02/06/2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Poets and Filmmakers from the UK and Malaysia Unite to Celebrate World Peatlands Day
KUALA LUMPUR, JUNE 2: Bog, swamp – what do these words make you think of? The world’s peatland habitats are often misunderstood, synonymous with terms like “swamped” and “bogged down”. But they deserve celebrating: they are beautiful, biodiverse and vital for carbon sequestration.
With World Peatlands Day on 2nd June, Factual TV and Studio 91 Media are thrilled to share details of a thought-provoking new series of poems and spoken word films. Funded by a prestigious Connections Through Culture grant from the British Council, poets and filmmakers from Malaysia and the UK are collaborating to celebrate their countries’ unique peat swamps and bogs.
Established by the International Peatland Society, World Peatlands Day aims to raise awareness about the value of peatlands and the need for their sustainable management.
The Peat on Earth exhibition project challenges common misconceptions about peatland habitats and invites people to see these essential ecosystems from a new perspective.
“Science and technology are not the only tools we have to respond to threats such as climate change or resource extraction,” said Florence Lambert, Head of Arts and Creative Industries of the British Council Malaysia. “The arts help us communicate around the issues and touch people in ways science or technology can’t. Projects such as ‘Peat on Earth’ demonstrate that arts can play a role in addressing global challenges, and we are proud to be supporting such initiatives.”
At the heart of the British Council’s Connections Through Culture programme is a desire to encourage collaboration between British and Malaysian artists. For this project, young poets from Britain (Matt Sowerby) and Malaysia (Kimchi Lai) teamed up with filmmakers in their respective countries (Ben Horrigan from UK-based Studio 91 Media, and Leong Hon Yuen from Malaysia’s Factual TV). They each spent two days in May immersed in local peatland habitats, and are now working on the resulting 10 poems and spoken word films across borders.
“Peat bogs and swamps are vital for climate change mitigation, yet their importance is often overlooked and communicated in ways that don’t engage—especially with youth,” said Leong. “As the Malay proverb goes, 'Tak kenal, maka tak cinta'—if you don’t know it, you won’t love it. The habitat immersion gave us a firsthand experience of what a peat forest is, helping us create spoken word poetry films that bridge the emotional and knowledge gap between urban audiences and these unique ecosystems.”
“We always want to produce films that challenge and inspire people, and that seek to make the world a better place, which is why we feel so honoured and grateful to be involved in this project to showcase one of nature’s true underdogs: the humble peat bog," said Horrigan. “Its inherent beauty, its wondrous biodiversity and why it just might save us all.”
As you might imagine, peatland habitats in the UK and Malaysia are very different. Ben and Matt visited the rare 350-hectare Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve known for its nesting ospreys and wide open spaces. In Malaysia, Hon Yuen and Kimchi visited the rare 960-hectare Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve known for its Selangor Pygmy Flying Squirrel (Petaurillus kinlochii) and the Emerald-spot Fighting Fish (Betta livida) within its wooded peat swamps.
“Malaysia is renowned for its lush rainforests, and I’m excited to shine a light on a lesser-known yet equally vital ecosystem: the mighty peat swamp forest!,” enthused Lai.
“The Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve is a vital peat swamp forest ecosystem due to its role in maintaining environmental stability, supporting biodiversity, and providing ecosystem services to the community,” said Azhar bin Ahmad, Director, Selangor State Forestry Department.
“The Selangor State Forestry Department is committed to preserve and manage this peat swamp forest sustainably so that this invaluable natural treasure remains protected for the well-being of all communities worldwide.”
The peat swamp forest reserve in Selangor, Malaysia is also the ancestral home of the Temuan Orang Asli, who have long protected and sustainably used the land.
In the UK, Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve is a stunning lowland raised bog in South Cumbria, protected and restored by Cumbria Wildlife Trust.
Paul Waterhouse, Reserves Officer at Cumbria Wildlife Trust agreed that peatlands are an incredibly important habitat for a whole host of specialist flora and fauna, and have an essential role in the fight against climate change as they store huge amounts of carbon.
“Foulshaw Moss has undergone ground breaking landscape-scale habitat restoration, techniques of which are now being rolled out across many of the UK’s peatlands,” recalled Waterhouse.“
"The message of these films is well aligned with our organisation and we believe education and engagement around the importance of peatlands is essential for the long term preservation of these internationally-important sites.”
As for Cumbrian poet and climate activist, Matt Sowerby, he was honoured to be invited to represent his local wetland and tell these important stories.
“Wetlands are so crucial for biodiversity, for the climate, and often for local people’s ways of life,” said Sowerby. “Foulshaw Moss is a site close to my heart, and so is this project.”
“Malaysia is celebrated for our warmth and hospitality, and I really want to welcome our audiences into these rich, often-overlooked landscapes with that same warmth and care,” quipped Lai.
The poems and films will be showcased beginning in August 2025, with exhibitions in the two countries.
Malaysian audiences can view the Peat on Earth exhibition on August 9th and 10th at the Forest Learning Centre in Perdana Botanical Gardens, Kuala Lumpur, in conjunction with the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. A second exhibition is hosted by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at FASS Gallery, Sunway University in Bandar Sunway and is from October 6th to 11th.
The UK exhibition will take place on September 20th–21st at Manchester Museum’s Top Floor environmental action hub. All the exhibitions are free admission and open to the public; only the FASS Gallery is not wheelchair-accessible.
Lambert added, “Through our ‘Connection Through Culture’ and ‘Human-Nature’ programmes, we want to encourage artists and creatives to collaborate on projects that raise awareness on global challenges such as inclusion and climate change.”
To further engage the youth and the public, plans are also underway for an online Q&A session with habitat representatives, along with a website offering additional information—extending the impact of the exhibitions beyond their physical space.
British Council Malaysia
Arts – British Council
Laman Rasmi Jabatan Perhutanan Negeri Selangor
Cumbria Wildlife Trust
