RCE Kuching - 2022

National Ocean Virtual Art Competition (NOVAC) 2022
CSV
Basic Information
Title of project : 
National Ocean Virtual Art Competition (NOVAC) 2022
Submitting RCE: 
RCE Kuching
Contributing organization(s) : 
1. Old Kuching SMART Heritage (OKSHe)
2. Hemisphere Corporation
3. United Nations University
4. RCE Greater Kuala Lumpur
5. UCSI Group RCE GKL
6. UCSI University Kuching Campus
7. UCSI University Kuala Lumpur Campus
Focal point(s) and affiliation(s)
Name: 
Ms. Francesca Enchang
Organizational Affiliation: 
Organizing Chairperson of NOVAC 2022
E-mail: 
rcekuching@gmail.com
Name: 
YBhg. Datu Dr. Sabariah Putit
Organizational Affiliation: 
Deputy State Secretary (Operation) of Department of the Premier of Sarawak
E-mail: 
mardiam1@sarawak.gov.my
Name: 
Tuan Azlan bin Haji Ali Badri
Organizational Affiliation: 
Acting Deputy Secretary, Government of Sarawak (Operations)
E-mail: 
azlanab@sarawak.gov.my
Name: 
Prof Dr. Ir .Al-Khalid bin Othman
Organizational Affiliation: 
Deputy Chief Scientist & Chief Advisor for Sarawak Multimedia Authority
E-mail: 
okhalid@sma.gov.my
Name: 
Khuzaimah Othman
Organizational Affiliation: 
Special Project Officer, Old Kuching Smart Heritage (OKSHe)
E-mail: 
khuzaimo@sarawak.gov.my
Name: 
Ms. Mary Ann Celement
Organizational Affiliation: 
Hemisphere Corporation Sdn Bhd
E-mail: 
mary@saraworldwide.com.my
Name: 
Prof. Datuk Ir. Ts. Dr. Siti Hamisah binti Tapsir
Organizational Affiliation: 
Vice Chancellor of UCSI University
E-mail: 
hamisah@ucsigroup.com.my
Name: 
Mdm Mukvinder Sandhu
Organizational Affiliation: 
RCE Kuching Chairperson
E-mail: 
rcekuching@gmail.com
Name: 
Associate Prof. Dr Yeong Siew Wei
Organizational Affiliation: 
RCE Kuching Vice Chairperson
E-mail: 
rcekuching@gmail.com
Name: 
Ms. Norani binti Abu Bakar
Organizational Affiliation: 
Chairperson RCE Greater Kuala Lumpur
E-mail: 
norani@ucsigroup.com.my
Name: 
Asst. Prof. Dr Luqman Lee
Organizational Affiliation: 
Director De Institute of Creative Arts and Design (ICAD) UCSI University
E-mail: 
luqmanlee@ucsiuniversity.edu.my
Name: 
Mr. Ahmad Fikri Yusuf
Organizational Affiliation: 
Old Kuching Smart Heritage (OKSHe)
E-mail: 
a.fikriy@sarawak.gov.my
Name: 
Mr. Hakimi Halim
Organizational Affiliation: 
University of Malaysia, SArawak
E-mail: 
hhakimi@unimas.my
Name: 
Asst. Prof. Dr. Wong Shaw Chiang
Organizational Affiliation: 
Deputy Director - De Institute of Creative Arts & Design (ICAD) UCSI University
E-mail: 
wongsc@ucsiuniversity.edu.my
Name: 
Mr. Petrus Alfred
Organizational Affiliation: 
Sarawak Artist Society
E-mail: 
petrusap@yahoo.com
Name: 
Ts. Lucas Lim Boon Leong
Organizational Affiliation: 
Head of Events - UCSI Group . Design Lecturer - ICAD UCSI University
E-mail: 
lucaslim@ucsiuniversity.edu.my
Format of project: 
painting, powerpoint, audiovisual
Language of project: 
English and Malay Language
Date of submission:
Tuesday, September 6, 2022
Web link: 
https://rce.ucsiuniversity.edu.my/news/national-ocean-virtual-art-competition-novac-2022-virtual-award-ceremony-21-july-2022/
Additional resources: 
https://www.facebook.com/100028793477234/videos/798063131204305/
Does this project link to any education and/or sustainable development policy or policies?: 
No
Geographical & Education Information
Region: 
Asia-Pacific
Country: 
Malaysia
Location(s): 
Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
Address of focal point institution for project: 
UCSI University Kuching Campus, Lot 2864 (P/L 1319), Block 7, Muara Tebas Land District, Isthmus, Tanjong Seberang Pending Point, Sejingkat, 93450 Kuching, Sarawak
Ecosystem(s):
Fresh water
Ocean
Target Audience:
Community, Higher, Primary, Secondary, Teacher Ed., Youth (Informal)
Socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of the area : 
Malaysia, country of Southeast Asia, lying just north of the Equator, that is composed of two noncontiguous regions: Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia, which is on the island of Borneo.in Peninsular Malaysia, the drainage pattern of East Malaysia is set by the interior highlands, which also form the watershed between Malaysia and Indonesia. The rivers and oceans, also perennial because of the year-round rainfall, form a dense network covering the entire region. The longest river in Sarawak, the Rajang, is about 350 miles (563 km) long The rivers provide a means of communication between the coast and the interior, and historically, most settlement has taken place along the rivers.
Description of sustainable development challenge(s) in the area the project addresses: 
Two thirds of the rivers in Malaysia are to be categorized as polluted (Khalid et.al,2018). Rivers in Sarawak for example provide fresh water for consumption, recreation, industrial use and even means of public transport. In one of the local newspaper article, a villager admitted that she throws rubbish into the river at the back of her house and when asked about its impact on pollution, she said she was unaware that her action is bad for the environment. Therefore, continuous awareness should be done on river cleanliness by educating the public and encourage their participation in keeping the rivers clean.
Contents
Status: 
Completed
Period: 
May, 2022
Rationale: 
The art competition was aimed at gathering unique perspectives that local communities have on their rivers and their sustainability and how they can express themselves in various painting forms. This is our third project to promote the goals of SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation and SDG 14; that is, Life Below Water, and it is our first organizing in National level. We want to empower our locals to understand what they can do to contribute to each of these global goals. In view of the belief that the young ones should also be encouraged and aware of taking care of the rivers and oceans.
Objectives: 
a) To improve students’ awareness of the importance of keeping the oceans clean (Cognitive learning).
30 participants who submitted their artworks were able to express their awareness on the importance of keeping the oceans clean through painting descriptions. The painting descriptions can be found via Registration Form (collected via Google Form).

b) To encourage students to express their feelings about oceans sustainability in the form of art (Socio-emotional learning)
The competition managed to receive 30 total artworks and all with one theme ‘Protecting Malaysia Ocean Diversity’. All participants were able to follow the theme of the competition and express their feelings about oceans sustainability through painting outcome and its descriptions.

c) To empower individuals to be influential ambassadors (Behavioural learning)
The participants have become influential ambassadors of their own states through submission of artworks in this competition. The participants understand the need to keep the oceans clean by producing artworks in line with the theme. The artworks are hoped to influence other people to become more aware on oceans sustainability and able to influence their behavioural action to keep the oceans clean at all times. Besides, this event also involved 12 RCE Youth Ambassadors and 12 students from UCSI University to participate not only to assist in organizing the event, but also to educate them on how important this event is as being part of giving awareness to the public on ocean sustainability.

d) To include the need of digital inclusion throughout the event such as submitting artworks pictures and videos via website in voting and e exhibition purposes. (Psychomotor learning)
All 30 participants have submitted their scanned artworks through Google Forms with all the information needed. Besides, the artworks were posted in RCE Kuching Facebook page which enable the participants to share their works over social media and obtained public voting. Digital inclusion throughout the event were evidenced in NOVAC 2022.
Activities and/or practices employed: 
Phase 1 (Awareness : 27th May 2022-7th July 2022)
The public was informed about NOVAC 2022 via RCE Webiste, social media, e-mails, direct mails to schools etc. Competition period began during these dates as well.

Phase 2 (Semi-Final Results : 14th July 2022)
Shortlisted or Top 20 winners were announced as State Levels, followed by another Final Round National Level evaluation from the respective judges.

Phase 3 (Final Results & Online Award Ceremony : 21st July 2022)
Online Award Ceremony was conducted via Google Meet and RCE Kuching Facebook Live


Size of academic audience: 
100 pax
Results: 
Sensitivity and awareness towards Malaysia oceans and rivers sustainability are enhanced among the participants. This competition has requires them to include and also contribute the four domains of teaching and learning; Cognitive learning Socio-emotional learning, Behavioural learning, Psychomotor learning by being able to producing arts through paintings.
Lessons learned: 
• Prepare backup plan for meeting platform
o Despite the fact that everything went smoothly during the rehearsal, the primary meeting platform like the Microsoft Team system went crashed on the day itself. So, the operational team has to set up an emergency platform which was Google Meet to proceed with the award ceremony.

• Set up marking dateline early
o To prevent adjustments at the last minute, all marking results must be completed at least a week or at the latest three days before to the event.

• Utilize PowerPoint if the event incorporates music background
o The team prepared the slides using Canva at the first place without knowing that the system could not incorporate variety of music background. Although you may use Canva to make dynamic visual backdrops, you can only use one audio file per set of slides.
Key messages: 
In conjunction with the World’s Ocean Day, Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) Kuching in collaboration with Old Kuching SMART Heritage (OKSHe) and Hemisphere Corporation has successfully held NOVAC 2022 with a theme of ‘Protecting Malaysia Ocean Diversity’. A virtual award ceremony was held on 21st July 2022 via Google Meet platform was attended by over 80-100 attendees. It is hoped that RCE Kuching’s future programmes will continue to improve the society’s awareness on the importance of ocean cleanliness and the ways to reduce marine pollution, imparting education for sustainable development into the hearts of the people of Malaysia and beyond thereby fulfilling many SDGs goals.
Relationship to other RCE activities: 
RCE Kuching 5R Campaign - students can start to collect recyclable materials for sculpture making for any art competition in the future.
Funding: 
We would like to thank Sarawak Multimedia Authority(SMA) and Old Kuching Smart Heritage (OKSHe) for providing us in total cash prizes of RM2,050.

We would also like to thank Hemisphere Corporation Sdn Bhd for sponsoring in terms of complimentary stay at hotels and also dinner voucher.

We would also like to thank all respective judges and RCE Youth Ambassadors and students for their volunteer support despite of their busy schedules.

Pictures:

File Name Caption for picture Photo Credit
Image icon Screenshot 2022-08-26 at 3.19.48 PM.png (675.77 KB) Online Award Ceremony Facebook Live RCE Kuching
Image icon Screenshot 2022-08-26 at 3.21.16 PM.png (798.04 KB) Contestants Feedbacks RCE Kuching
Image icon Screenshot 2022-08-26 at 3.22.37 PM.png (737.67 KB) Some paintings RCE Kuching
Image icon Screenshot 2022-08-26 at 3.25.15 PM.png (589.75 KB) Consolation Prize 1 RCE Kuching
Image icon Screenshot 2022-08-26 at 3.24.53 PM.png (584.31 KB) Consolation Prize 2 RCE Kuching
Image icon Screenshot 2022-08-26 at 3.25.48 PM.png (583.76 KB) Consolation Prize 3 RCE Kuching
Image icon Screenshot 2022-08-26 at 3.26.03 PM.png (620.44 KB) Consolation Prize 4 RCE Kuching
Image icon Screenshot 2022-08-26 at 3.26.14 PM.png (584.35 KB) Consolation Prize 5 RCE Kuching
Image icon Screenshot 2022-08-26 at 3.27.57 PM.png (575.65 KB) 4th Runner-Up Winner RCE Kuching
Image icon Screenshot 2022-08-26 at 3.28.14 PM.png (547.01 KB) 3rd Runner-Up Winner RCE Kuching
References and reference materials: 
PDF icon NOVAC2022 Slides PPT.pdf
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
(https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs) and other themes of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
SDG 4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 
Direct
SDG 6 - Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all 
Direct
SDG 14 - Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development 
Direct
Theme
Arts 
Direct
Ecotourism 
Direct
Waste 
Direct
ESD for 2030-Priority Action Areas
Priority Action Area 1 - Advancing policy 
state: 
Direct
Priority Action Area 2 - Transforming learning and training environments 
state: 
Direct
Priority Action Area 3 - Developing capacities of educators and trainers 
state: 
Direct
Priority Action Area 4 - Mobilizing youth 
state: 
Direct
Priority Action Area 5 - Accelerating sustainable solutions at local level 
state: 
Direct
Update: 
No
I acknowledge the above: 
Yes