KUCHING, Aug 3: The fourth edition of the What About Kuching (WAK) festival 2022 will mark a new milestone, with a better-than-expected number of proposal submissions received from event organisers, artists, and performers to participate in the month-long festival.
According to a press release, WAK’s founding festival director Donald Tan revealed that as of the closing date of the proposal submission on July 31, WAK 2022 had received 69 proposals from 59 different collaborators covering 111 events of various genres such as music, theatre, dance, arts and crafts, gastronomy, literary and culture, and not to mention sporting events and eco-based adventure activities.
“We are very pumped up to see the amount of support we are getting, not only in terms of numbers but also the very high, world-class quality genres.
“We will now be closely engaging all collaborators to discuss further details and tighten the loose ends so we are fully ready.
“We would like to extend our special thanks to the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts (MTCP) and especially to its minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah for his unwavering support towards WAK as an event that promotes culture, lifestyle, and the arts of the people for the world to see and participate in,” Tan said.
He went on to say that they are also pleased to report that WAK 2022 has received support from Kuching North City Hall (DBKU) and Kuching South City Council (MBKS) as well as many private sector partners such as Echo Premier Sound and Light, TVS, Hitz fm, Cats fm, The Spring Mall, Food Journal Sdn Bhd, Plaza Merdeka and The Waterfront Hotel, Sara Resorts and Sara Urusharta Sdn Bhd, and more in providing the required logistical backup to ensure a successful festival.
“Kuching will be brimming with lots of exciting events and activities throughout October and this will be the best time to visit Kuching and explore Sarawak.
“We will have everything for everyone and will announce the final line-up in September. We hope visitors from outside Sarawak too will find their way to Kuching this October and set a date with WAK 2022.
“Especially for those who had missed out on some of Sarawak’s most iconic events earlier in the year like the Rainforest World Music Festival and Borneo Jazz Festival, WAK 2022 will be your best opportunity to experience and be immersed in our rich culture and heritage, while satisfying your craving for musical, theatre, and fine arts performances as we present both the old and the new,” he added.
In addition, Tan mentioned that gastronomy will be a big part of the festival too.
WAK 2022 will be happening throughout October 2022 as a community-driven festival of the arts, culture, and lifestyle of the people of Kuching and Sarawak, filled with a multi-genre programme centred in the city of Kuching and radiating outwards towards greater Kuching.
WAK began in 2017 when a team led by founding festival directors Tan and Marina Tan instigated the various communities in Kuching city to come together to stage their respective contents under a common festival umbrella coined as “What About Kuching – Celebrate Arts, Culture & Lifestyle,” now better known as WAK, a festival “By The Community For The Community”.
Find out more about WAK 2022 at www.aboutkuching.com. — DayakDaily
