“Help us get to Japan” Plea By Sarawak Social Enterprise

Company turn to crowdfunding as a last resort so cultural practitioners can perform at a major Japan festival.

MIRI, SARAWAK -- The Tuyang Initiative, a Miri-based, community-led arts social impact company is crowdfunding from the public so their cultural practitioners can perform at the World Music & Dance Festival in Japan in August 2024.

The World Music & Dance Festival held from 5-11 August 2024 in Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan is an annual festival which draws 30,000 people. It is considered one of Japan’s largest and most international performing arts festivals, according to its website.

The Tuyang Initiative intends to showcase a brand new work, which for the first time features practitioners from a few Dayak (Borneo indigenous) groups namely the Kenyah, Kayan, Lun Bawang and Iban. This collaborative effort will manifest in a captivating performing arts piece themed around "Wind and Earth," interweaving each community's distinctive creative expressions. Because of each community’s geographical location and relation to the natural elements, the audience can expect to experience the expressions that are special and unique to each community.

"Every creation by Tuyang is crafted with a deliberate intent to authentically share our narratives while staying true to our traditions, and yet incorporating innovative elements to resonate with audiences beyond our communities. We take pride in the boundary-pushing outcomes stemming from community-led collaborations with cultural practitioners. There are no external creative directors, it is all us. Therefore, the potential impact and reach of platforms such as these is immense for the practitioners and our communities.

Under the banner of Lan e Tuyang (which loosely translates to amongst friends in the Kenyah language), a traditional musical group founded by 72 year-old Malaysia’s Living National Heritage, Mathew Ngau Jau from Long Semiyang, Baram, it is a body of work that will be done in collaboration with Adrian Jo Milang, a 26 year-old Kayan oral tradition practitioner from Uma Awe, Sungai Asap together with other practitioners from Baram, Kapit and Ba’kelalan.

The Tuyang Initiative, an accredited social enterprise, which has been attempting to secure assistance from the state ministry and even the national airlines since September 2023 without success, is now reaching out to individuals or businesses for help. Their deadline to confirm flights and lock in participation with the festival is April 10, 2024.

Tuyang has also received a letter of support from the Ministry of Tourism and Culture (MOTAC), enabling corporate sponsors to receive tax exemption to the value of their contribution, either in cash or in-kind for supporting MOTAC-backed arts and culture initiatives.

Tuyang earnestly hopes that this appeal will enable the journey to Japan for its team of 15-18 performers and crew from diverse Dayak communities. This presents a unique opportunity for the indigenous cultural guardians to showcase their culture and way of life as well as inspire their communities back home, through an international stage. Those interested in supporting Tuyang's journey may donate and help spread the word through this link by 31 March 2024: https://www.simplygiving.com/appeal/tuyangtojapan