GEORGE TOWN – It is only one month to the most anticipated annual festival in Penang, and the countdown starts now. However, enthusiasts will experience the festival online as the full movement control order (FMCO) has stopped its plans to go hybrid.
George Town Festival (GTF) public relations executive Ng Kim Theng told The Vibes that all physical programmes will be postponed until further notice. Only online programmes will be running from July 10 to 18.
“Instead of just watching a dance or music performance online, we are looking to present something different that will engage the audience. This will include online workshops.
“We are engaging performers from different countries as overseas artists are not able to come to Penang to have a one of a kind and unique acts. [This could be] like an audio immersing theatre and an online concert where three Malaysian-born musicians residing in different countries come together to perform,” she said.
Before the FMCO announcement, Ng mentioned that there is a possibility that the physical programmes planned for the hybrid festival may not come to fruition.
“We do know that if we have to make the changes, we will have to freeze our lineup.
“However, because we have such a short timeframe to make the changes to the lineup, we are still planning new programmes to replace the physical shows. We want it to have more online programme, adding to the existing ones we had planned together with the physical programmes,” she said.
The team is expecting good response from audiences.
Ng explained that the pandemic has attracted more members of the public to the festival. They include laypersons who became more interested in the arts and learned to appreciate the arts.
“This pandemic has not solely brought negative impact as there are pros and cons for everything. I believe there is a silver lining to the grey clouds. Amidst the pandemic, there is always light at the end of the tunnel.
“So, this is what makes us more resilient, more perseverant. [It is] also for festival organisers like us to continue having more programmes to support the artists and educate the public,” she said.
One of the must-watch during this novel online festival is G-Short, where 90-second short films will be screened.
According to Ng, the open call garnered 695 submissions. Thirty finalists have been selected for the public screening.
Lights On, a virtual projection mapping, is due to be aired on July 10 on GTF’s social media sites. It is a virtual projection mapping installation programme that showcases George Town’s diverse cultural and historical landscapes. This will be done through pulsating lights and swimming patterns projected onto a small mockup of the heritage city.
After the show, there will be a sharing session by the selected residency artists for those who are interested to know more. The show is presented in collaboration with Filamen, Epson Malaysia and FabU.
One of the most recent additions to the programme owing to FMCO is the “3 x 3” art residency and group exhibition.
It presents an opportunity for homegrown creative talents to express what their homes mean to them while encouraging innovation and experimentation in their artistic creations. It consists of two main components: a one-month-long art residency programme and a physical group exhibition.
“We hope that the artist can stay in their homes, workspace or studio to create something in line with the theme 'Home'. We will support them with a payment of RM2,000. They are to work on something to fit into a space measuring 3x3.
“We thought that we need to have more programmes to support local artists. That’s why we came up with the Art Residency and Group Exhibition,” she added.
At the time of writing, there are 13 online programmes in the lineup. However, the numbers are expected to increase as the team works to add more shows to the list.
For more information on showtimes and programmes, head to https://georgetownfestival.com/2021/. – The Vibes, June 10, 2021.
