YSDAF 2025 Pitch Start offers RM30,000 grant for inclusive arts

As the Yayasan Sime Darby Arts Festival (YSDAF) marks a decade of celebrating the arts, it continues its commitment to accessibility and inclusivity with the return of Pitch Start for YSDAF 2025. This initiative invites artists and arts groups across Malaysia to submit proposals that creatively engage Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) through the arts. Selected projects stand a chance to receive a grant of up to RM30,000, reinforcing YSDAF’s mission to use the arts as a medium for social impact.

Since its inaugural edition in 2014, Pitch Start has been a festival highlight, providing a platform for innovative and meaningful artistic projects. With YSDAF 2025’s theme, Community: Side by Side, the festival aims to further bridge the gap between the arts and diverse communities, ensuring that artistic experiences are accessible to all.

A Legacy of Connecting Communities

Over the years, Pitch Start has supported a variety of groundbreaking projects that have expanded the boundaries of inclusivity in the Malaysian arts scene. Among them, JinnD Productions’ Beyond Moving with Artisans, the 2023 Pitch Start winner, showcased a multi-sensory dance installation combining art, technology, and community engagement. The project also featured youths with autism from Jammy Tummy, who contributed by sharing their homemade baked goods with attendees.

Another notable winner, Chin Wen Yen’s Subject-Y, redefined the museum experience for the blind and deaf. By creating a tactile museum where sighted visitors were blindfolded to experience the exhibits through touch, the project emphasized equality in artistic experiences. These initiatives exemplify YSDAF’s dedication to fostering a more inclusive arts environment, one where artistic expression transcends physical limitations.

Beyond Pitch Start, YSDAF has consistently engaged diverse communities, including people with autism, wheelchair users, the blind and visually impaired, individuals with Parkinson’s disease, and refugees. This commitment is further strengthened by the festival’s disability-focused training programmes, which have been a core feature since 2018. Through Disability Equality Training (DET) and Disability Related Services Training (DRST), over 200 festival crew members have been trained to ensure that every festival attendee, regardless of ability, can fully enjoy the experience.

Pitch Start 2025: A Call for Bold Ideas

For its 2025 edition, Pitch Start is seeking fresh, innovative proposals that actively engage PWDs. Open to Malaysians and Malaysian residents, submissions can be in any artistic genre or language, including sign language. The emphasis is on projects that foster collaboration and provide a meaningful artistic experience for participants.

Shortlisted applicants will have the opportunity to pitch their concepts live to a panel in early April 2025. Selected projects will receive funding of up to RM30,000 to develop and execute a 6 to 8-week programme. The final presentations or performances will take place at the YSDAF 2025 Urban Tour’s Community Stage between June and August, providing a platform for wider audience engagement.

Submission Deadline and Further Information

Artists and arts groups interested in applying for Pitch Start 2025 must submit their proposals by March 30, 2025. Full guidelines and application forms are available at ysdartsfestival.com.my/pitch-start.

As YSDAF continues to champion inclusivity in the arts, Pitch Start 2025 serves as an opportunity for creatives to make a lasting impact, ensuring that the festival remains a space where all communities can participate and thrive. For more information on the festival and its initiatives, visit ysdartsfestival.com.my.