GEORGE TOWN – The Penang government will study the ramifications of the possible closure of the Performing Arts Centre of Penang (penangpac) at Straits Quay.
After a post by founders Datuk Faridah Merican and Joe Hasham that their 10-year partnership between The Actors Studio and publicly listed E&O Bhd will come to a premature end, Penang exco for arts and culture Yeoh Soon Hin said that he will need to study the matter in depth.
“I will need time to study this development. We hope for the best as Penang places importance on the culture, arts and heritage dynamics,” he said before attending the reopening of the weekend pop-up market at the Hin Bus Depot here.
While he was pleased with the rebound of tourism, Yeoh said that there is a need to focus on all aspects of tourism including the arts and culture scene.
Penang has taken a major hit to her arts and culture scene, owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, where many of the creative talents were forced to find other jobs to supplement their income when tourism and public events came to a halt.
The state, known for its murals and art pieces, has offered some funding to those affected, but it is still unable to reactivate the arts scene in the best possible way.
And now that penangpac may be closing, it is seen as a big blow.
The Actors Studio is the theatre company behind penangpac, and its counterpart in the capital, Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre.
The developer’s exit from the partnership also means the end of a rent-free arrangement that, according to Joe and Faridah, “was the main reason it (penangpac) could sustain itself”.
A “beloved home for art makers and art lovers”, the centre has entertained more than 250,000 audience members at almost 1,000 events and performances in the past years.
It also provided approximately 3,000 students their first exposure to the arts with free introductory workshops. – The Vibes, November 7, 2021
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