Officially launched on May 30 2006, The Youth Empire is a privately held Youth Organization managed and run by youths between the ages of 16-22. Its main objective is to provide for relevant and effective platforms to engage the hard-to-reach local youth community of about 500,000. The organization is also currently the biggest privately held youth community in Singapore with a following of more than 12,000 active members and participants and growing.
The Youth Empire's Vision The Youth Empire believes strongly that in order to engage the youth community at eye level, one should adopt a bottom-up and not a top-down approach, meaning that youths must play an active role in contributing their input into youth projects and events. Through their constant interaction with youths from various communities, they realized that the majority of the youth programs currently administered by the government agencies, commercial corporations and non-governmental organizations are superficial at best, and often have to pander to bureaucratic red tape without truly engaging their young target audience. This is due to the fact that these agencies do not possess the much needed in-depth understanding of youth sentiment, and tend to adopt a top-down approach rather than a bottom-up one in initiating youth events.
As such, many youth movements are often ineffective and fail to fulfill their aims and purpose; huge numbers of our local youths continue to feel side-lined and are still relatively disengaged, disinterested and detached from Singapore’s scene. They have also grown cynical and jaded with local content and channels and have inadvertently become more western media.
The Youth Empire's vision is clear and simple: through their programs and campaigns, they want to engage the community at eye level and speak to them in the language that they understand and through the people that they can relate to.
Providing Platforms for Youths The Youth Empire works via opinion leaders, otherwise known as Alpha Youths, who initiate creative and unique events for the youth community together with their own chosen teams.These Alpha Youths lead their immediate core committee and fellow youths to organize large scale events to engage the youths in terms of attendance/participation, and also to set up platforms and publicize avenues for youth performances.
The Youth Empire aims to be the largest and most sought after Youth Community in Singapore, engaging youths and providing platforms for free expression in the various fields of:
* Music and Dance
* Arts and Culture
* Lifestyle
* Sports
* Technology
* Social and Community Affairs
The Empress
==Get The Funk Out!==
* Date: December 31, 2005 * Venue: Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza * Time: 8pm - 6am * Attendance: 3,500 people * Target Age: 16 - 25 years old
Get The Funk Out 2005 was The Youth Empire's debut in the events scene, as well as the first ever mass youth hip hop event held in Orchard Road, Singapore. With guest DJs like DJ KoFlow, Rough and Rattle spinning their decks of hip hop and pure RnB music, the event attracted over 3,500 youths to party the New Year's Eve away at the Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza.
==ROMP!== * Date: March 16, 2006 * Venue: , Singapore * Time: 8pm - 3am * Attendance: 2,800 people * Target Age: 16 - 19 years old
ROMP! 2006 at was the first ever non alcoholic party at , featuring a dance competition catered to anyone above the age of 16 years old. With special guest performances from guest artistes such as Shiekh Haikel, Singapore's leading hip hop artiste, dance troupes from all over the country come together in this underground hip hop dance competition to fight for the sole title of ROMP! champions.
==VAUNT!==
* Date: May 30, 2006 * Venue: Ministry of Sound, Singapore * Time: 8pm - 5am * Attendance: 10,000 people * Target Age: 16 - 19 years old
VAUNT! 2006 at the Ministry of Sound was the 2nd of a series of installations of The Youth Empire’s in-house events in 2006. Supported by Singtel, it was designed to snag the increasingly fashion-conscious youth community through a Young Fashion Designers’ Competition and Awards, hosted red-carpet celebrity style. The main objective of VAUNT is to provide an informal platform for talented young designers to showcase their work, and for its youth organizers to have a large large-scale fashion event to call their own.
The resounding success of VAUNT and its affinity with the youth community can clearly be measured by its turn-out. VAUNT! 2006 drew a strong youth following of about 10,000 without the aid of any conventional above-the-line marketing, advertising and publicity.
With special guest appearances from MTV twins, May & Choy, Ms Eunice Olsen, top leading fashion icon Daniel Boey, top leading fashion designer Wykidd Song, and Flash Imp, The Youth Empire's signature event VAUNT! was a big hit with the youth community.
==KRUNK!==
* Date: September 11, 2006 * Venue: Sentosa, Singapore * Time: 6pm - 6am * Attendance: 4,000 people * Target Age: 16 - 24 years old
KRUNK! 2006 was the first ever youth outdoor mega rave party cum midnight market. Hosted by The Youth Empire, KRUNK! attracted a crowed of 4,000 youths to party and shop at the 64 youth-run stalls. Special guest performances from Kumar and The Flesh and Tattoo Parade was accompanied by 30 hot teen models on the Sentosa terrace runway.
==SURGE!== * Date: November 21, 2006 * Venue: Ministry of Sound, Singapore * Time: 10pm - 6am * Attendance: 3,500 people * Target Age: 16 - 24 years old
SURGE! was the talk of the town in November 2006, receiving much media publicity for its provocative marketing tactics. The Youth Empire staged a hyped up boxing match between 2 boys from top schools in Singapore vying for the love of a girl. The event attracted much attention from youths, parents as well as school teachers and principals.
ROMP II
* Date: March 13, 2007 * Venue: St James Powerhouse, Singapore * Time: 8pm - 4am * Attendance: 1,800 people * Target Age: 16 - 19 years old
Following its success with ROMP! 2006, The Youth Empire hosted a second round of the exciting underground hip hop competition at St James Powerhouse, Singapore.
VERVE * Date: April 26, 2007 - April 27, 2007 * Venue: , Singapore * Time: 7pm - 10pm * Attendance: 500 people * Target Age: 16 - 24 years old
VERVE 2007 was a Youth Empire charity event in aid of the Lions Befrienders Service Association, Corestone Community Church and the Southeast Community Development Council Edu-Assist Scheme. VERVE 2007 was also the first ever theater production to be held at .
VAUNT II
* Date: May 29, 2007 * Venue: , Singapore * Time: 8pm - 5am * Attendance: 3,200 people * Target Age: 16 - 19 years old
The Youth Empire brought back its signature event, VAUNT! for a second season with an exciting theme - High School Prom. Once again supported by Singtel, VAUNT III 2007 packed both and Phuture to full capacity, and was captured on MTV Fashion Channel. Famous names and brands like Daniel Boey, Upfront Models, River Island and Topshop have also supported this event in big ways as well.
KRUNK II
* Date: August 8, 2007 * Venue: Sentosa, Singapore * Time: 6pm - 6am * Attendance: 3,000 people * Target Age: 16 - 24 years old
The well received KRUNK! 2006 continued the following year, drawing a crowd of 3,000 party goers and 50 youth-run stalls at KRUNK II 2007.
Fourbidden Sins * Venue: St James Powerhouse, Singapore and Bianco
A series of 4 parties, each with a different themed sin.
The Youth Empire celebrated her 2007 end of year party at Bianco.
The Youth Empire Supports Singapore's Bid for the Youth Olympic Games 2010
To show her support for Singapore's bid for the Youth Olympic Games 2010, The Youth Empire created a video to showcase various individuals, ranging from regular youths to national athletes, giving their thoughts and feelings on what the Youth Olympic Games means to them, and how will it impact Singapore if Singapore wins the bid to host the prestigious inaugural Youth Olympic Games in 2010.
The video went viral on the internet and managed to obtain close to 7,000 views over the week that it was posted, and was also selected to be screened at the Padang, Singapore before the release of the results for the host city of the 2010 Youth Olympic Games, receiving much praise from Mr Teo Ser Luck, Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports.
Many websites also mentioned and hosted The Youth Empire's video:
* * Youth.SG * YMCA Singapore * Truveo
* Singapore Entrepreneurs TLE * * Getting to the Olympics * AOL Video
Fat Kids are Harder to Kidnap * Date: March 5, 2008, March 12, 2008, March 19, 2008 * Venue: The Substation * Time: 8pm - 9pm * Attendance: 350 people * Target Age: 12 - 25 years old
The Youth Empire staged its second theater production Fat Kids are Harder to Kidnap at The Substation with a special twist. The entire production consisted of 31 mini plays, each with its own number, to be completed in 1 hour. In this performance, the audience decides the sequence to the mini plays and call out the desired number for the actors to perform. This engaging performance was a first of its kind.
ROMP III * Date: March 11, 2008 * Venue: , Singapore * Time: 8pm - 4am * Target Age: 16 - 19 years old
VAUNT III * Date: June 17, 2006 * Venue: Ministry of Sound, Singapore * Time: 8pm - 5am * Attendance: 3,000 people * Target Age: 16 - 24 years old
In celebration of The Youth Empire's third anniversary, and in remembrance of those who are truly in need in Myanmar as a result of Cyclone Nargis, and in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, The Youth Empire had a series of parties for everyone to join her and party for a cause.
In line with VAUNT III as a fashion themed event, both pre-VAUNT III parties were fashion themed as well. The first party was held at The Butter Factory on June 3 with a Mismatched theme where party goers turned up in their most mismatched outfits, and the second party was held at Play on June 10with a Pyjamas theme where everyone turned up in their pjs. Funds were collected at the 2 parties and were donated to the Red CrossMercy Aid Fund.
The highlight of The Youth Empire's party for a cause trilogy happened on June 17, where 18 of the hottest teen models strutted the eye-popping designs of 9 top-designer-wannabes with the theme - Neon. The winning young designer walked away with the prestigious Young Fashion Designer of the Year award as well as a pair of return tickets to any destination Jetstar Asia Airways files to.
VAUNT III 2007 collaborated with Jetstar Asia Airways to give out attractive prizes not only to the VAUNT III winners but also to the first 500 party-goers at the door. The lucky 500 early birds were awarded with a free return ticket to Kuala Lumpur, sponsored by Jetstar Asia Airways.
VAUNT III also saw a new segment in the competition where the models had to compete for the Best Male & Female Model title, to win a modelling contract with Upfront Models.
The Youth Empire's signature event was also mentioned on 98.7FM on Pillofight with Soo.