By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 26: The Sarawak Arts and Culture Centre (SACC) has been established to preserve Sarawak’s traditional music and instrument-making skills by ensuring they are passed down to younger generations.
Deputy Minister of Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Snowdan Lawan said the centre would provide young people with opportunities to learn traditional instrument-making from experienced craftsmen and members of the older generation.
“The initiative is crucial in safeguarding the knowledge and skills associated with Sarawak’s traditional musical instruments from being lost, while fostering greater appreciation of the State’s rich musical and cultural heritage.
“The establishment of this centre is hoped to nurture greater appreciation and interest among the younger generation in Sarawak’s music, musical instruments and cultural heritage, while serving as an initial step towards the development of a larger music centre,” he said as reported by TVS.
Snowdan said this when officiating the pre-launch of the Sarawak Arts and Culture Centre here today.
He said Sarawak, home to 34 ethnic groups, was blessed with a diverse array of musical traditions and instruments, each reflecting the richness and uniqueness of the state’s cultural heritage.
Beyond cultural preservation, he said the centre would also provide opportunities for students with special needs, including those on the autism spectrum, to acquire practical skills that could potentially serve as vocational skills and open up future career pathways.
The centre was established through a collaboration involving IMH, Malaysian Ethnic Ornamental World (MEOW), Shangyin Music Centre, Sarawak Youth Traditional Orchestra Association (POTRES) and Kuching In and Out (KINO).
Snowdan said SACC was expected to expand its activities by producing more traditional musical instruments, offering platforms for learning and performances, and developing works that could showcase Sarawakian musicians on both local and international stages.
“This initiative also has the potential to attract visitors, researchers, musicians and cultural enthusiasts from around the world to discover and appreciate the diversity of Sarawak’s music and cultural heritage,” he added. — DayakDaily
