Malaysia’s George Town Festival staying small but growing up fast
Event has put Penang on the radar of international artists, fostered the island’s cultural growth and, in the space of seven years, produced a legacy of public art where previously there was none
The executive director of the George Town Festival in Penang, Joe Sidek, is brutally honest about the difference between his event and the much bigger ones in Asian regional centres.
“We can’t compare with Hong Kong or Singapore on money and structure,” he says. “But what we have are stories.”
Many of the stories from the Malaysian island are like that of Sidek himself. A former textile industrialist, Sidek found his true calling outside the family business. Excited by his hometown being declared an Unesco heritage site (in 2008) and about its budding cultural scene, he founded the George Town Festival in 2010.
The 2016 edition, which runs from July 29 to August 28, will be headlined by international acts, but 58 per cent of the acts will be from Penang. The festival is developing its own voice and distinct identity.
I have never thought about themes ... The five words I always use to guide me in [what I look for] are quirky, sexy, intriguing, relevant and inspiring
It’s still relatively small-scale, but resonates like no other event in Malaysia – partly because Sidek is downright evangelical in promoting the George Town arts scene. The festival has made a star of Penang in the process. As a result, more artists are finding their way there.