Billed as Southeast Asia’s first and only event powered by ideas and concepts, The Cooler Lumpur Festival returns this November with a new format under the theme GroundUP. That theme is a response to the unprecedented threat that 2020 has brought with it, the Covid-19 pandemic, and how it has forced the world to rethink how it operates, virtually from the ground up.
The eighth edition of the multidisciplinary festival, which adopts a different theme every year, will once again bring together creative thinkers and innovators to help create dialogue, foster creativity and build relationships – elements that have underpinned the festival since its inception in 2013.
Sustainability has been a key issue in past festivals, which have approached it from angles including food security, urban farming and sustainable living. This year it takes centre stage by becoming a platform for players that are championing this agenda.
Taking place at Publika from 6-8 November, the Festival will once again feature The Belly Good Food Market, an artisanal food creators market overflowing with fresh ideas and novel concepts. Here you’ll find forward-thinking foodpreneurs hawking their innovative creations and leading the way in everything from sustainable packaging to network building.
The Market will also feature mini-events including Eat GroundUp – a mini forum for sharing sessions with foodpreneurs, and the Pre-Loved Maternity Booth where tenderly loved pieces made by mothers operating in a circular economy are showcased.
Meanwhile, the Cub’s Den will see kidpreneurs aged 13-18 showcase their products and services, and gaining valuable real-life experience and feedback at the same time. There will also be sharing sessions led by these talented young individuals who will talk about their experience on building and running a business.
If carpentry is something you’ve been wanting to get in to, check out the Bikin For Charity initiative in conjunction with wood-making workshop Ignition Lab. Not only will you learn a wholesome craft, but you’ll be building furniture pieces for underprivileged schools, orphanages and refugee centres. There will also be specially curated sessions for autistic kids and senior citizens.
Last but not least, making its inaugural appearance at the festival is the Bawatana Sprout, an intensive one-day programme focused on areas such as branding, growth hacking and public relations. If you’ve just launched a startup or are thinking about it, you won’t want to miss this session which will be led by creative gurus providing valuable insight on how to manage your burgeoning business.
The Cooler Lumpur Festival
Where Publika, Solaris Dutamas
When 10am onwards (6-8 Nov)
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