Abdul Karim: Get everybody involved in arts and culture

September 9, 2018

Abdul Karim (centre) receives a memento from Foo (second right) during the launch of WAK 2018 calendar of events. Looking on are (from left) Tan, Lee and Hii.

KUCHING: Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah wants everybody to get involved in arts and culture.

He said that it is beautiful to see young people of Kuching show their talents and turn Kuching into an exciting place.

“We can see Kuching has lots of talent. We want to see them giving back to society,” he said during the launch of the WAK 2018 calendar of events at Old Courthouse here on Wednesday.

Abdul Karim said that his ministry sees this young annual festival as an investment in the creative communities of Kuching because it is truly a festival by the community for the community.

“October used to be a quiet month in our tourism calendar but WAK has turned it around.

“I hope that with all these in place, it will make Kuching a more exciting place in October. Ask your friends to come to Kuching,” he urged.

Meanwhile, festival director Donald Tan said that WAK is a sum of many parts, with many content providers coming together to form a collective programme.

Also present were Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Lee Kim Shin, ministry’s permanent secretary Hii Chang Kee, and festival director Marina Foo.

WAK 2018 has lined up exciting events from September 29 to October 28.

With 76 events from 50 confirmed collaborators, the number seems likely to grow based on last year’s experience.

Once again, WAK will have wordsmiths, musicians, artists, dancers, mad hatters photographers and many others taking their moment in this month-long spotlight on the creative, sometimes undiscovered, lives of Kuching’s communities.

This year, new talents have emerged from the shadows in exciting new venues, calling out to Sarawak’s social media creators, comedians, actors, indie filmmakers, storytellers, food enthusiasts and even a master mixologist to get in on the act.

Entire streets are getting involved as WAK events occupy Jalan Bishopgate, Jalan Padungan, Upper China Street, Wayang Street, the Waterfront and Padang Merdeka on top of a host of individual venues across the city. -TheBorneoPost