Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre and PENYAYANG Launch Their 'Batik Explosion'

Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre and PENYAYANG Launch Their 'Batik Explosion' Initiative: Where Culture, Charity and Fun Integrate!

The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (The Centre), Malaysia’s premier purpose-built events venue, working in close collaboration with Yayasan Budi Penyayang Malaysia (PENYAYANG), a charitable foundation aiding all Malaysians in need, has launched the ‘Batik Explosion’ initiative at an event officiated by YB Dato' Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik, Chairman, MyCreative Ventures Sdn Bhd.

The ‘Batik Explosion’ initiative is a series of events and activities which will take place at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre from 23 November 2023 to 13 January 2024, in conjunction with National Batik Day, which falls on 3 December 2023.

Batik Explosion activities will include:

·        A ‘Tree of Joy’ Gift Drop: Members of the public will be invited to place gifts around a batik ‘Tree of Joy’ which will be located within the Centre. These gifts will subsequently be distributed to children from diverse backgrounds and creeds, selected by Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat (JKM).

·        National Batik Day Celebration: To mark Malaysia’s National Batik Day, the Centre will host an event on 5 December when participants can try their hand at batik painting, guided by renowned batik designers, members of the Piala Seri Endon alumni. Piala Seri Endon is an annual batik design competition, named after the late Tun Endon Mahmood, which was conceived to discover batik talents and to provide a platform for support, recognition, and encouragement of Malaysia’s batik-making talent. Members of the public and pre-registered participants will be involved in the creation of twelve four-meter pieces of batik drapes which will be displayed at the Centre.

·        Batik Art Exhibition “Explorations Through Batik”: The Centre will also host a batik art exhibition which will be on until 20 December 2023. Up and coming batik artists will showcase their works through “Explorations Through Batik”.

·        New Year Joy for Children: In January, the Centre will host a special day of joy for approximately 135 children from worthy charitable institutions selected by JKM. At this event the gifts collected at the batik ‘Tree of Joy’ will be distributed to the children.

This ‘Batik Explosion’ initiative embodies the Centre's commitment to integrating heritage and charity by uniting individuals of all races and communities to celebrate Malaysia’s rich cultural heritage while supporting charitable organisations and advancing the national agenda on batik.

The choice of PENYAYANG, an NGO dedicated to various charitable purposes for the benefit of all Malaysians, irrespective of their colour, race, or creed, is a testament of the Centre's commitment to community engagement. The Centre has maintained a strong relationship with PENYAYANG for over 15 years and has hosted their prestigious Piala Seri Endon event since 2005.

Partners supporting the "Batik Explosion" initiative include PENYAYANG, JKM, Chester London (who will provide the batik tree), and DSX Technology, who generously donated 12 pieces of 14ft by 4ft fabric for the batik painting.

The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre aims to promote the national batik agenda through this initiative, utilising the Centre as a gathering place for local and international visitors to showcase Malaysia's heritage to a wider audience.

"We are delighted to collaborate with PENYAYANG and our esteemed partners to present the 'Batik Explosion' initiative in celebration of Malaysia Batik Day," said Mr. John Burke, General Manager of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. "This event signifies our commitment to preserving Malaysia’s cultural heritage, supporting charitable causes, and uniting our diverse communities. We look forward to welcoming everyone to the Centre to join us in this celebration and we also hope that many of the international visitors to our Centre will learn more about the art, beauty and uniqueness of batik, which will surely benefit the local batik craft industry and production chain.”

Pn. Nori Abdullah, Chairman of PENYAYANG said, “We are very excited to be involved in this ‘Batik Explosion’ initiative which will help build awareness and appreciation for Malaysia’s batik heritage, as well as disseminate information about our work to provide care, compassion, comfort, and consolation to less fortunate and disadvantaged Malaysians. Batik is a national craft that represents our people and forms a large part of our identity. We should wear Malaysia batik to ensure the sustainability of our local batik industry”

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