About ChildAid
Report from ChildAid Asia 2011
On January 8, 2011, Japan's first ChildAid Asia 2011 was held at Shinjuku, Tokyo. Inviting children from Singapore, about 130 performers overcame the borders of language and countries, collaborated and presented beautiful shows. Their collaboration started to build a bridge between the two countries and seemed to bring bright future to Asia. We, Little Creators, continue to make efforts in order to have ChildAid regularly for the future of our children.
■Discovery of young talents
A Tsugaru-Shamisen player (14 yrs), solo violinist (12 yrs), violin ensemble (7 to 15 yrs) and pianist (16 yrs) were selected after the audition. Asami Wada, solo violinist, was invited to Singapore's ChildAid in 2011, and made audience WOW by her wonderful performance. She seems to get a chance to study music in Singapore.
■Shakujii Gakuen children's growth
20 children from Shakujii Gakuen who are not able to live with their parents because of many reasons joined ChildAid Asia 2011 in Tokyo. After 5 months of workshops, some of them did story telling in the music drama "Birth of Singapore", and all 20 children sung together with the others at the opening and finale of the shows. Most of them were not good at expressing themselves, and at the early stage of workshops they were not serious at all and tried to argue and fight with one another or instructors. But gradually, they learnt what they should do, and in the shows they became great performers although they were extremely nervous. It seems that they got to know how nice to express themselves though arts, how enjoyable to get to know people. They grew up. In addition some of them also appeared in the video singing collaboration of Singapore's ChildAid 2011.
■Friendship beyond the language, beyond the border
26 children from Singapore and about 100 children from Japan sung together "A World to Imagine" (the theme song of Singapore's ChildAid) at the opening and "Bridge across the Sea"(that of Japanese one) at finale. In the backstage area, naturally they communicated, took pictures and exchanged email addresses. They did not need to speak the same language.
Their smile was the common language there. Next day, Singapore children visited Shakujii Gakuen and spent a wonderful few hours and all became good friends.
■Adults' tearing by little performers
Much audience commented: "The quality of this concert was much higher than I expected," and "children made me energetic!" Children's efforts changed the image of "childish" that adults had had toward a concert by children. They were moved.
■Developing our network
One of the audience donated money for NPO Little Creators to invite Shakujii Gakuen children to go to see a musical. She herself was so impressed by "Cats" when she was little; therefore, she wanted them to experience something similar. On October 8, about 30 children went to see "Lion King".
In addition, after 311, some Singaporean who got to know our activities donated money for us to support child nursing homes where are suffering from Tsunami and the earthquake.
How wonderful our network is developing with the help of people with warm hearts!
A Message from Singapore
ChildAid Asia 2011
It was a huge journey as the Business Times Budding Artists Fund (BTBAF) students we had were quite playful before we left and I was worried that they would not be professional enough for the Japanese audience that is very sophisticated. Upon arriving at the rehearsals, I think all the performers were stressed out as they finally realized how much work they needed to do to get up to the standard of the other performers....and I'm glad they realized it because they started doing vocal warm-ups without my scolding and practicing their dance steps.
But most of all, the visit to the orphanage was what really left a deep impression on all of us. The children of Shakuji Gakuen were so open and loving - that they unlocked something within all the BTBAF students from Singapore. They bonded almost immediately and started making friends despite the language barrier and all of them cried when it was time to leave. Watching Azariah learn to play Sukiyaki with the Shamisen player really moved me as well. Azariah never plays pop songs, so it was wonderful to see him going that extra mile to connect....as Azariah is hearing impaired.
Adelina Ong
The Little Arts Academy
