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KUCHING, Sept 15: Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, has called upon private-sector sponsors to lend their support to ensure the success of the What About Kuching (WAK) Festival in 2023.
The month-long extravaganza, scheduled from Oct 1 to 30, is set to offer a wide array of cultural and creative events.
Abdul Karim praised the homegrown festival’s growth since its inception in 2017, noting that it has attracted increasing numbers of local and international collaborators, making it more vibrant with each passing year.
He emphasized that events like WAK play a vital role in enriching the local and regional cultural scene.
While expressing optimism about WAK’s vision of becoming the biggest regional open-access festival and placing Kuching City on the global festivals map, Abdul Karim called upon event organizers to be innovative in attracting sponsors as partners.
He encouraged private initiatives and partnerships as a means to expand the festival’s reach and set an example for other event organizers.
Abdul Karim credited WAK’s success to the dedication and passion of its strong team and Kuching’s creative community. He further called for collective support from various local authorities and councils to help realize WAK’s vision.
By fully embracing WAK, Abdul Karim believes that Kuching can transform into a vibrant hub of arts, culture, and lifestyle pursuits, thus benefitting the entire community.
He called on all related governmental agencies to provide safe and secure platforms for creatives to showcase their talents.
The event will bring together 38 collaborators from as far as Scotland, showcasing world-class talents across 40 unique events encompassing music, dance, theatre, arts, crafts, gastronomy, and more.
Kuching City North Commission (DBKU) Mayor Hilmy Othman, Padawan Municipal Council chairman Tan Kai, and WAK Festival director Donald Tan were also present at the launch. — DayakDaily
