Publika, Solaris Dutamas becomes the centre of intellectual discourse as Southeast Asia’s first and only festival of ideas The Cooler Lumpur Festival makes its return for the fourth consecutive year. This multidisciplinary event curated by creative media shop PopDigital adopts specific themes each year with the goal of expanding Kuala Lumpur’s cultural horizons while building stronger communities and cultivating imagination and creativity. The theme this year; RE: Independence, aims to dissect the concept of independence and re-evaluate what it truly means for a person, a people, and a nation to be independent.
The Cooler Lumpur Festival co-founder and Executive Director, Hardesh Singh states: “This year’s theme RE: Independence is aimed at driving healthy discourse amongst communities, on everything from independence in nation-building, right down to independence in our everyday lives.”
Thought-provoking and innovative, the festival will be featuring some leading writers such as theatre critic for The Times, Kate Bassett and John Dinges, a former special correspondent in Central America for The Washington Post.
They will join local talents, which include Malaysian writers including Boey Chee Ming, who is known for his illustrations and autobiographical graphic novel When I Was A Kid. Shamini Flint, an extensively travelled crime fiction author of the Inspector Singh series will also join this varied and talented roster.
Aside from the insightful lectures and riveting panel discussions, attendees will be treated to exciting event favourites such as the
“Bump in the Night”, a series of horror story sharing sessions and children’s activities under Cooler Lumpur Junior; this year organized and programmed by Bangkok-based international educators Jen and Nat Whitman.
The festival this year will also see the introduction of The Cooler Lumpur Disruptions, presented by TBWA\KL. The Disruptions Track will look at how the principles of disruption, innovation and shakeup apply to brands, corporations and communities. These sessions will feature an impressive line-up of individuals and organisations who have challenged and revolutionised their respective industries.
Apart from the workshops, The Cooler Lumpur Festival is free of charge and will be open to participants of every age during the 10th and 11th of September. Log on to www.coolerlumpur.com or follow them on Instagram @coolerlumpur and Facebook for more details on this remarkable event.