HistoriaSG - Same Same but Different: Women Makers in Our Home Magazine

HistoriaSG - Same Same but Different: Women Makers in Our Home Magazine

16 Oct 2026 | 7.30pm - 8.30pm | The Salon, Level 1

This programme is free. A $10 deposit is required, which will be refunded upon verification of attendance. Please read the T&Cs below for more information.

In the 1970s, Singapore’s new Housing and Development Board (HDB) towns introduced a radically unfamiliar way of life: vertical living, shared lifts and void decks. This talk by Dr Grace Lim explores how new towns brought work, home and community into closer contact, and how the women featured in HDB’s Our Home magazine navigated these new environments.

Expect lively images, curious advice and an enlightening look at how women – from factory supervisors and organisers to practical problem-solvers – were presented as models for urban living that may still be relevant today.

Image Credit: "Our Home” magazine, May/June 1973. Collection of the National Museum of Singapore.

About the Speaker

Dr Grace Lim is the recipient of the National Museum of Singapore’s 2025 Research Fellowship. Her archival research examines Our Home, HDB’s entertainment and educational magazine, and how it introduced residents to the new realities of public housing life. She is a lecturer in the English department at Nanyang Technological University, where she teaches literature and cultural studies.

Terms and Conditions (Please Read!)

1.The refundable deposit of $10 is to encourage all registered participants to attend. Please ensure that you verify your attendance at the registration counter before the programme. The deposit refund will be processed in Peatix after the programme and depending on your payment method, may take between 5 - 30 business days to be reflected on your card statement.

2. Please write to us on Peatix 24 hours before the programme start time if you need to cancel your ticket. Late cancellations and no-shows will be subject to the $10 fee.

3. Photographs and video recordings taken during the workshop may be used in the Museum’s publicity materials. If you have any queries or concerns, please approach our staff.

4. By registering for the programme, each participant:

(i) consents to sharing their personal information, including phone number and email address, with the Museum for purposes relating to the programme, and

(ii) declares that they are not experiencing any symptoms associated with communicable or infectious diseases including but not limited to fever, cough, sore throat or runny nose.

5. The Museum is not responsible for any injuries, loss or damage suffered by any participant as a result of their participation in the workshop.

6. All information is correct at time of publication. The National Museum of Singapore reserves the right to modify the programme without prior notice.