Boost for the arts
The Malaysian performing arts scene gets a helping hand from the Government with the launch of several arts grants.
LOCAL performing artists will be thrilled to know that grants worth RM4mil are up for grabs for the development of the arts scene. Not only will it help reduce the financial burden of the constantly struggling artists, the grants are also aimed at encouraging new Malaysian works and talents.
Datuk Norliza Rofli, director-general of the National Culture and Arts Department (JKKN) announced the initiative at a press conference last week. The initiative is part of the National Creative Industry Policy, endorsed by the Performance Management Delivery Unit (Pemandu) of the Prime Minister’s Department. “The Government has a vested interest in helping the performing arts and the creative industry in general, to flourish. We hope that the disbursement of these funds will raise an interest in the performing arts as well as generate some income for the industry so that they can develop themselves and improve the standard of their per-performance,” said Norliza. Five categories of grants are up for grabs.
The first is the “Grant to reduce cost of production” where a maximum of RM35,000 or 30% of the production cost will be given out.
Norliza said, “The aim is to help the artist reduce overheads such as the rental of rehearsal space, production venue, as well as lighting and audio equipment. However, the funds won’t be given directly to the recipient but to the venue provider.”
The first call for submission under this grant took place from Nov 9 last year to Jan 8, for productions to be staged between March 1 and Aug 31 this year.
Out of the 28 applications received, 11 were successful and a total of RM205,190 was disbursed to groups staging theatre, dance, musical and choir works, as well as visual arts performances.
Masakini Theatre Company received RM35,000 for its upcoming musical Chow Kit Road! Chow Kit Road! which will be staged in May at the Istana Budaya in Kuala Lumpur. The plot chronicles the life of a street kid who is transformed into a gentleman by a snobbish socialite, and features 20 of Datuk Sudirman Arshad’s classic songs.
Among the other recipients was Instant Cafe Theatre (ICT) for its restaging of Parah, a play about interethnic relations, which was initially staged in 2011 and recently performed in Brisbane, Australia.
ICT director Jo Kukathas was more than pleased with the RM23,410 received although she said that ICT still needed to raise another RM80,000.
“The grant will help us tremendously to pay for our theatre and rehearsal space. We had to put the performance on hold for the last three years because we had no funds. With this, and if we’re able to get more private sponsorship, we could even lower ticket prices to allow more access for students,” said the veteran actress.
Parah, which stars Farah Rani, Iedil Putra Alauddin, Branavan Aruljothi and Gregory Sze, will be staged in May at the Damansara Performing Arts Centre in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Kukathas also hopes to stage it in Penang although the venue has yet to be determined.
The second category is the “grant for new Malaysian works”, which must be under 75 minutes long and written in Bahasa Malaysia, English, Tamil or Mandarin. The creator or scriptwriter of the work will receive a maximum of RM15,000. Selected new works will receive an additional RM100,000 for the purpose of producing it as a stage production.
Meanwhile, the “grant for audience development” is an effort to grow Malaysian audiences and is targeted at performing arts practitioners and companies interested in engaging students and the community in cultural activities. Each successful applicant will receive RM6,000 to develop his or her project.
In addition, two other grants are available for talent development – the “apprentice programme” and “mentor-mentee programme”.
Through the apprentice programme, applicants will be able to gain an understanding of the performing arts by apprenticing at a Malaysian performing arts company or institution. Every apprentice will be given RM1,800 monthly as an allowance for the duration of the programme (between three and eight months).
“It’s great for young talent who have finished school and want to gain experience in the arts, for example, lighting techniques,” explained Norliza.
The mentor-mentee programme is open to anyone interested to study with a local industry veteran, which will result in a stage production. Applicants will receive a monthly stipend of RM1,800 for six months to reimburse their living expenses for the duration of their mentoring. The mentor will also receive a RM5,000 token for his or her tutorship.
Arts management portal Kakiseni will act as the facilitator for these grants while a panel of five will assess the applications before deciding on who is successful and the amount to be disbursed.
According to Low Ngai Yuen, the head of Kakiseni, it took 15 months of negotiating with the Government before the grants were rolled out.
“Convincing them that the funds were necessary wasn’t easy. The implementation of the programme may differ on a case-by-case basis, which Kakiseni will help facilitate and mediate. However, in the end, what we’re trying to do is to create more work and shows to ensure a thriving and growing performance arts scene,” she said.
There is no age limit to any of the grant categories and both professionals and amateurs are encouraged to apply. Applicants can also apply for more than one grant.
Low added, “For the mentor-mentee programme, we hope to tap into the knowledge of the artists, who may not be well-known but have a lot to offer. The applicant will propose a mentor and we will do our homework to find out the credibility of the mentor. Any professional or emerging artists can apply to be a mentee, but at the end, they must produce something.”
All interested parties can download grant application forms from www.kakiseni.com. The closing date is March 31, except for the grant to reduce the cost of production, which closes on April 30 for productions to be staged between June 1 and Dec 31, 2013.