First Asia-Pacific Youth Folklore Festival will be held in Petaling Jaya
On August 25, Friday, Petaling Jaya City Council, in collaboration with the International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festival and Folk Arts (CIOFF) Malaysia, was given the trust to represent Malaysia in hosting the “1st Asia Pacific Youth Folklore Festival 2023,” which will be held on September 21–26, 2023.
This year’s festival is being held with the primary objective of creating and conveying a sense of love and mutual understanding among children about the value of maintaining diversity and individuality in culture, art, and heritage, with the goal of promoting harmony and unity in the world.
Under the direction of the International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Arts (CIOFF) Malaysia, the council is aiming for participation from 26 cultural organizations from the Asia Pacific region.
Up until now, there have been 19 international cultural groups from 13 countries. China, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Iran, the Philippines, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Brunei, and Qatar have confirmed their participation.
The planning of this event will feature 8 variety of program/activity types including:
- International cultural performances
- “Pocket Show” in selected schools around Petaling Jaya.
- Exhibitions, Sales, and demonstrations of the manufacture of art, handicrafts, and traditional food products
- “PJ International Art Conference 2023”
- Art Career Seminar
- Mayor and City Managers: Round Table Discussion
- “PJ Best Dance” competition
- A folklore concert by the country’s leading artists, including Datuk Hattan, Ziana Zain, Ella, and Datuk Awie, and a fireworks display.
The visitors who will attend the event will play a big role as ambassadors by sharing their experiences at the festival on their social media accounts and with those who cannot come. It has the potential to increase the number of participants and improve Petaling Jaya’s reputation as a tourism hotspot and art city.
In an effort to drive the country’s tourism industry based on the sustainability of cultural, artistic, and heritage development, the organization of the folk art festival by the Petaling Jaya city council this year is more prestigious and has a high impact.
