Conservation Through Arts & Crafts
Our arts and crafts also enhance the commitment of the State’s conservation agenda. NIAG aims to address the threats of extinction of some of Sabah’s natural assets. NIAG through its works of art aims to highlight the plight and predicament of the endangered species of Borneo. At this moment in time, NIAG and UCSF are paying special attentions to the fast depleting population of sharks, especially in the surrounding sea of Sabah; the pangolins, facing threats from poachers; and the sea turtles, whose habitats are severely encroached.
DEVELOPING ART APPRECIATION & TALENTS
The eco-environment not only allow UCSF to provide a good research and education platform, but also a platform for appreciation of arts and its crafts. In addition to participating in the government’s skill-training programmes of building young and talented artists, especially for the marginalised group of students, UCSF also from time-to-time provides training to the public by participating in the various schools, community or outreach programmes.
The skill-training programmes which UCSF and NIAG have conducted involve short-courses such as:
- Oil and water paintings. The levels of trainings conducted ranges from basic to elementary, and intermediary.
- Sculpturing, involving welding technique using recycled materials.
- Botanic batik. A traditional Asian art of decorating cloth using wax and dye, but in our case, natural and organic dye.Photographic art
- Batik drawing.
- Photographic art.
- Murals.
From time to time, NIAG and its artists are also invited to exhibitions and more recently, NIAG was invited to work with the City Hall to create murals for the city of Kota Kinabalu.
In addition, since its inception in 2015, UCSF has continued to its own Green Awareness Campaign with the aim of bringing the plights of some of the endangered species of Sabah today. As for the record, three campaigns have been organised along with it, UCSF has created three replicas of the endangered species of Sabah to create better public awareness:
