Abdul Karim (second left) strikes the gong three times to launch the MSS Open Day yesterday.
KUCHING: Sarawak Arts Council (MSS) is in a good position to gather and develop the art forms from all ethnic groups in Sarawak to be packaged into a quality product.
Speaking at the MSS Open Day at the old State Legislative Assembly (DUN) Building yesterday, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said that the art of our diverse culture is a valuable asset.
“We have so many ethnic groups, and so much art that is particular to each group. I don’t want to see any ethnic group left out in terms of their arts and culture, especially when Sarawak has good harmony,” he said when officiating at the event.
Abdul Karim also hoped that transforming the old DUN Building into a performance arts centre would help put MSS forward as the champion of Sarawak arts and culture.
“This centre will not only be for performance arts such as dance, music and theatre, but also a venue for courses or workshops related to literature, writing and visual arts.”
“The building will serve as a hub for transforming the surrounding areas into an arts market, and draw more visitors in, he added.
The open day which started yesterday and ends today was an opportunity for members of the public to learn what MSS has to offer in terms of classes. There were also performances and exhibitions to enjoy.
To date, a total of 297 participants have taken up the MSS foundation course in arts and performance which covers dance, traditional music, theatre, vocal and modern music.
Meanwhile, 111 participants joined the performance art course which also covers the same topics. These classes are held every Saturday and Sunday at the old DUN Building.
Also present at the event was Sarawak Arts Council chief executive officer (CEO) Sharkawi Amit.