The mission of ILM Arts Festival is to impact the lives of troubled youths, writes Sulyn Chong
Standing among the white- washed and grey industrial buildings is a colourful structure that’s home to the 1Malaysia For Youth (iM4U) programme.
Simply known as the iM4U Sentral, this youth centre, revitalised from the Rakan Muda Puchong complex back in January 2015, was recently the venue for the second ILM Arts Festival, an event that brought together Islamic artists from around the world, offering an eclectic combination of artistic expressions from fashion to writing, photography to music, and even graffiti to sports personalities.
The event, founded by The Maestro, Sajid Hussain, carried the theme Mind Games.
“When you look at the world today, you see many people with lots of problems. Many find it difficult to find solutions. So, without telling them they’ve got a problem, I present a solution,” begins Sajid as he explains the background to the festival. “Essentially, it’s an arts festival that’s empowering and inspiring; it seeks to give youths hope that they can do more with themselves and their lives rather than just become part of the system.
“It’s very much educational and entertainment put together, which is why I call it edu-tainment.”
NATURAL ORGANISER
Born and bred in Birmingham, England, Sajid is trained in investment marketing. That may seem like a far cry from what he’s doing now in Malaysia, but, as Sajid confides, he has always been a natural organiser.
“I’ve always been an organiser, no matter what I do,” he shares. “It’s a passion that I have. That’s my gift. That’s my attribute. And it feels good to be able to use this to make an impact on people’s lives.”
He fell in love with our rich and colourful environment back in 2001 so he decided to move his family and himself to this country in 2008. All the while, he continued to run events internationally.
The affable Sajid currently oversees two events: An International Marriage Conference and the ILM Arts Festival — both of which are held in a number of countries.
His fascination and respect for this country is conveyed in his events. “I like to promote Malaysia wherever I go... as a country, environment, for business, pleasure, tourism and so forth,” he confesses. Hence the inaugural ILM Arts Festival began here in August 2015.
He says the festival allows him to showcase Malaysian talents to an international audience. “We can take the best of Malaysian talents and showcase them to the world where they can be enjoyed by everyone,” he asserts.
GOING BEYOND BORDERS
After the launch of ILM Arts Festival in 2015, Sajid could see his efforts in impacting lives going beyond borders. The festival was subsequently and successfully held in Melbourne in March 2016 and later in Kuwait in August 2016. It became known as a platform where lost and discontented youths could find a role model to emulate. It was, after all, what Sajid had envisioned for ILM Arts Festival.
He says: “What I saw was discontented youth. I saw kids at the age of 13, smoking. I saw guys whistling at girls walking past, women who were twice their age. I’d seen girls dressed like they were going clubbing when they were only going to school. I thought, ‘this can’t be right, there’s something going wrong here’.
“Our parents don’t teach us to be these types of people, so why are these kids doing this? Then I realised it’s because they have no role models.”
Each and every artist who had been invited to the one-day festival was there to provide guidance and become a role model for youths from all walks of life to look up to.
“In reality, youths can’t always connect with scholars and speakers. So let me connect them with things they enjoy instead,” Sajjd says.
The environment, he adds, should provide an adequate platform and means for youths to enjoy and learn something. It’s a space where they can gain knowledge and acquire self-belief to be better people as well as be able to give back to community in whatever capacity they can, based on whatever God-given talents they have.
FESTIVAL FOR ALL
Although this event brought together Islamic artists such as Karim Jabbari, Nouman Ali Khan, Belal Khalid and our very own Mizz Nina, it doesn’t mean that it’s limited to Muslims.
“One good thing about this event is that it appeals to your passion. And passion is not limited to religion. The arts isn’t limited to religions. It breaks down the barrier and it’s more faith-based creative inspiration here. And we bring communities together based on that,” says Sajid.
In addition to just being a motivational event for youths, the festival was also a playground for everyone. “We want everyone to come and enjoy. If you’re 3, you’ll enjoy it. If you’re 60, you’ll appreciate it,” he says.
Outside the lecture hall, various booths catering to families were readily available, from make-up to sand art. Even food trucks were assembled to feed those who sought nourishment in between speaker sessions.
When asked just how far he envisions the event will go, Sajid replies with conviction in his voice: “My ultimate vision is to have this event in all continents to impact lives wherever we go. There’s no point in just having entertainment without a message. The key thing about having a message is that it creates impact.”
In his closing statement, Sajid’s relentlessness is apparent. Concluding, he says: “We want to get people to wake up to the reality of how we’re being portrayed and how policies have been dictating us. It’s not about being judgemental, it’s about giving people a platform to say we’re all on a journey and that we’re all part of a bigger picture.”