World Puppet Carnival coming to town

0
(From left) Ministry of Tourism assistant secretary Jee Chin Fu, Goh and Chew try their hand at puppetry.

(From left) Ministry of Tourism assistant secretary Jee Chin Fu, Goh and Chew try their hand at puppetry.

KUCHING: The World Puppet Carnival will be held here on Monday to Friday (Nov 2-6) next week.

To be known as the ‘Rainforest World Puppet Carnival’, it is believed to be the first of its kind in the country. Organised by the Ministry of Tourism, Sarawak Tourism Board (STB), Sarawak Convention Bureau and Malaysian Convention Bureau, it will involve 30 performers from around the world, who will showcase their puppetry skills through performances and puppet workshops.

Countries represented are Argentina, the United States, Singapore, Finland, Australia, China, Kazakhstan, Guatemala, Philippines, Liberia, Turkey, Belgium, Canada, Russia, France, Colombia, Algeria, Japan, Belarus and Poland.

Organising chairman Gerald Goh said while some countries will be represented by puppeteers, others will send in video performances. There will also be free puppet shows for children and families.

“All shows start at 11am daily at the Sarawak Tourism Complex, near the old Courthouse throughout the carnival. Please refer to our Facebook page for the show schedule during the carnival,” he told a press conference yesterday.

The workshop ‘How to make puppets’ will be held at The Spring Shopping Mall on Tuesday (Nov 3) at 4pm and Boulevard Shopping Mall on Thursday (Nov 5) at 5pm.

“I do believe that Malaysia is yet to have a strong following in the art of puppeteering, except for those who are involved in the traditional Malaysian art of Wayang Kulit. We hope this carnival will help introduce this beautiful art to a wider audience everywhere in the country,” he said.

“Although we do realise that the carnival will coincide with the school exams week in the city, we hope it will still get support from the public. The school examinations coincide with the carnival as they have been rescheduled due to the recent haze.”

For more information contact Goh (019-8165368) or Sarawak Convention Bureau general manager Chew Chang Guan (019-8183600) or visit the carnival’s Facebook page.

The World Puppet Festival was first held in Prague, Czech Republic in 2008. Its name was changed to the World Puppet Carnival from 2012, when it was held in Kazakhstan. Last year’s carnival was held in Bangkok, Thailand.