What defines a conventional space, and how do people choose to go beyond what is the norm? CATCH finds out how and why a social enterprise and an immersive art experience explore new possibilities.
Story and Photos by Ong Chin Wen
Additional photos courtesy of OH! Open House
Today we see Singapore saturated by numerous cafés, retail shops and museums. Yet among these are some locations that take a bit of passion and creativity to differ from the run-off-the-mill spaces, finding new ways to defy conventions.
The Social Space serves as more than just a lifestyle store. The multi-concept space consists of a cafe, eco-conscious operations, and a fair-trade retail shop. But aside from its high-quality services and products, it is a platform to inspire – to play a small part in a larger social cause.
The interior of The Social Space’s outlet at Duo Galleria.
Stepping Into Social Entrepreneurship
Meet Cheryl Ou, 40, the founder of The Social Space. Her idea behind creating a business that goes beyond began when she was running a backpackers' hostel. Then, she had to step away from that business as she found herself at odds with investors who prioritised profits.
Cheryl Ou, 40, Founder of The Social Space.
“After that incident, I realised making a profit when running a business is important because you need that money to sustain, I didn’t want it to be a sole focus as to why I was doing what I was doing.”
This inspired Cheryl to start her first social enterprise, The Nail Social, which currently offers employment and training as nail technicians for single mothers, ex-offenders, and youth-at-risk. Its success drove her to create The Social Space so that she could offer job opportunities to more diverse profiles.
Doing Good for The Community
Likewise, the Social Space provides employment opportunities for various individuals, namely ex-offenders, single mothers, and individuals with mental health conditions and special needs.
Cheryl said that many single mothers and those with mental health conditions face job instability when searching for jobs elsewhere. With many resorting to working freelance, she hopes that The Social Space becomes more than a business by providing stable employment and become an inclusive environment for everyone.
She shared, “For us, it was more about providing a safe space for people to work.”
Socially conscious products available for purchase at The Social Space’s retail store.
The Social Space also stands for sustainability. There is a refillery near the cafe counter where customers can purchase eco-friendly products on a zero-waste model. Besides taking steps to empower staff, The Social Space intends to change the mindsets of people in terms of social and environmental causes.
“As a business, we realise the decisions we make have a big impact and we try to be conscious in every decision that we make,” Cheryl elaborated.
The Refillery at The Social Space, where customers can purchase refillable products.
More Than a Business
Apart from its original location at Kreta Ayer, The Social Space had recently opened its second outlet at DUO Galleria earlier this year. When asked about her future goals regarding The Social Space, she indicated her interest to venture outside the current industries and into hospitality.
“It has always been to diversify to different industries and to show other businesses that you can run a social enterprise in any industry,” she said.
“We want to show people that in any business that you do, there is an opportunity to make an impact.”
While The Social Space goes beyond a commercial business, a permanent art experience similarly breaks the limit of a traditional space by creating a journey that retells Singapore’s lost stories in history.
New World’s End transports participants back to New World Amusement Park in the 1960s. It centres around a love story between two characters – Kiran, a cinema projectionist, and Rosa, a cabaret dancer. The audio-guided art walk brings participants through immersive backrooms amidst Jalan Besar.
New World’s End cabaret set.
Creating a Whole New World
The decision to focus on New World Hotel and Jalan Besar stemmed from several reasons. Mainly, it was due to its interesting history as one of the first entertainment spots for locals and its relation to the collapse of the New World Hotel.
“We did also talk a bit about the modern-day communities in Jalan Besar, (and it) being a world for the marginalised, or people who tend to not have spaces of their own in other parts of Singapore,” said Tang Hui Shi.
The 29-year-old is the art business manager for New World’s End and its company, OH! Open House. The independent art organisation tells stories about Singapore through unique art mediums, for example their previous neighbourhood art walk projects.
Tang Hui Shi, 29, Art Business Manager at OH! Open House and New World’s End. Photo courtesy of OH! Open House.
According to Hui Shi, the creative process spanned two years' worth of research through archives and from talking to people in the neighbourhood. A director, scriptwriter and voice actors then joined the project to develop the narrative.
However, with Jalan Besar being in the underbelly side of Singapore, finding potential locations was no easy feat.
She recounted how she felt extremely lucky when she finally secured a unit to rent after endlessly searching for a suitable property. For her, it was even more rewarding that the space became one of the most loved sets in New World’s End.
Housing unit secured for the set.
Thinking Outside the Box
New World’s End takes a unique approach by fusing both art and history. The immersive art experience engages through sights and sounds. Following an audio guide on an MP3 player, participants wander Jalan Besar on their own, in and out of intricate backroom sets pieced together with vintage memorabilia.
New World’s End map and MP3 player.
“Someone said that it felt like she was walking through a movie,” Hui Shi shared excitedly.
But why tell historical stories through a novel art form? To the team, New World’s End was a way to bring art out of conventional spaces like ‘white cube galleries', and towards making it more accessible for anyone.
Hui Shi explained,” We don't want it to be limited to spaces that make people feel like they are not part of this (art) world.”
More Stories Left Untold
With New World’s End being the first of its series of similar immersive experiences, OH! Open House intends to launch a second edition this year.
To start something that goes beyond limitations, Hui Shi encourages curious minds to begin by looking past what is read in books or learnt in school. From there, they can act by creating something new with a different perspective.
Details from Rosa’s dressing room set.
She said, “Take time to just speak with people, ask and learn about their stories because everyone's going to give you something interesting you didn't know.”