PENANG – Has the time come for the beloved Performing Arts Centre of Penang (penangpac) to shuffle off its mortal coil?
In a heartfelt Facebook post, penangpac founders Datuk Faridah Merican and Joe Hasham earlier today said: “Our 10-year partnership between The Actors Studio and E&O Bhd will come to a premature end.”
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.
“Moving forward, we will need to raise an additional RM1.5 million per year,” said the duo, questioning if this would be possible in the Covid-19 climate and its resultant lockdowns.
penangpac was founded in 2011 and is the northern region’s only fully-integrated arts centre, according to its website.
A “beloved home for art makers and art lovers”, the centre has entertained over 250,000 audience members at almost 1,000 events and performances.
It also provided approximately 3,000 students their first exposure to the arts with free introductory workshops.
After close to a decade of empowering the nation’s performing arts scene, the bleak and uncertain future has led Joe and Faridah to ask: “What kind of a Penang do we want to leave to our children and grandchildren? One that just values economic prosperity?”
The answer to their questions remains to be seen. – The Vibes, November 5, 2021
