Navigating theatre life

IT isn’t easy creating a theatre show. Imagining and writing a story is one thing. Then come the hard parts – casting it, promoting it. Most importantly, the struggle to find the funds for it. It can take a small army to put up a production.

Well, performing arts practitioners may find the task made manageable now with arts outfit Kakiseni’s recent launch of four digital platforms: kakiseni.com, kaiseni.org, a Boh Cameronian Arts Awards minisite and SeniTix to help them.

Kakiseni president Low ngai Yuen says that when Kakiseni was first launched in 2001, no one anticipated how it would help nurture the arts by providing a space to converse about the arts.

“We want to return to that ethos of community by providing a channel like SeniTix where artists can pitch their ideas directly to their audience and the audience can fund an artist’s ideas. With all our digital platforms, Kakiseni aims to be the first name people can turn to when they are online looking for more info and opportunities about the arts in Malaysia,” says Low.

Kakiseni remains a useful local platform that aims to be a one-stop guide to Malaysian arts and culture. Each of the new digital platforms is designed to fill a specific role in the performing arts process.

Kakiseni.com informs the general masses about theatre shows and programmes, while kakiseni.org is a resource centre to help artists find opportunities, providing information on arts grants, arts residencies and festivals.

SeniTix is an online marketplace dedicated to crowdfunding. Show producers can start funding campaigns for their upcoming shows and offer pre-show tickets to help fund it. Importantly, even if their fundraising campaigns are unsuccessful, the money would be returned to the funders without any penalties on the producers. The site will be operational in May.

Lastly, the Boh Cameronian Arts Awards minisite will make it easier for participants to submit their productions for consideration at the Boh Cameronian Arts Awards, which acknowledges outstanding performances in local Malaysian music, dance, theatre and musical theatre.

— Kakiseni Musical theatre performers at Kakiseni’s recent launch of its four online platforms in KL. In the centre (in white) are Kakiseni president Low Ngai Yuen and Tan Sri Norliza Rofli (in red), National Department For Culture And Arts director-general.