If Lynn Wong could rewrite only one societal belief, it would be that growing old means becoming obsolete. “Seniors are often seen as passive, dependent, or resistant to change. In reality, they bring a wealth of experience and resilience,” she says.
The Founder and Director of Bridging Generations is on a mission to dismantle ageist stereotypes through this social enterprise. Established in 2022, it reimagines Singapore’s heritage landscape through creative storytelling, immersive experiences, and community-driven projects for all ages.
In addition to the emotional void left by the loss of her grandparents, her journey is driven by the realisation that with every generation lost, a layer of lived experience disappears. “Hence, I wanted to create something that preserved Singaporean traditions,” she says.
It was a desire she developed in her teenage years. When she was 15, she was introduced to the Cantonese clan association Kong Chow Wui Koon, which taught martial arts at her school. Her experience with dialect culture and traditional Chinese heritage then also greatly influenced her work.
Today, Bridging Generations offers programmes that explore Singapore’s past, ranging from immersive walking tours that trace the journey of Teochew and Hokkien migrants to curated experiences that highlight Samsui women and Majies, a group of domestic helpers primarily from China’s Shunde district who worked in Singapore between the 1930s and 1970s.
But it is Wong’s recent work on the intersection of heritage and active ageing that is drawing national attention. With Lien Foundation and NextOfKin Creatives, she co-designed Inheritage, a programme that rethinks how the arts can engage older people, particularly men who tend to be underrepresented in active ageing initiatives. Lion dance is its flagship activity.
Compared to cooking or craft activities like origami, it resonates more with older men. “It’s physical and deeply rooted in their cultural memory,” says Wong. The result was Silver Pride Lion Troupe, an ensemble of seniors aged 63 to 99 who debuted in the Chinese New Year celebrations organised by Fei Yue Active Ageing Centre at Holland Close in January last year.
“Seniors are often seen as passive, dependent, or resistant to change. In reality, they bring a wealth of experience and resilience.”
In preparation for the performance, participants trained in a chair zumba routine that combined martial arts and lion dance movements. Using simple props like stress balls, hula-hoops, and their own body weight, they built strength and coordination. The exercises targeted muscle groups essential to lion dancing and were adapted to suit seniors of varying physical abilities.
While the more agile participants took on the cymbals, others joined in by clapping to the beat of the drums. The entire routine was set to the rousing theme from Once Upon a Time in China, a nostalgic nod to Wong Fei Hung and the cinematic lion dance sequences many seniors grew up watching.
This fresh take on cultural engagement did not go unnoticed. At the President’s Design Award Singapore, Inheritage was named 2025 Design of the Year (Service Design Category).
As Wong sees it, this is only the beginning. With support from the National Heritage Board Organisation Transformation Grant, NUS Enterprise Grant, and raiSE Singapore Centre for Social Enterprise, the team is developing a gamified lion drumming programme based on Taiko no Tatsujin, a popular Japanese arcade game. Through play and technology, Bridging Generations aims to create an engaging, rhythm-based activity for seniors that preserves cultural knowledge.
In Wong’s efforts to preserve Singapore’s cultural fabric while empowering the generation that built it, innovation and tradition are co-conspirators. “When seniors participate in culturally meaningful activities, they feel a stronger sense of belonging and community, which can reduce feelings of isolation and enhance their overall quality of life in later years,” she says.
Photography Mun Kong
Art direction Ed Harland
Hair Yue Qi using GHD
Makeup Shu Zhen using Bobbi Brown, Charlotte Tilbury & Patrick Ta
Photography assistant Hizuan Zailani
