SELECTED PROJECT INTERPRETATIONS
A PROJECT in this archive refers to short or long courses (1 week – 6 months), conducted within the life-span of a programme, outside the formal education system, for different cohorts of young people. Projects were oriented towards either training, process and/or products.
1978 – 1985 Teater Kanak-Kanak Programme – KBN Kuala Lumpur
Si Geroda, 1979 & 1981
Si Geroda was one of the early examples of a Malaysian contemporary children’s theatre devised and performed by young people, for young people. It was first performed by the 1978 cohort, and again by the 1981 cohort of children who participated in the KBN Teater Kanak Kanak Programme.
Sri Ayu, 1980
Sri Ayu is a modern children’s musical, authored by Faridah Fung Chui Lin in English, and translated by Siti Zaleha Hashim and Usman Awang. The play was performed in-the-round and incorporated audience participation in parts.
1985 – 1991 Seni Kreatif Programme – USM Penang
Zam Zam & Peminjam Wang, 1991
Possibly Malaysia’s first children’s monodrama, Zam Zam & Peminjam Wang featured one young actress playing 3 different characters. The monodrama was accompanied by an exhibition of the visual working process; and toured 13 venues in Penang and Kuala Lumpur.
1991 – 1999 Teater Muda Programme – FAC & YTP, Kuala Lumpur & Penang
Suara Rimba, 1994
Suara Rimba was the first professional performance of musical drama staged by Teater Muda, with a cast made up entirely of children and teenagers.
Rama & Sita – Generasi Baru, 1994
Rama & Sita was a Malaysian adaptation of the timeless Indian epic Ramayana, presented as a contemporary piece of theatre by young people.
Ne Zha, 1999
This Theatre-in-Community puppetry production, toured several public housing flats in Kuala Lumpur playing to approximately 2000 community audiences.
1998 – 2000 Teater-in-Education – YTP & FAC, Penang
STOP! LOOK! GO!, 1998
STOP! LOOK! GO! was a cabaret-like performance depicting scenes of adolescent conflicts utilising pop music, dance, drama and spectacle. The performance is interactive and allows for audience to suggest or role play solutions to the conflict situations.
2001 – 2008 Anak-Anak Kota Programma – Arts-ED, Penang
Endangered Trades and Traditional Foods, 2001-2003
A series of 3 workshop projects where students researched endangered trades and traditional foods in inner-city George Town via interviews, observations, and apprenticeships, and documented their findings in the form of illustrated brochures.
Stories on the Wall, 2002
This creative arts workshop was first developed in 2001, and saw students introduced to the history of a Chinese clan complex. They study the geomancy and feng shui of a temple within the complex, and the granite carvings on the façade of the temple which depicted mythological tales.
Signboard Making for Traditional Trades, 2002
Led by graphic artist Goh Hun Meng, students interact with traders in the inner-city and worked closely with their specific needs and cultural aesthetics, to produce signboards for traders.
2005 – 2009 myBALIKpulau Programme – Arts-ED, Penang
Photography- Myself, My Family, My Town, 2005 – 2006
An exercise in cultural mapping, Photography – mySELF, myFAMILY, myTOWN had students studying themselves, their families, and their town/village to compose photo-essays which collectively reflected the cultural assets of the place where they lived.
Heritage Building Inventory, 2006
The Heritage Building Inventory Project involved young people in a study and documentation of heritage shophouses, along the main street of Balik Pulau township and the main religious buildings in the vicinity. It also profiled occupants or users, as well as the use of the buildings.
Interpretation Signage, 2009
The Interpretation Signage Project encouraged children to study a cultural asset in their town (a heritage trade or building) and to design a creative signage to be installed inside or outside the site as a visual interpretation for the visitor.
2006 – 2012 Heritage Heboh Programme – Arts ED Penang
Heritage Heboh Street Festival, 2006
This five-month project involved three parallel creative sub-projects in Music, Dance, and Shadow Puppetry focused on the theme of intangible heritage.
Heritage Discovery Trails, 20011-2013
Heritage Discovery Trails was a programme which involved the design and execution of a series of thematic heritage trails for primary and secondary school children in the heritage site of George Town.