By Tay Suan Chiang

They do not speak a common language. But that did not stop 14 children from Japan and Singapore from enjoying two fun-filled days of activities at the Little Arts Academy in Selegie Road over the weekend.

The Little Arts Academy, which is managed by The Old Parliament House Ltd, is a centre with a dance studio, practice rooms and kitchen which offers children a holistic arts education.

The children, aged five to 12, were part of The Business Times Budding Artists Fund's first International Children's Art Exchange programme. The fund, initiated by The Arts House and adopted by The Business Times in 2005, aims to enable underprivileged youngsters between the ages of four and 12 to pursue an arts education.

This first exchange programme is a partnership between the Singapore fund and its Japanese counterpart, the Budding Artists Fund Japan.

Six children from Shakujii Gakuen, a children's home in the western part of Tokyo, were selected for the programme, while the eight children from Singapore were from lower-income families.

For the Japanese children, this was also their first trip abroad.

Emiri, 11, from Japan, said she was excited about the programme.

Over two days, the children took part in various activities which allowed them to learn the local and Japanese cultures, such as learning how to make popiah (spring roll) and sushi, learning hip-hop and creating their own toy robot.

Ms Kyoko Hasegawa, a director of the Japanese fund, said: 'We hope that the Japanese children will learn that there is a world outside of Japan and there are other cultures in the world.'

Mr Phan Ming Yen, director of social enterprise at The Arts House, said the exchange will broaden the minds of the children. He hopes that there will be more exchange programmes.

For Singapore's Yong Wen, 11, her first experience of making popiah was fun. 'I hardly get to make my own food,' she said. Meanwhile, 10-year-old Wan Ling, was not hampered by the language gap. 'We say hello, take photos and we start talking,' she said of making new friends.

Takaharu, 11, from Japan could not wait for the hip-hop class. 'Through dancing, I hope I can communicate with the Singaporean kids,' he said through an interpreter.

This article was first published in The Straits Times on Dec 22, 2008.