which not only demystify death but use it as a lens to honour the sacredness of life.
One of the ground-breaking programme series ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’ takes participants to funeral parlours, hospices and palliative care centres where we meet doctors, social workers and even caregivers of dying patients. ‘Find My Ah Gong’ explores eleven cemeteries and war memorials across the island as we learn their history, heritage and architecture.
What happens to a Muslim or Jewish after he or she passes away? For the very first time, we will visit the final resting place and experience the customary rituals of all the ten official religions in Singapore through ‘My Prayers and Practices’. Whether decorating a hearse or building a paper house offering, participants will have the unique opportunity at ‘Meet My Craftsman’ to learn from skilled artisans at who produce sacred paraphernalia used in final rites.
Lastly, the iconic Chinatown Complex will play host to our festival village ‘My Chinatown Festival’, compiling the experiences of shopkeepers, hawkers and neighbours settling at the historic Sago Lane, colloquially known as Death Lane (Chinese: 死人街). Visit the exhibitions, attend one of the many talks and cultural performances or join a guided tour conducted by one of their very own hawker or shop keeper.
Altogether, this year’s festival only seeks to inspire participants to pause, breathe, reflect on and marvel at the beauty of life. We hope MCF2024 brings clarity, purpose and gratitude for the time we have.
My Last Journey
2023 is a watershed year. At the start of the year, I had a very bad fall which made carrying heavy things painful. In late September, I had a cardiac arrest and angioplasty. A week later, my father suffered a stroke.
As the ambulance carried me to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, the paramedics administered oxygen and electrocardiogram and urgently encouraged me to stay awake. I stared at the pulse oximeter and saw that my pulse rate was declining rapidly. I realised I was dying. I looked at the time next to the pulse rate and it read 7.30pm. It was dinner and I imagined my parents having a meal together.
At my worst, my family and childhood friends spent a lot of time with me. My Australian and Hong Kong friends even flew over and checked in, knowing that I will be more emotionally than physically affected.
In moments when life hangs in the balance, everything that once seemed important fades into the background. Work deadlines, daily stresses, material possessions—all of it becomes trivial. What remains, clear and undeniable, is the love and connection we share with our family. In facing death, I came to realise that family is what truly matters.
It’s not just about the blood ties or the shared history, but the feeling of being held by those who care for you unconditionally. The faces that flash in your mind, the voices you long to hear—they belong to the people who have walked beside you in joy, sorrow, and everything in between.
Surviving this recently heart attack gave me the gift of perspective: that life is fragile, and time with loved ones is fleeting. The moments we share, the support we offer one another, the love we express—these are the things that endure. I count my blessings that I can still travel and discover the beautiful world, knowing that the grass is never greener on the other side.
Kwek Li Yong
MCF2024 Festival Director
About My Community
My Community is a non-profit organisation which works to capture and preserve community stories, reconnect people to places and social networks, and deepen heritage appreciation and expression across the country. We also advocate for greater community involvement in cultural management and urban governance. Since its inception in 2010, My Community has spurred the growth and development of a common-man approach to heritage where everyday experiences and Singaporeans are chronicled and celebrated.
Today, My Community is supported by an army of over 1,200 volunteers who work with a nimble team of staff to organise guided tours, exhibitions, festivals and other placemaking programmes in Queenstown, Bukit Merah, Kallang-Whampoa and Clementi.
