Let’s learn about ASPIRE, a programme that trains youth in detention in the intricate art of Sarawak keringkam.
ASPIRE’s role in preserving Sarawak keringkam
Will we have the same prospects for employment as other young people after we “graduate”?
This question was posed by one of the trainees from Sekolah Henry Gurney Puncak Borneo Kuching to the panellists at the recent ASPIRE workshop, a programme aimed at upskilling youth in juvenile detention in the art of Sarawak keringkam.
I was a little taken aback by the question. It turns out that the youngsters in juvenile detention also wonder what the future holds for them.
Therefore, the responses from the three panellists are of great interest to me.
As long as these young people were sincere and serious about improving themselves, it turned out that everyone was devoted and committed to providing them with career possibilities.
In fact, the head unit of Sekolah Henry Gurney Puncak Borneo Kuching assured all of his trainees that if they were interested in starting their own business after they “graduated”, he would help them obtain grants and other necessary support.
There were various interesting insights I gained from this one-day ASPIRE workshop, which was sponsored by Yayasan Hasanah and led by Brooke Museums.
The event’s agenda was designed for stakeholders to come together, share the learnings of the past 11 months, and consider how the outcomes of the programme could be applied for greater social impact.
ASPIRE programme
With the support of Yayasan Hasanah, ASPIRE was launched in June 2023. It is a youth development programme run by Brooke Museums, emphasising Sarawak keringkam.
The programme aims to preserve declining skills in traditional arts and crafts by upskilling young people who are facing difficult times and are currently being re-educated and rehabilitated in detention centres.
Through this programme, 50 youth from Sekolah Henry Gurney Puncak Borneo Kuching, Sekolah Tunas Bakti, and Taman Seri Puteri will undergo embroidery skill training for a 24-month period in an effort to conserve the art of keringkam and prevent its decline.
According to Brooke Museums’ head of museums and education, Salliza Sideni, the recent event was the second of two annual workshops under the programme, which also includes various activities beyond classroom training. These activities include community outreach to schools to educate students on heritage textile skills, a course textbook, workshops, and exhibitions.
“After almost a year into the programme, the results produced by the trainees at the three institutions have surpassed the expectations of Brooke Museums and stakeholders.
“They are showing very positive and encouraging progress in their Sarawak keringkam embroidery lessons as well as with assigned tasks or projects.
“There is undoubtedly a lot to learn from this successful experience thus far, including understanding contemporary approaches towards youth rehabilitation programmes.
“Through the demonstration session, the trainee participants will have the opportunity to network with artisans and practitioners in the field and interact outside a much more restricted classroom environment, which is another objective of the planned annual workshops under the programme.
“It is therefore fitting that this second workshop for the programme provides the opportunity to hear from key stakeholders — educators and psychologists, the artisan trainers, and the trainees themselves,” explained Salliza, who is also the ASPIRE project manager.
Reaching the unreachable stars
As one of the fortunate media representatives who attended this session, I can attest to the fact that the juveniles benefit greatly from this programme.
As we all know, traditional craft enthusiasts, both domestic and foreign, are becoming increasingly enamoured with Sarawak’s keringkam and songket products.
These trainees will undoubtedly be able to soar high and achieve their dreams if they fully utilise their skills once they are released from the detention centres.
According to a trainee from Taman Seri Puteri, she considers herself extremely fortunate to have acquired keringkam embroidery skills, which will be very handy when she “graduates” in the future.
“To be honest, I had never heard of keringkam before.
“When I first started learning, I felt that keringkam embroidery was quite difficult because there are many steps to master.
“Since we only have classes twice a week, I feel like I’m taking my time learning how to embroider the keringkam.
“However, after mastering the basic steps, I find this activity very addictive; I can’t seem to stop and can’t wait to embroider other motifs,” she said.
Elaborating, the 17-year-old teenager added that she had an ambition to combine keringkam and batik attire after leaving the institution, as she already knew how to sew clothing.
Meanwhile, a 19-year-old from Sekolah Henry Gurney Puncak Borneo Kuching admitted that he was initially uninterested in keringkam because he felt it required a lot of patience to complete the needlework.
“When you embroider, a lot of unfavourable things can happen. For example, the cloth can get dirty, the thread can break, or the thread can come off the needle. All of these things can make you unhappy.
“But that’s when I started to understand what patience meant. I am now able to grasp several embroidery motifs, even though I had no knowledge of or interest in keringkam at first.
“For me, this traditional craft is very important to instil among young people so that it will not disappear over time,” he said.
He continued by saying that, insyaAllah, after “graduating”, he intended to start keringkam basic classes, especially for teenagers, to give them productive activities in their spare time.
By learning the basics of keringkam, he said, the youth can also make it a source of income.
The Miri-born added that, in addition to wanting to start classes, he also hoped to establish himself as a local supplier of keringkam goods.
Maintaining the keringkam
Dr Franca Cole, a Sarawak Museum consultant in conservation and archaeology, shared a few pointers to ensure that stored keringkam remains well-maintained and long-lasting.
She advised all embroiderers to cleanse their hands with soap before beginning any embroidery, emphasising this as a crucial step.
Cole said that fingerprints from unclean hands could damage the threads, leaving them with defects.
Furthermore, she emphasised that embroiderers should wash the cloth they plan to use to eliminate any starch before beginning to embroider keringkam.
“After washing, the fabric will shrink, but the threads will not. Thus, once you begin embroidery, do not even consider washing your cloth. Washing it will ruin your embroidery.
“Just so you know, keringkam threads differ from conventional threads in appearance because they are composed of metal tape plated with gold or silver.
“Due to their extreme sensitivity, these threads require special attention to ensure they do not break easily.
“That’s why, if you have sweaty hands, make sure you use gloves to protect your threads.
“Threads exposed to sweat can rust and oxidise; the gold will turn green while the silver will turn black.
“Make sure you use blue rubber gloves and not the white ones or cotton gloves because they can damage the threads,” she explained.
Cole also suggested that those who sweat a lot work on their needlework in airy, comfortable settings.
Lastly, she advised wearing the keringkam cloth over another scarf and never poking it onto your head or hair with a needle or anything sharp.
