BENTONG: It was a celebration of the arts for some 40 Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) to showcase their artistic talents via special workshops and other activities but there was also a special moment in the Hari Seni Sentosa held in Bentong recently — Popular singer Sheila Majid.
Sheila, who had been roped in to meet and greet the PWDs, was a hit among the PWDs, who she eventually got to sing along with her the hit song “Sinaran.”
The event was held at the Sentosa Janda Baik Resort (SJB) here. Venue organizer, Omar Ariffin, and his wife, Suraya Nordin, collaborated with Janda Baik Festival and Nak Seni, to turn the art event into a reality. The event activities and art-related workshops were curated especially for the PWDs.
Omar said the event was aimed at being inclusive of PWDs. “Challenges can be as basic as a lack of PWD facilities. Sentosa Janda Baik, as venue for this art festival especially for PWDs, is equipped with ramp installations, wide meandering paths and spacious washrooms.”
He also commended Zhariff Afandi, the organizer of Janda Baik Festival and a partner for Hari Seni Sentosa, for being a driving force of the event.
Nak Seni is a group that aims to elevate the status of PWDs through the universal platform of art.
Among the participants included self-taught artist Shazwani Rhosky Fadzir, 40, who attended the event with her father who has mobility issues due to a spinal injury. Herself a PWD, Shazwani was happy to get to know other PWDs and make new friends.
“But I have to say that my favorite part of the day was seeing Sheila Majid up close and personal during the meet-and-greet!” says Shazwani. “I found her words really inspiring especially the part when she said, we need to trust ourselves, know our strengths and enhance them.”
Nature, art and healing sounds
As the host of SJB, Omar led the guests for a tour of its magnificent grounds. Nature is therapy especially when one is surrounded by lush greenery, sensory garden with fragrant plants and tactile features and even lily ponds with quacking ducks! A feast for the eyes were the artefacts and exhibits in the wooden Malay houses turned art galleries. These are the precious collection from all around the world during the travels of Omar’s father, Tan Seri Kamarul Ariffin. At SJB’s Islamic Gallery on Hari Seni Sentosa, young PWD artist Aaina Farhanah was thrilled to introduce to the audience her first ever solo exhibition, Conteng. Fifteen of this young artist’s artwork will be on display starting July 19th for two weeks.
— WE