BORNEO INTERNATIONAL BEADS CONFERENCE (BIBCo) 2011
- Location:
- Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
- Date:
- Friday 7th - Sunday 9th October 2011
- Venue:
- Grand Margherita Hotel
Copies of the Journal of the Borneo International Beads Conference 2011 are available. It contains the research papers given by the speakers.
For details of costs and how to order....
.....click here
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Programme
A broad outline of the programme is as follows:
- Friday, 7 October 2011
- Mid-morning
- Official Opening of BIBCo 2011 followed by tour of Beads Bazaar.
- Afternoon 2 pm– 4.30 pm.
- Keynote Address, Presentation of Papers.
- Beads Exhibitions and Sales.
- 4.30 pm– 5.30 pm.
- visit to Tun Jugah Beads Gallery.
- Saturday, 8 October 2011
- 9 am. – 12.30 pm.
- Presentation of Papers.
- Beads Exhibitions and Sales
- 2 pm. – 4.30 pm.
- Hands–on workshops
- 7.15 pm.
- Gala Dinner and Presentation of Borneo International Beads Awards 2010/2011
- Sunday, 9 October 2011
- 9 am. – 4.30 pm.
- Presentation of Papers.
- Beads Exhibitions and Sales.
- 4.30 pm. – 5.30 pm.
- Plenary session, Q & A for all speakers and participants.
- Monday, 10 October 2011
Post Conference Tours
You can download a more detailed programme in pdf format here.
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Latest updates (20 February 2012):
- Report on BIBCo 2011 and photos from the event.
- After BIBCo 2011 – copies of the journal can be purchased from Crafthub.
Please revisit this page to keep up to date with latest news on BIBCo 2011 - we continue to update it with more details!
Introduction: Beads in Sarawak
The bead culture of Sarawak, part of a greater Malaysian heritage, is rooted in centuries of tradition. An ancient maritime trading network linked Sarawak to the world; the beads most treasured today came from production centres on the Malay Peninsula, from India, China and even further afield.
In the hands of Sarawak‘s craftswomen and collectors, these masterpieces of the glassmaker‘s art became intrinsically “Borneo Beads”.
Objectives of BIBCo
- To facilitate creative interaction between Sarawak’s artisans/designers and their international counterparts
- To share knowledge and expertise with international bead scholars and researchers
- To preserve the Sarawak bead tradition in a commercially viable way
- To encourage the production of top quality beads and beadwork in Sarawak
- To promote competent modern design in beads and beadwork
- To showcase the bead culture of Sarawak to a regional/international audience
- To promote ‘culture tourism’ in Sarawak
- To improve the earning power of home–based cottage workers in Sarawak
Panel of Speakers and Talks
- Keynote Address: Ancient Beads of Peninsular Malaysia
- Zuraina Majid–Lowe (Malaysia)
- Beaded Wedding Baskets of Southwestern Sumatra
- Art Astarita (USA)
- Ornaments of the dead among the Nagas
- Alok Kanungo (India)
- Art on a String from Arnhem Land
- Louise Hamby (Australia)
- Something for Everyone — Haudenosaunee Souvenir Beadwork
- Karlis Karklins (Canada)
- Beads of Zululand
- Eleanor Preston–Whyte (South Africa)
- Karoh – a sacred and secular symbol of identity among the Lotud
- Patricia Regis (Sabah) – Joint paper with Judeth John Baptist
- The Concept of Adat Law and Adat Law Fines in Sarawak; Melanau Bead Culture; Kayan and Kenyah Bead Culture
- Hang Tuah Merawin, Hat Hoklai and Henry Anyie Ajang (Sarawak)
- The Beads Gallery of The Tun Jugah Foundation
- Janet Rata (Sarawak)
- Beads in the Sarawak Museum
- Tazudin Mohtar (Sarawak)
- Blue Beads to Trade with the Natives’ – a case study
- Heidi Munan (Sarawak)
Report on the Event
The Borneo International Bead Conference 2011 went off with a
bang. A ’pop’ anyway, when our guest of honour cut the ribbon at
the opening ceremony, and ’beads’ popped all over the place.
Old friends got together at BIBCo, new friends joined the fun.
Participants came from Australia, Canada, South Africa, Kenya, Indonesia, India, Egypt,
all parts of Malaysia, Singapore and elsewhere.
Lectures
The lecture component
was very interesting and informative; we learnt about
bead links from all over Southeast Asia and beyond.
BeadsAbuzz – exhibition and sales
Participants and the general public revelled in beads, beads and
beads at BeadsAbuzz, the exhibition and sales component of
BIBCo. Bead sellers, bead designers, bead artists contributed to
the sparkling display; Sarawak’s traditional craft-workers enjoyed
the exposure to a wider world.
Workshops
The three workshops were so well attended that some people had
to wait for a turn! A group of experts from the Vukani Museum in
Zululand shared the secrets of beading a Zulu Love Letter.
A team
from Kraftangan, the Malaysian Handicrafts Board, had a different
secret to reveal — how to make dainty beads out of fine strips of
bamboo! One specially skilled participant took this a step further
to make a finger ring.
The third workshop was a 'show and tell' session monitored
by Karlis Karklins and Thomas Chung. These two bead experts
examined and commented on beads shown to them by participants,
but they didn’t just hand down verdicts — they encouraged lively
discussion in which everybody took part.
Post-conference tour
The post-conference tour to a Bidayuh longhouse was considered the high point of the event by those who joined this day-trip. An
old lady demonstrated the art of making the tall beaded head-gear for which this ethnic group is famous, and the group shared a
no-frills Bidayuh lunch on the airy verandah of her house.
BIBCo 2011 Journal – copies available for sale!
We have more copies of the Journal of BIBCo 2011, containing the papers given by the speakers, available for sale.
In Kuching
The Journal is sold at Crafthub Office, 96 Main Bazaar, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia at RM 45 a copy. Payment by cash.
Within Malaysia
Copies sent by Registered Mail to anywhere in Malaysia cost RM 60 – including packing, postage etc. Please pay by direct banking into Crafthub bank account.
Please email us to request a copy and to get more details of how to make the payment.
Rest of the world
Copies sent by Registered AirMail to anywhere outside Malaysia cost US$ 40 – including packing, postage etc.
Please pay by Paypal or Western Union, do NOT send bank drafts or cheques etc., they are practically consumed by bank charges.
Please email us to request your copy and to get details of how to make the payment.
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The Borneo International Bead Award (BIBA)
This international bead-making and bead-working competition was announced at BIBCo 2010 by Usha Krishna, President of WCC (World Crafts Council). The competition was administered by Crafthub Sdn.Bhd, organizer of BIBCo; it was supported by the WCC and the WCC/APR (Asia Pacific Region).
For more information about the competition, see our BIBA page.
The first winners were announced at BIBCo 2011 Gala Dinner.
Photos from the Event...
All photos of the event shown below are Copyright © Crafthub 2011
| At the Opening of BIBCo 2011..... |
Formal launch of BIBCo by Guest of Honour Datuk Haji Talip Zulpilip, Assistant Minister of Tourism Sarawak |
Welcome to our Guest of Honour |
VIPs and audience |
Datuk Talip with Datin Cathrine Gramong, Datuk Amar Empiang Jabu, Datuk Dr Zuraina Majid–Lowe and Heidi Munan |
Touring the Beads Abuzz area |
Visiting the Vukani stall from South Africa |
Sharing a laugh |
| The Hands–on Workshops on Saturday afternoon..... |
Making Zulu Love Letters, by the ladies from Vukani Museum, KwaZulu natal, South Africa
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Kraftangan Malaysia ran a Beading with Natural Materials workshop, using fibres, shells etc. |
Bead Identification, by Dr Thomas Chung and Karlis Karklins
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| At the Gala Dinner and Show on Saturday evening..... |
| The Guest of Honour was Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg, Minister of Tourism Sarawak..... |
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| Other guests included..... |
Jane Lian Labang (Sarawak Cultural Village),Valerie Mashman, and Dato Ose Murang |
Nelson Tan, Gracie Geikie (UCSI), and Dato Dr Amin Khan of Malaysis Airlines |
| Welcome – in Traditional Costumes – from Sarawak Cultural Village and Dayak Cultural Foundation..... |
Sarawak Cultural Village performers in traditional costumes |
Dayak Cultural Foundation members show more traditional costumes – for men..... |
...and women |
| BIBA (Borneo International Beads Award) prizes and certificates were presented during the Gala Dinner..... |
Bennedict Sandin, winner of the Bead–Working category, receives his prize from Guest of Honour Datuk Amar Abang Johari, watched by Senator Empiang Jabu and Heidi Munan |
| The Indonesian Consulate in Kuching organised a show of contemporary Indonesian fashion.....
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| Songket and Beads – fashion show arranged by Dr. June Ngo and choreographed by Vicky Fong..... |
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| And the Finale of the evening..... |
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| Beads Abuzz – the sales area of BIBCo 2011 – was also extremely popular. It was open to outside visitors as well as conference participants |
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| Also from BIBCo 2011..... |
BIBCo 2011 Director Heidi Munan takes a moment.... |
Some of our young helpers, including students from UCSI, here with Sidi Munan |
A final round-up of BIBCo 2011 speakers, organisers, helpers and some of the participants |
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