Abdul Karim (front third right) during a photo call with (from right) Sharzede; Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Lee Kim Shin, festival director Joe Sidek and others.
KUCHING: The third edition of the Rainforest Fringe Festival (RFF) on July 5-12 will showcase Sarawak’s rich culture and heritage through an all-inclusive programme for both locals and visitors of all ages.
Sarawak Tourism Board chief executive officer Sharzede Salleh Askor said the festival serves as a prelude to the annual Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) and Borneo Jazz Festival.
“We are proud to showcase that Sarawak can be a hub of music tourism, unique cultural and arts experiences, and world-class festivals that are the best in the region. Rainforest Fringe Festival will showcase music, arts, crafts, photography, food and culture, both local and foreign, throughout Kuching City.
“It is a major cultural event in the region for expanding Sarawak’s repertoire as a music tourism destination, bringing attention to our potential not only as festival location but as a destination that sees cultural preservation as one of our priorities,” she said during the announcement of festival dates and the programme yesterday.
Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the festival was introduced to make RWMF livelier.
“It was supposed to be held one week or 10 days before RWMF. The last two RFF have managed to create a lot of interest to those music lovers who had come earlier for RWMF,” he said.
The programme includes ‘Asas Melayu’, produced in collaboration with Amanah Khairat Yayasan Budaya Melayu Sarawak, which will feature ‘Lembaran Emas – Songket and Keringkam of Sarawak’ in a fashion show featuring designs by acclaimed designers Datuk Seri Bernard Chandran and Sarawak’s own Datuk Tom Abang Saufi, as well as Tanoti House of Kuching.
The public will have access to the event on July 5 via live streaming.
Another opening weekend highlight will be a show titled ‘Primates’, featuring UK-born Iranian Ghaffar Pourazar of the Beijing Opera; award-winning Thai choreographer Jitti Chompee; Korea-based Penang dancer/choreographer Liu Yong Sean; Lim Pei Ern from Sabah; and locally cast dancers.
It will be performed on a specially-constructed bamboo and wooden structure designed by Wendy Teo – architect of Wendy Teo Atelier and curator of Borneo Art Collective.
‘Primates’ will also be performed to live music by the critically-acclaimed Orang-Orang Drum Theatre, and will be free of charge.
Continuing to showcase Sarawak’s indigenous culture, the festival will also include the Indigenous Film Festival Kuching, Connecting the Indigenous Dots, INK Kuching, and Song to the Earth featuring Kayan Parap.
Other highlights will be the Borneo Laboratory with a series of events – Plating the Wild, Museum of Scent, Borneo Laboratory book launch and exhibition, and another festival commissioned bamboo pavilion (also serving as the performance stage for ‘Primates’).
Exhibitions include ‘Rainforests of the World’ by Ch’ien Lee, ‘Over Sarawak’ by David ST Loh, ‘Jungle Fever’ by Marie Dargent, and the launching of Brooke Heritage Trust’s Museum of Kuching.
Also included is ‘The White Rajah of Sarawak’ (reworked) by St Joseph’s Private School and ‘The Amazing Drumming Monkeys’, a children-centric performance aimed at kids aged one to eight.
For details go to www.rainforestfringe.com.