Colour Socks Parade 2024 – MINDS’s colourful campaign begins

Colour Socks Parade has such a beautiful ring to it, doesn’t it? Even more beautiful is the purpose behind the name. Popularly known as CSP, the event is the signature fundraising campaign of MINDS (Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore). Colour Socks Parade 2024 is on from 1 Apr to 30 Jun 2024.

This year’s theme is “Inspiring Creativity, Celebrating Inclusivity”. I was lucky enough to attend the campaign launch at the 1-day (too short!) Inclusive Arts Festival and Paint a Tile initiative on Sat, 6 Apr at the The Plaza @ The National Library in Bugis.

Paint a Tile will continue as a pop-up booth around Singapore till the end of June. You can find more details on the MINDS CSP page.

Mr Eric Chua, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Social and Family Development & Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth launched the Saturday event where he also oversaw the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between MINDS and SMRT.

This MOU creates a blueprint that will, among other goals, provide social inclusion training for SMRT staff, create employment opportunities for persons with intellectual disabilities (PWIDs) and improve public transport accessibility for them.

One of the things that really struck me on the day was that I would never have been able to tell that the musical performances nor the painted artwork on display were entirely the work of PWIDs. I thoroughly enjoyed myself in a way and to an extent that surprised me.

We base so many of our decisions and conclusions every day on visual clues and an ingrained mindset, and my experience at Colour Socks parade 2024 was an eye-opening reminder to look beyond my assumptions. I even picked up a couple of Studio Ghibli-inspired coasters for the office because they were so gorgeous.

MINDS organises events through the year and I am looking forward to the next Colour Socks Parade.

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