Celebrate! AWARE’s 25th Birthday Party is a day-long party that starts at noon and goes ’til 8pm. That’s a good eight hours of flea market mania, food galore and fun for the whole family. If the prospect of 40 stalls (almost a quarter dedicated to other non-profit organisations) selling apparel, handicrafts books and snacks isn’t enough to lure you down on a Saturday, Tania De Rozario has three more reasons to get in on the action!

Excuse to Celebrate #1: “Music is my life.”

Sit back and enjoy or stand up and dance to our stellar line-up of talented home-grown acts.The programme includes well-loved alt rockers, Lunarin and rising folksy singer and guitarist Inch Chua. Also appearing are samba percussion group Barracuda Batucada, classical Indian dancer Aarthi Sankar, electro-funk band Like A Band and acapella group MICapella.

Lunarin, a three-person outfit that has been playing together for over 15 years and whose recording discography includes Universal Music and Aging Records, is known for rocking the stage with its unconventional riffs and lyrical melodies. Look forward to a set comprising heavy guitar riffs, evocative lyrics structures and a beat entirely their own.

Inch, whose growing popularity is very much rooted in the immense amount of power she can pack into that tiny frame, describes her music as a “schizophrenic potpourri of introspective acoustic tunes and chirpy electronica”. Formerly known as the frontwoman of alternative rock band Allura, she is set to wow audiences with her unmistakable vocals.

Excuse to Celebrate # 2: “I thrive on intellectual exchange.”

What are you passionate about? An idea that you think might change the world? Some new technology? The work of a charity you are involved with? At Ignite: The Unconference participants get a shot at swaying some hearts and minds, and also get to decide what gets said and what gets heard. This unstructured, participative format is modeled after BarCamp which has enjoyed success around the globe.

It’s called an Unconference because, well, we can’t exactly tell you what you are going to hear. Only you can decide. How it works is simple. Participants who would like to speak put up their proposed topics on a board, and everyone votes for what they want to hear. The most popular topics are scheduled for 30-minute talks and the least popular are invited to present a 5 minute lightning sessions. And at the end of the day, prizes are awarded for the best talks.

If you just want to listen, that’s OK too. The format is informal – enter and leave the presentation rooms at will – vote with your feet.

Excuse to Celebrate #3: “Creative expression is what makes us human.”

Honouring AWARE’s past, present and future of women, our Interactive Art Installation is a series of three “talking walls” set to be completed by you, our guests

On the very shell of AWARE centre, we will create a large-scale paper mural featuring images of key moments in AWARE’s history. Visitors are invited to add their thoughts on the gender gap: then and now.

Through the second wall, stand to win a $100 shopping voucher by telling us what you think AWARE’s greatest achievement to date is and why. And last but not least, the kiddies get a shot at picking up box of crayons and drawing us a picture of their favourite woman. Each work of art will serve as a brick to create a hanging mural at fun fair.

All in all, a celebration not just of AWARE but of your voice and creativity as well!