The Embassy of Finland and High Commission of Canada, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore, bring the Arctic to Singapore!
The Embassy of Finland and the High Commission of Canada, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore, are excited to present Ice in the Tropics at the National Museum of Singapore from November 9-December 3 2017. Through a diverse series of events, audiences in Singapore will have the chance to discover the beauty and challenges of the fascinating but fragile Arctic ecosystem, and to learn about the relevance of climate change in the Arctic to Singapore. All events are free of charge, but some do require registration. More details on each event, including registration information can be found at: www.iceinthetropics.com.
Ice in the Tropics events include:
Arctic seminar: Bringing Climate Change in the Arctic Closer to Home: Opportunities and Risks from the North Pole to the Equator
November 9, 2017, Seminar: 1:30-6:30pm, Reception: 6:30-8:30pm
The Salon, National Museum of Singapore
Free Admission, registration required
Did you know that the Arctic is warming up 50% faster than other parts of the world? The Arctic is the thermometer of the world, and is where the effects of climate change are the most pronounced. What happens in the Arctic has serious implications for the entire planet. Think the Arctic is far away from Singapore? Think again!
Members of the public are invited to join us for a fascinating afternoon of expert discussions on climate change in the Arctic. Visiting expert speakers from Canada and Finland will join local Arctic experts to discuss the impact of climate change in the Arctic on the environment, economy, geopolitical context, and local communities. The seminar also will include presentations on the implications of climate change in the Arctic for Singapore. The full seminar program is available online at www.iceinthetropics.com.
The seminar will be followed by a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony to launch the opening of the Arctic photo exhibition (see below), followed by a reception hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with Guest of Honour Minister of State Sam Tan.
Arctic Photography Exhibit
November 9 – December 3, 2017, 10am – 7pm
The Concourse, National Museum of Singapore
Free Admission
Visitors are invited to come and be mesmerized by the icy waters, colorful skies, and diverse wildlife of one of the world’s most fascinating environments – the Arctic – in this stunning photography exhibit featuring works from Canada, Finland and Singapore. The Canadian component features photos taken by youth ages 14-20 during an Arctic expedition with Biosphere Environmental Education, an Ottawa-based organization whose mission is to connect people to nature. The Finland component features awe-inspiring photos of the Northern Lights taken by renowned photographer Martti Rikkonen. The Singaporean component showcases the works of award-winning photographer Michael Aw, from his Elysium Artists for the Arctic project which depict the raw beauty of the Arctic, as well as its environmental fragility. Visitors will also be welcome to take photos at the Arctic photo booth featuring Finland’s Northern Lights, and Canadian polar bear cubs.
On November 11, 2-5pm, visitors will have the opportunity to meet and take photos with popular Finnish character Moomin, and Nanuk – our friendly Canadian polar bear. Think it might feel cold in the Arctic? Not to worry – scarves, hats and mittens will be on hand, to ensure visitors are kept nice and warm while taking photos with our Arctic special guests.
On November 18, 1:30pm visitors are invited to come to a meet the artist session with award-winning Singaporean nature photographer Michael Aw, and join a guided tour of his stunning photos that are featured as part of the Ice in the Tropics exhibit. Guests will learn how his passion for photography led him to the world’s northernmost region to capture the plight of polar bears, walruses, puffins, seals and glaciers. Registration is required.
Singapore-Canada Learning Exchange: Self-Torture To Satisfaction
November 19, 2pm
Gallery Theatre, National Museum of Singapore
Free admission, registration required
Brought to you by Canadian Alumni Singapore
Guests are invited to join an inspiring discussion with speaker, Toh Poh Joo, a Singaporean who left his corporate and family life in tropical Singapore to battle minus 40 degrees C Arctic winter - not once, not twice, but three times - to finally complete a 566km ultra marathon race across the icy tundra for charity.
Arctic Film Screenings: Poles Apart (Singapore-UK, 2017, 12 mins), The Sun at Midnight (Canada, 2016, 93 mins)
November 19, 4:30pm
Gallery Theatre, National Museum of Singapore
Free admission, registration required
Brought to you by Canadian Alumni Singapore, with the support of the High Commission of Canada
Join us for a screening of two newly-released award-winning Arctic films. The opening film, Poles Apart, is a 12 minute stop-motion animation film set in a melting Canadian Arctic landscape. It tells the story of an unlikely friendship between a hungry polar bear, Nanuk, and an enthusiastic grizzly bear, Aklak. Special guest, Singaporean producer, Ser En Low will be at the event to introduce her latest film. The film has won multiple awards, including the Edinburgh International Film Festival, McLaren Award for Best British Animation; and the Rhode Island International Film Festival, Best Short Animation First Prize.
The feature presentation is the critically-acclaimed Canadian film The Sun at Midnight, directed by Kirsten Carthew, starring Devery Jacobs and Duane Howard. Set in the Arctic Circle, the film tells the story of an unexpected friendship between a hunter obsessed with finding a missing caribou herd and a teenage rebel who gets lost while on the run. The film, the first by Kirsten Carthew, has won multiple awards, including Best Picture, Reel 2 Reel International Film Festival for Youth; Best Actor (Devery Jacobs), Whistler Film Festival; Best Picture Editing in a Motion Picture, Best Musical Score in a Motion Picture and Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Motion Picture (Devery Jacobs), Leo Awards; and Best Competition Narrative, Bentonville Film Festival.
Visiting experts for the Arctic seminar on November 9 include:
From Canada(Note: For media interviews with visiting Canadian experts, please contact [email protected])
Dr. John England: Internationally renowned, award-winning Canadian scientist, who has worked on climate change in the Arctic for over 50 years. His research includes the reconstruction of ancient ice sheets, sea ice and sea level changes that provide the necessary context to understand the impact of modern environmental change.
Caitlyn Baikie: Hailing from Canada’s Arctic region, Ms. Baikie is the Arctic Youth and Partnerships Program Manager for Students on Ice, an award-winning Canadian program which brings youth from around the world on educational expeditions to the Arctic. She has been an educator on numerous national and international Arctic expeditions. With a background in Arctic science research, she is keenly interested in how government policies affect Indigenous rights, and especially her own Inuit rights. She is also a Canada 150 Ambassador, and was named one of the top indigenous leaders in Canada under the age of 30 to watch.
Bob Paquin: Head, Canadian International Arctic Centre, Oslo, Norway. He is a diplomat with Global Affairs Canada, and has had a number of previous positions, including at the High Commission of Canada in Singapore.
From Finland(Note: For media interviews with visiting Finnish experts, please contact May Loh [email protected])
Aleksi Härkönen: Aleksi Härkönen, Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials of the Arctic Council. Previously, he has served as Ambassador of Finland to Estonia, and Foreign Policy Advisor to the President of the Republic. His other posts include various assignments in multilateral diplomacy, and he has been posted to a number of Finnish Embassies in Europe, North America and South America. Finland holds the chairmanship of the Arctic Council in 2017-19, and climate change, sustainable development and the living conditions of the Arctic inhabitants figure prominently in the Council´s work.
Juhani Damski is director general of the Finnish Metereological Institute (FMI). He has gained experience in Finland's communications and transport. He is president of the NORDMET council and has served at the World Metereological Organization, a UN organization, as Finland's representative.
Ice in the Tropics is organized by Canada and Finland – two Arctic countries – in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore. Finland is the current chair of the Arctic Council, while Canada was the chair in 2013, when Singapore joined as observer. Both countries celebrate a special anniversary this year: Finland its 100th anniversary from Independence and Canada its 150th anniversary from Confederation.
The Embassy of Finland and High Commission of Canada would like to thank the following organizations for their generous support of Ice in the Tropics:
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