EVEN BEFORE THE Covid-19 outbreak, the performing arts in Penang were already struggling. In fact, if one considers the huge amount of artistic talent that is available, the sector is definitely underdeveloped and markedly undervalued.
Conversations with local performers reveal commonalities in their artistic journeys. In order for practical solutions to be worked out, more light needs to be shed on why the performing arts are floundering in Penang.
In most cases, a child’s first introduction to a performing art is due to parental desire to give him or her a well-rounded upbringing. Some get introduced through public exposure and media influence, be it through an unexpected chance to perform music in a restaurant, or perhaps from having watched an inspiring and catchy television show.
Penangite Jaslyn Chia, who is currently studying drama at the University of Exeter, remembers how she at 10 began taking modern jazz classes after watching a performance on television, and how the compulsory drama classes at the Prince of Wales Island International School made her “fall in love” with theatre, a passion she maintains to this day.
