Seni Kita Weekend returns, revisits women, mental health themes
KUCHING: Seni Kita Weekend is back, with it revisiting the themes of women’s empowerment and mental health awareness.
Taking place this weekend (April 27-28) at the Kuching Community Social Support Centre (CSSC), ‘Seni Kita: Her Mind’ is being run in partnership with the Mental Health Association of Sarawak (MHAS) and Mind Brew.
It represents the latest instalment of the Seni Kita Weekend, a community-driven arts festival kickstarted by HAUS KCH in July 2022.
For this weekend, the interactive activities will be centred around the subject of mental health, in addition to an artisan market and also the ‘KAMBOH’ segment featuring music performances.
According to Seni Kita Weekend programme coordinator Christy Yang, the themes resonate with HAUS KCH’s mission of leveraging the arts to foster diversity, inclusivity and social transformation.
The objectives, she adds, are to eliminate stigma, raise awareness and inspire the community to proactively address mental health concerns.
“In March and May 2023, we experienced an overwhelming level of support for our initiatives with a similar focus. It became evident to us the significance of offering enhanced information and insight into the realm of women and mental health.
“The upcoming weekend will unite both themes, introducing a fresh concept while ensuring their continued relevance within the art community,” she told The Borneo Post in a WhatsApp chat.
Under the mental health lineup, the activities include ‘Let’s Talk’, which is a one-to-one listening booth for empathetic listening; a mental health screening; the #KisahKamek Wall featuring stories of lived experiences; the ‘Interactive Crowd Wisdom’ – an interactive board; and ‘Build Your Own Grounding Self-Care Kit’ featuring artisan vendors.
Moreover, there will be two mental health support group sessions led by Ayleah Aquino, a registered and licensed counsellor, on Saturday and Sunday.
“Both workshops cover two key topics: ‘Women in the Workplace: How to Take Care of Your Mental Health at Work’ and ‘The Too Much Woman: Steps for Self-Empowerment and Well-Being’,” said Yang.
Seni Kita is also teaming up with Dirty Art Club once again to present a pre-ready canvas, with the ‘Women X Mental Health’ theme meant to bring an inclusive art initiative for enjoyment and creativity to all participants.
The programme will also involve 58 Sarawakian vendors in its ‘Pasar Seni Kita’, representing groups such as MHAS, Gerai Sulu Nuan, Rena’s Story, Benang Studio and Puff Lab – just to name a few of the ‘regulars’ who have been joining Seni Kita Weekend since 2022.
The closing segment, ‘Kamboh’, on Sunday will stage performances by singersongwriter Lofrine, singerguitarist Pamela Wang and independent singer-songwriter Steff Fleur.
“For the closing ceremony, we have invited Minister for Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Sarawak Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah to officiate at the event in CSSC Kuching,” added Yang.
HAUS KCH is a creative hub based at City Square here. It advocates and facilitates the empowerment of grassroots creative individuals and entities through space- and programmebased collaborations.
The hub was established in late 2016 with input from over 10 community groups. Today, HAUS KCH houses eight collectives, businesses and associations that operate within the City Square premises.
For more information about ‘Seni Kita: Her Mind’, head over to https://linktree.com/hauskch, or visit social media platforms via https://instagram.com/ hauskch or https://instagram. com/senikitakch, or email enquiries to senikitakch@gmail.com.
To learn more about HAUS KCH, go to www.hauskch.com.