Once again acting as a platform to bridge ideas between Singapore and Malaysia’s creative, artistic, social and business communities, the CausewayEXchange (CEX) arts festival returns to Singapore for its 9th edition this September. Alternating between taking place across both countries, this year’s edition will be held in Singapore, and will showcase a deeper focus on the role of the arts in health and for special … Continue reading Preview: CausewayEXchange 2018
GEORGE TOWN, MALAYSIA – Penangite David ST Loh has been away from Malaysia for 30 years. In that time, the photojournalist has gone on to become an editor at Reuters, work for Malaysian Insight, and have his images gracing books and newspapers ranging from the New York Times to the Washington Post, and more. Taking a closer look at how the island has progressed over the … Continue reading George Town Festival 2018: Over Penang by David ST Loh
GEORGE TOWN, MALAYSIA – Based off the experiences of soldiers who have fought on the frontline, KaBooM is a moving and often disturbing series of interlocking performance vignettes, as told by a single woman (Deborah Leiser-Moore, also director) performing each of these stories. Registering and gathering at Art Lane before the performance began, we were then led a short distance away to a steel factory where the performance would … Continue reading George Town Festival 2018 Week Three: KaBooM – Stories from Distant Frontlines by Tashmadada
GEORGE TOWN, MALAYSIA – Created by the Youth Community Arts Project over a six month process, which brought together five financially needy schools from Kulim Bandar Baharu to create an arts performance, Singing to the Lions follows Alisa, a dead girl who attempts to weave her memories together to figure out what happened to her in life after it was taken by fierce lions. Over the … Continue reading George Town Festival 2018 Week Three: Singing to the Lions
GEORGE TOWN, MALAYSIA – The George Town Festival brings with it plenty of experimental art, including the unique Instant Theatre. Designed by Chinese performance artists group XiaoKe x ZiHan, this year’s edition was held at the Basketball Court at Lebuh Aceh, and saw a combination of Malaysian and Chinese performers put their creativity to the test as they figured out how to use the space given to them. With … Continue reading George Town Festival 2018 Week Three: Instant Theatre
GEORGE TOWN, MALAYSIA – Exhibiting a series of 28 photographic portraits displaying a diverse selection of Malaysians posing with the Malaysian flag, photographer Mooreyameen Mohamad’s exhibition Stripes and Strokes came under fire this week as the portraits of LGBTQ activists Nisha Ayub and Pang Khee Teik were taken down on “instruction”. Igniting furore from both the arts and LGBTQ communities, the unexpected move was unimaginable, considering how both activists were simply … Continue reading George Town Festival 2018 Opening Weekend: Removal of Portraits From Stripes and Strokes Reveal An LGBTQ Intolerant Malaysia
GEORGE TOWN, MALAYSIA – Over one of the things we were most impressed by is the sheer amount of art spaces available in George Town, and the diversity and melting pot of arts, culture and people that make up the Penang capital. At every event this year, the team behind GTF ensured that there was an ambassador present to educate audiences about theatre etiquette and what … Continue reading George Town Festival 2018 Opening Weekend: Between Tiny Cities រវាងទីក្រុងតូច
GEORGE TOWN, MALAYSIA – Last weekend, a brand new show opened the 9th edition of the annual George Town Festival (GTF) in Penang, Malaysia. Titled Kelantan: A Living Heritage, the performance acted as a platform to showcase the many cultures and art forms that made up Malaysia, so named as the word ‘Kelantan’ refers to the ‘Cradle of Malay Culture’. The performance began on a youthful note, with … Continue reading George Town Festival 2018 Opening Weekend: Kelantan – A Living Heritage
KUCHING, SARAWAK – From an outsider’s point of view, Kuching feels like a world apart from bustling Singapore. Instead of the daily grind of office workers commuting into the CBD, the roar of cars speeding along a highway, the Sarawakian capital is quiet, at peace with the world as its inhabitants go about their lives amidst the lush greenery of the rainforest. The truth is … Continue reading Rainforest Fringe Festival 2018: Festival Opening Weekend
Dark humour is rife in these riveting playlets that highlight social issues. KUALA LUMPUR – The term normcore stems from an anti-fashion movement that revolves around purposefully choosing to wear plain, unremarkable clothing. But in the two plays that make up writer Ridhwan Saidi’s Teater Normcore Double Bill, these initially normal looking settings quickly give way to settings far darker than they initially let on. … Continue reading Review: Teater Normcore by Ridhwan Saidi (Kuala Lumpur)
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