ChildAid searching for potential stars

Singapore

YOU can expect another bright and effervescent ChildAid concert this November, helmed for the third consecutive year by celebrated musician Dick Lee.

But for the first time, the fundraising event will be held at the grand Esplanade Theatre, which boasts a classic horse-shoe shaped performance arena, top-notch acoustics and a large stage.

The concert's organisers - The Business Times and The Straits Times - are now looking for children between the ages of six and nineteen who can sing, dance or play a musical instrument on that stage.

Talented children and youth keen to be part of ChildAid can send a video clip of themselves performing to the concert producer Dick Lee Asia. Shortlisted candidates will be asked to come for an audition on June 22 and 23, 2019.

The Business Times editor Wong Wei Kong says: "For the past 14 editions, ChildAid has been a platform for discovering many young talents who have since gone on to pursue musical careers on the world stage.

"They include pop star Nathan Hartono, piano prodigy Abigail Sin, opera singer Janani Sridhar, Miss Saigon star Julia Abueva, accomplished guitarist Kevin Loh and many more.

"We remain committed to searching for fresh talents to perform in ChildAid for a very good cause."

ChildAid raises funds for The Business Times Budding Artists Fund (BTBAF) and The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund (STSPMF).

BTBAF provides arts training for financially disadvantaged children, while STSPMF helps such children pay for transport to school and meals during recess.

Over the years, the two funds have raised over S$18 million and assisted more than 175,000 children and youth. Meanwhile, the talents selected to perform in ChildAid have received professional guidance and advice from top musicians and stage directors such as Lee, Jeremiah Choy, Jeremy Monteiro and the late Iskandar Ismail.

To qualify for the audition, e-mail an MP4 video of a performance that does not exceed 90 seconds in length and 15MB in size to childaid@dickleeasia.com by June 7, 2019. For larger videos, send a link instead.

The e-mail should include the performer's name, age, school and phone number, as well as a short write-up on the reasons for wanting to perform in the concert. Only those shortlisted will be invited for the audition.

The main sponsors are United Overseas Bank (UOB) and Citi. Earlier this May, UOB donated S$500,000 in support of the concert.