By William Isau
SIBU, June 24: For the first time ever, What About Kuching Festival (WAK) will be held here from July 25 to 28 at Sibu Heritage Centre from 10am to 10pm daily.
Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) deputy chairman Mohammed Abdullah Izkandar Roseley told at a press conference today that WAK is an open-access festival platform dedicated to the arts, culture, and lifestyle.
“WAK Sibu welcomes the many creative communities in Sibu and the surrounding areas to come and be a part of this exciting festival celebration.
“Since its inception as a grassroots festival in 2017, WAK has evolved into a significant feature in our tourism calendar, drawing an audience of 277,766 in 2023. This continued growth and success has prompted Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts (MTCP) Minister Sarawak Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, to initiate that this movement be expanded to other cities in Sarawak, especially Sibu and Miri,” he added.
WAK aims to showcase the vast range of genres that the creative community has to offer— from live music performances, sports challenges, arts and craft exhibitions, engaging children’s programmes, local community showcases, to international professional workshops. The WAK movement
aspires to promote the passion of local creatives to local and global audiences, all guided by its principle: “By the Community, For the Community.”
Festival manager Brendan Chin said WAK among other things wants to enhance greater tourism arrivals to benefit the local economy and to provide platforms for personalities to showcase their different pursuits which includes arts, culture, and lifestyle.
The call for proposals for WAK SIBU commences on June 24.
Chin said all collaborators and creatives who are interested to stage their events at WAK SIBU are required to submit their proposals online at
www.aboutkuching.com or https://bit.ly/waksibucfp.
The Call for Proposal form and other
comprehensive festival information is accessible on the www.aboutkuching.com website, along with a step-by-step instructional for proposal submissions. All proposals must be submitted by June 30. — DayakDaily
