Buka Panggung - The Idea of 'We'

Buka Panggung  – The Idea of ‘We’

Awang Batil Buka Panggung.  A performance by Pak Romli Mahmud.

Our last living awang batil performer opens the festival with this Perlis storytelling artform.

Pic Credit : Ahmad Fikry Anwar, PUSAKA

The 60s An Elusive Romance. A talk by Eddin Khoo

The Idea of ‘We’. The Notion of ‘Nation’ 

At the heart of a nation just born was the forging of a new ‘we’. Disparate histories, brought together by historical accident and encounter, woven now into a community of cultural wefts and woofs. The decade brought about new discoveries, drawn out of that symbolic act of ‘knowing one another.’ 

This session with master storyteller Eddin Khoo, engages the theatre of the 1960’s, as a space for affirming the ‘community now born’, infused with the new ‘native’, and conjuring a new ‘tradition’ seeking to imagine ‘the other’ as ours.

Oupus Ku -   A Performance Talk by Eleanor Goroh

Opening with Sompoton melodies and Komburongoh beads tea

In the Dusun language 'oupus' is the word for love. The word 'opus' in English language means an artistic work, especially one on a large scale. 'Oupus Ku' is a passion project – the passion for strings of beads, soul music and ink on skin - combined into a performance.

Magic Borneo Beads and tattoo artist Eleanor Goroh uses her tattoos, her beads and instruments to tell the stories of her people.

Followed by a conversation between the artists.

Romli Mahmud, the last Awang Batil of Perlis, carries forward a lineage of storytellers from Kampung Pokok Sena, Chuping. He inherited his art and batil (brass bowl) from his father, Mahmud Awang bin Wahid, a famed performer. Awang Batil is a solo storytelling tradition blending narration, rhythm, and masked performance. Using the batil or belanga for percussion and donning the Hulubalang and Wak Nujum masks, the storyteller animates characters and captivates audiences. Pak Romli has revitalised the form by adding the violin, serunai, rebana, and gendang terinai, many which he crafted himself.

Eddin Khoo is a poet, writer, translator and journalist. He is the Founder of the cultural organisation Pusaka and the publishing house Kala. He was born in 1969.

Eleanor D.Goroh is an artist & cultural worker from Sabah. Inspired by the rich heritage of Borneo, she creates art works with traditional mediums for sound, tattoos and beads - embodying the inter-related indigenous art forms.

She is the founder of Magic Borneo Beads - documenting the living archive project since 2012.

She is currently based between 2 islands - Borneo & Langkawi. Completing her artist residency program between East and West Malaysia.