Creative industry related bodies should apply for funds

KUCHING: Associations, organisations and clubs should seize the opportunity to apply for funds to organise various programmes related to the creative industry.

Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Deputy Minister Datuk Snowdan Lawan said the ministry strongly supports any association, organisations or clubs that hold such programmes.

He stated that the government has allocated grants totalling RM10 million to support the implementation of creative industry programmes.

“So far we have distributed RM3.8 million from the fund. We still have a RM6.1 million grant that has not been used.

“Therefore, I call on associations that want to organise programmes to please apply for this grant because we still have a lot more left that needs to be spent by the end of this year,” he said.

Creative Industry and Performing Arts Deputy Minister Datuk Snowdan Lawan (centre) with MTCP principal assistant secretary Dr Elena Gregoria Chai (fourth left) and At Adau band members poses for photograph after a press conference. Photo: Mohd Alif Noni

He said this during the At Adau’s Sada Rimba Oceana-Asia Tour 2024 press conference at Baitulmakmur Building II here today.

Snowdan revealed there are a total of five main categories and 19 subcategories of creative industries in Sarawak that can apply for the funds, namely Creative Arts (music, visual arts, performing arts, literary arts), Arts, Culture and Heritage (cuisine/gastronomy, crafts, tangible and intangible heritage), Media Production (film, television, radio and digital media), Design (fashion, design, interaction design, graphic design, interior design), and information technology (software, computer games, animation).

He said that thus far, programmes that were organised using the funds are dance, busking, food festival, harvest festival, theatre, calligraphy, ethnic, tattoo and music management workshops or television and film productions, and many others.

Taking the publishing companies as an example, he said that through the funds they are able to publish various types of documentaries about Sarawak, in terms of culture, heritage, food or tourist spots.

“I understand companies such as TVS or RTM are always looking for content to show on television.

“Nevertheless, we support them as long as they do something about Sarawak,” he said.