Boost for performing arts

A musical with Datuk Sudirman Arshad’s songs is among 11 recipients of Government grants, writes Dennis Chua

MASAKINI Theatre Company’s major project this year has been given a boost with a government grant of RM35,000. It is Chow Kit Road! Chow Kit Road!, the story of an uncouth boy who is transformed into a gentleman by well-meaning datins.

It features 24 songs by Datuk Sudirman Arshad (including Chow Kit Road) and features musicians AkashA, besides singer-actors Adibah Noor, Tony Eusoff, Anding Zaini, Nadia Aqilah Bajuri, Junji Delfino and Shanthini Venugopal.
The play will be staged at Istana Budaya, Kuala Lumpur from May 12-27.

Another recipient of a government grant of RM23,410 is Parah, a play about inter-ethnic relations by Instant Cafe Theatre which will be staged at Damansara Performing Arts Centre in Damansara Perdana, Petaling Jaya from May 16-20. It stars Farah Rani, Iedil Putra Alauddin, Branavan Aruljothi and Gregory Sze.

Written by Alfian Saat and directed by Jo Kukathas, it recently premiered in Brisbane, Australia to critical acclaim.

Eleven arts projects have received grants from the Government under an initiative by performing arts promoters Kakiseni and the Culture and Arts Department of the Information, Communication and Culture Ministry.

The grants, says department director-general Datuk Norliza Rofli, are part of the National Creative Industry Policy endorsed by the Performance Management Delivery Unit (Pemandu) of the Prime Minister’s Department in recognition of the local performing arts industry.

“The Government has a vested interest in helping the performing arts to flourish and we hope that these funds will raise interest in the arts and improve the standards of performances,” she says.

A total of RM4 million worth of grants has been announced by Norliza and her department. More successful applicants and their projects will be announced later. Kakiseni and the Culture and Arts Department assess applications for grants.

Kakiseni head Low Ngai Yuen says: “The income model of most performing arts set-ups depends on a delicate balance of ticket sales and external donors.

“To ensure a thriving arts scene, we are honoured to facilitate the funding outreach from the Government as general operating support of theatre companies.

“We are also looking forward to play the same role among the private funding sources to include annual contributions to the arts.”

There are three financial grants and two development programmes available under the initiative of Kakiseni and the Government.

First, the Grant To Reduce Production Costs for productions to be staged between March 1 and Aug 31.

This grant involves the 11 above-mentioned projects, and a second call for submissions from arts organisations is on  until April 30.

Second, the Grant For Audience Development, for arts practitioners interested in building student and community engagement in cultural activities. The sum of RM6,000 will be disbursed to each successful applicant.

Third, the Grant For New Malaysian Works for companies and individuals that develop and produce new Malaysian scripts for the performing arts no less than 75 minutes long in Bahasa Malaysia, English, Mandarin or Tamil.

The creator of a work will receive RM15,000 and selected new works will get an extra RM100,000 for the purpose of producing it as a stage production.

Fourth, the Mentor-Mentee Programme for Malaysian  artistes to work with a local industry veteran to stage a full production.

Successful applicants get RM100,000 for their production and a monthly stipend of RM1,800 for six months to reimburse their living expenses for the duration of their mentoring.

Fifth, the Apprentice Programme for budding  artistes to gain an understanding of the arts by apprenticing at arts companies or institutions. They will receive a monthly stipend of RM1,800 for the duration of their apprenticeship.

The closing date for applications for the last four grants categories is March 31. The recipients of the first grant category were recently announced by Norliza, Low and the department of cultural arts product director Ramlah Amir at a ceremony in Free Space, SSTwo Mall, Petaling Jaya.

A total of RM205,190 was allocated to them, based on each applicant’s production value. The other recipients are as follows:

• Box Of Delights for children’s theatre showcase, Box Of Delights Season 2013, to be staged at PJ Live Arts, Jaya One, Petaling Jaya from April 1-3, 5-7 and June 7-9 (RM31,020).

• The Philharmonic Society Of Selangor for its Heart And Soul Charity Concert at Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPaC) from July 5-7 (RM20,360).

• Producer Woon Fook Sen for the play Language Of Our Own at Damansara Performing Arts Centre from May 31-June 2 (RM8,950).

• Rumah Anak Teater Productions for the plays Laut Lebih Indah Dari Bulan and M Butterfly at MAP @ Publika, Solaris Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur from May 23-June 2 (RM10,000) and April 26-28 (RM7,500) respectively.

• Composer Ng Chor Guan for audio-visual performance Re-Revolution And Evolution at Toccata Studio, SS2 Petaling Jaya from June 14-15 and 21-22 (RM23,000).

• Temple Of Fine Arts Johor Baru for Solo Bharatanatyam Performance And North Indian Folk Dance at Jotic Auditorium, Johor Baru from March 16-17 and 23 (RM6,500).

• The National Arts, Culture And Heritage Academy’s (Aswara) Dance Company for Take Off at Penang Performing Arts Centre (PenangPaC), Georgetown from March 15-16 and 29-31 (RM18,450).

• Music and dance practitioners Pam Lim, Loh Kok Man, Low Ming Yam, William Mok and Ng for the Watermark Performance And Photography Exhibition at KLPaC from June 18-23 (RM21,000).

Masakini producer Sabera Shaik says Chow Kit Road! is an original play that celebrates Malaysian life in the big city.

“Jamie Wilson of AkashA is its music director, and we’ve got a great reinterpretation of Sudirman’s music, plus colourful characters,” she says.

Kukathas says: “We staged Parah in Brisbane from Feb 13 to 17 and it was very well received. We’ve developed the story further since its first staging last year.”

Selangor Philharmonic choir director Cheryl Teh says: “Heart And Soul is a series produced every two years and this time we will perform the music of The Beatles and Tan Sri P. Ramlee.”

Aswara head of dance Joseph Gonzales says it is its first performance in Penangpac and it is raring to go.

“There will be 25 dancers and three shows. It is great to visit George Town, as it has a growing arts scene.”

Box Of Delights artistic director Marina Tan says the series has a four-member ensemble and is aimed at spurring creativity among youngsters.

Rumah Anak Teater producer Faisal Mustaffa says its first production is a theatrical compilation of the works of director and arts educationist Namron, featuring actresses Sofia Jane, Sharifah Amani and Vanidah Imran, while  its second production marks leading actor Remy Ishak’s second stage performance after Natrah.

M Butterfly, he says, is directed by Mislina Mustaffa who co-starred with Remy in Jiwa Taiko last year. “We have plans to stage M Butterfly in Singapore later,” he says.

Box Of Delights’ Sharon Lam and Marvin Wong acknowledge receipt of their grant as (from left) Low, Norliza and Ramlah look on.

(From left) Aswara representatives Mohd Yunus Ismail, Gonzales and Norbaizura Ghani with their grant.

Boost for performing arts