KUCHING: What started as a spontaneous idea in the early hours of the morning has grown into one of the defining features of the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF), as local creative collective Alunan Tukang works to transform the festival into an experience that extends well beyond its music stages.
Rather than treating the arts and crafts area as a marketplace, the collective has spent the past two years curating a programme centred on cultural demonstrations, hands on workshops and interactive experiences that encourage visitors to engage with the people and traditions behind every craft.
“We don’t want the old stereotype that Rainforest is just a festival where people come for music and drinking. We want it to be more family orientated and become a place where people experience culture,” said Alunan Tukang director and Woo Woo Whimsy founder, Jeremy Veno.
The idea itself was anything but carefully planned.
According to festival director of the Alunan Tukang Arts and Crafts Market, Jeremy Adam, the concept emerged from a late-night conversation at around 2;00 am, eventually growing into a vision shared by a team that had spent the past decade participating in RWMF as vendors.
Having experienced the festival from the ground up, the collective believed the arts and crafts area could become a cultural experience rather than simply a place to shop.
Today, Alunan Tukang curates the festival’s arts and crafts vendors alongside more than 50 workshops, demonstrations and activities spread across themed spaces throughout the Sarawak Cultural Village.
Visitors can try traditional crafts, join music and dance workshops, watch artisans at work, listen to cultural storytelling and even leave their children at a dedicated daycare while exploring the festival grounds.
Adam said the team’s goal is to ensure every visitor, regardless of age, finds something to experience before the evening concerts begin.
“We have been vendors here for 10 years and this is our second year curating everything. We want to bring back the spirit of the rainforest by creating programmes where there is something for everyone,” he said.
For years, Woo Woo Whimsy has worked with artisans from across Sarawak, helping them strengthen their presentation, interpretation of heritage and confidence before introducing many of them to larger platforms such as RWMF.
Festival director and curator of cultural demonstrations and workshops Lucille Awen John said the intention has always been to empower indigenous communities to become storytellers instead of simply sellers.
“Most indigenous livelihoods begin with craft, but many of these traditions have not been deliberately shared. We want visitors to understand not only the products, but also the rightful stories behind them,” she said.
Rather than waiting for visitors to browse, artisans are encouraged to demonstrate their skills, explain the meaning behind motifs and techniques, and invite festivalgoers to take part in simple interactive activities that offer a deeper appreciation of the craftsmanship involved.
Lucille said the approach has also shifted the mindset of many crafters, making them more confident in engaging visitors while sharing their knowledge and cultural heritage.
Children’s cultural performances and a daycare service introduced during last year’s festival have also returned, reflecting Alunan Tukang’s commitment to making RWMF more accessible to families.
“If you have toddlers and still want to come to Rainforest, just bring them here. We have a daycare for them, so parents can enjoy the workshops, demonstrations and other programmes before picking them up later to enjoy the evening concerts together,” said Lucille.
As Alunan Tukang continues refining the programme, the team hopes to introduce more workshops centred on sustainable indigenous materials, reinforcing RWMF as a festival where culture is not only performed on stage but experienced throughout the village.
