From roots to shoots: What About Kuching festival to focus on talented youth

 

Sarawak Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah (seated centre in white) is surrounded by young performers who will showcase their talent in this year's What About Kuching festival.

KUCHING: This year's What About Kuching (WAK) festival will see its biggest conceptual change from just showcasing Sarawak's cultural roots to focus on unearthing young talents.

The theme for last year's fest was 'Roots' and this year 'Shoots', which organisers, taking the analogy of the plant, used to describe the evolution of the fest now in its eighth edition.

"From the roots, it grows into a shoot. So, that's how we are trying to explain and trying to get new ideas and new beginnings.

"It's organic so the content every year is also different," festival director Donald Tan said at its launch on Saturday (Oct 3).

This year there will be over 400 events and performances scattered in various locations in three cities – Kuching, Sibu and Miri.

The programme for this year's month-long community-driven fest covers 14 genres, including art, comedy, culture, music, theatre, sports, food, film and wellness.

The listed events include Sidewalk Fest at Lebuh Java, Food Adventure Trail 3.0, Wild About Nature photography, Stinky Toe 2.0, the WAK Pickleball Challenge, Celebrating Us and Sidewalk Rhythms.

Tan said a week-long international stand-up comedy show will also be making its debut in Kuching.

Sarawak Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah summed it all by saying "there's something for everyone".

Some of last year's events will still be there, he added, but this year the focus is on youth to showcase their talent, creative start-ups, first-time voices and new genres.

"This is a platform for them. Otherwise where are they going to go?" he said after launching the fest at a shopping mall here.

Abdul Karim said he was delighted WAK had become a platform for youngsters to showcase their talent in painting, drawing, food, aerobic and even information media.

This year's festival will have 83 unique events, compared to only 67 last year, featuring 49 collaborations across 14 genres.

Launched in 2017, the festival was created to spotlight the local creative community and make Sarawak an artistic hub.

Rather than concentrating around conventional arts venues, the organisers have used the whole city - heritage buildings, museums, cafés, hotels, galleries, performance spaces and "unexpected corners" – to stage the various events. - Star