Sarawak’s second Rainforest Fringe Festival aims to put indigenous traditions on the map

Kuching is not exactly an arts destination. It barely made the list of Malaysia’s 10 largest cities. But the capital of Sarawak, on the island of Borneo, is home to more than 30 indigenous groups and a new cultural event aims to put its aboriginal traditions and identity on the map.

The Rainforest Fringe Festival started in 2017 to spotlight Sawarak’s distinct jungle heritage. The second edition this year (July 6 to 15) promises to unveil an even wider spectrum of both traditional and contemporary expressions.

Presented in the heart of Kuching, the festival’s slate is an eclectic and vibrant mix of dance, music, photography, design, crafts and multimedia performance art.

The Rainforest Fringe’s other major asset is its director Joe Sidek. The founder of Penang’s Georgetown Arts Festival certainly knows something about nurturing an event from scratch. The inaugural year was enough of a success that Sidek is expanding the Rainforest Fringe’s 2018 programming. He is also involving more Sarawak heritage elders, at the same time opening new avenues for young artistic upstarts.

“Initially, [Kuching officials] wanted me to take over its Rainforest Music Festival, which was 20 years old last year, but it’s a dying brand,” says Sidek. “There weren’t new stories being told. It was just musicians playing and the rainforest had nothing to do with it. It was just a venue.