Arts for All – Penang as an inter-cultural hub?
International performances are staged rarely here in Penang which, despite its extraordinary cultural heritage, can be something of a desert when it comes to theatre and performance arts, so last week many people jumped at the chance to see one of the most expensive performances ever staged in Penang.
Dewan Sri Penang, Penang’s only theatre space of a size sufficient to put on major performances, staged ‘Breakout’, an ‘extreme dance comedy’ from Korea. The group has performed around the globe, including an extended run on New York’s Broadway. The show went down a storm. The audience loved it.
It feels like Penang’s arts scene is experiencing a sudden growth spurt, with two international performances staged at Dewan Sri Penang in the last two months – Rasa Unmasked, an Indian dance performance created by Malaysia’s foremost Indian Classical dance performer, Ramli Ibrahim, was performed here in April 2009 – perhaps bringing us closer to Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s vision of Penang as an ‘inter-cultural hub’. Penangites seem to have a thirst for more, with the on-going popularity of the performance space at the Little Penang Street Market, making the arts accessible to all, and international events like the annual Penang Jazz Festival.
The cancellation of the World Music Festival this year was a disappointment to many. Last year’s festival was one of the most exciting and enjoyable arts events I have ever experienced. Penang had an opportunity to really put itself on the map as a venue for the international arts scene. Last year’s event was not only a show case for an incredible mix of musical styles from some of the top performers in the world, but also an example of the highly professional pool of people Penang has to organise and stage an event of this kind. The organisation and production of each show was flawless.
But what art lovers in Penang are crying out for is a versatile performance space, where people can come together to share their love of the visual and performance arts – and in this cultural mix that is Penang, surely the arts are one of the best ways of cultivating tolerance and understanding between people from all backgrounds. What are the options here in Penang? Could Dewan Sri Penang be upgraded? Instead of yet another shopping mall, could we see plans for an arts center with multiple performance and exhibition spaces, capable of supporting both international productions and community-focused arts programs that allow anyone, regardless of background, income, religion or mobility to enjoy the arts?
Arts events may be seen by many as the privilege of the few, but this needn’t be true. Self-expression and communication through the arts is open to anyone, together with the benefits the arts can bring in terms of confidence building in young people, cross-cultural communication, an outlet for stress and tension, a reprieve from daily struggles, and a simple source of pleasure and enjoyment. This is something that should not be denied to anyone.
I’d like to see the Chief Minister’s vision become a reality – but it needs commitment, and funds that are sorely lacking in these tough economic times. It needs to be a greater vision – that speaks ot equity and freedom, and an attainable enhancement of the quality of life of anyone who seeks it in Penang.
