Returning for its 12th edition, George Town Festival is happening from 10 – 18 July 2021. However, following the imposition of a total lockdown in Malaysia, all the physical programmes will be postponed until further notice. As of now, the Festival’s online programmes will be presented as scheduled. Follow us for more updates!
George Town’s art scene is about to get more exciting – if you know where to look. SPACE, an art space managed by George Town Festival, is set to draw art makers and enthusiasts of all kinds from October 2021 onwards. The 1,000-square-foot art space in The Whiteaways Arcade on Lebuh Pantai is dedicated to the homegrown creative talents to showcase their works and carry out any artistic programme to reach a broader range of art lovers.
At the “Step by Step” series of online workshops, you get to draw Penang’s iconic trishaw and ferry on your very own George Town Festival tote bag guided by artists Leong Wai Khong and Lefty Julian! At the end of the workshops, you will have a gorgeous present for a loved one – or just keep it for yourself!
Selling and buying art is just a click away now! “Arts to Your Doorstep” is a digital marketplace initiated by George Town Festival.
“3 x 3” art residency and group exhibition offers an opportunity for homegrown creative talents to be supported while remaining in their studios/workspaces safely, allowing them to create when lockdown restrictions are in place this July.
In collaboration with the Embassy of France in Malaysia and Alliance Française de Penang, George Town Festival is pleased to present “Ciné France” French movie screenings, featuring three watch-worthy contemporary French films – “The Bears’ Famous Invasion of Sicily”, “Remi, Nobody’s Boy” and “Felicità”. From a poignant animated film to a feel-good comedy, these movies will make you fall in love with the French cinematic landscape in no time.
“BODY X The Culprit” is a unique digital theatre production that allows you to be involved in the solving of a murder-mystery and experience it as if you are living in the physical space! Shot entirely on a mobile phone, the show requires you to observe evidence, watch the crime scene as it happens, discuss with other fellow investigators online and vote for the murderer – it’s the first interactive-immersive digital theatre ever presented on Zoom.
The “Penang Native Wood Kiln & Pottery Exhibition” is your one-stop-shop for everything wood kiln and pottery, with a pottery event, exhibition and a workshop to indulge in. Expect to join the “Penang Native Wood Kiln” event brought to you by Artopia Penang, get ready to check out the “Penang Native Wood-Fired Pottery” exhibition by PPC Pottery Center and move with the rhythm of the pottery wheel at the pottery workshop also by them.
As part of a wide-ranging series of jazz events at this year’s George Town Festival, Hikayat will host three in-person and hands-on music masterclasses, led by some of Malaysia’s most respected musicians.
This year at George Town Festival, join us to experience woodblock printing and basic intaglio woodcarving through the hands-on workshops specially curated by Keng Hwa Carving Studio, a woodcarving studio based in Penang which upholds the spirit of traditional handcrafting and is committed to preserving and promoting the art form with new inspiration.
George Town Festival’s “Isle to Isle” returns this year, continuing the excitement of interpreting the spirit of exchanging cultures, communicating through the arts and connecting two islands, Penang and Taiwan, together. Discover the charming side of Taiwan’s new culture, the connection between its cultural background and its humanistic civilisation as well as its thriving publishing industry via the “Read Taiwan” pop-up concept bookstore.
Glimpse into the spirit of the George Town Festival while jotting your way through “A Notebook”, the Festival’s official merchandise. The 160-page notebook is meticulously handcrafted by Penang-based stationery producer MUCCA featuring four creative, one-of-a-kind doodles with stories about the Festival illustrated by visual artist Yuki Koe. Grab one online via the George Town Festival website in June 2021. Available in khaki and brown.
Embark on an unforgettable musical journey with musicians Chow Jun Yi (New York, United States), Tan Yong Yaw (Malacca, Malaysia), and Raymond Choo Boon Yew (Macau, China) as they are brought together virtually to take audiences on a deeper dive into the different styles and periods of the Chinese orchestra music in “Immerse”, an online concert for music lovers of all age.
There’s no better place to indulge your senses than at “The Senses”. Set to take place at The Habitat Penang Hill’s Curtis Crest alongside George Town Festival 2021, “The Senses” offers an all-round sensorial experience in the one-of-a-kind concert amidst Penang’s 130-million-year-old rainforest, 800 metres above sea level.
Wayang kulit is an ancient form of storytelling with immense historical value and significance. For those born in the 90s, this traditional entertainment might not be familiar. This year, George Town Festival is bringing back traditional wayang kulit performance so that everyone could get reacquainted with this vanishing traditional art form.
A-bin Fang (方烱彬) is returning to Penang to sing for you! Born and bred in Air Itam, Penang, A-bin Fang is a Malaysian singer-songwriter based in Taiwan. He is a celebrated artiste in the Mandopop scene, known for his popular songs such as “Huai Ren” (Bad Guy), which has won numerous accolades.
Positioned as ‘A Festival For Children, Inspired By Children’, Little Door Festival is working to create extraordinary Experiences for children through curated content that is Empowering and Engaging, and to facilitate the Exchange of skills among professional Theatre for Young Audience (TYA) practitioners.
The pandemic has got us all confined in our bedrooms. It’s time to discover a whole new imaginative universe in “IMAGINARIUM”, an audio-immersive theatrical experience. In this entertaining and cathartic audio-immersive experience, “IMAGINARIUM” acknowledges the limitations lockdowns have imposed on the theatre industry and people’s lives. So escape the confines of your space and follow us into the impossible. Welcome to the “IMAGINARIUM”!
“Macallum Stay-at-Home Concert” is set to offer residents a sampling of the George Town Festival at the rooftop of their neighbourhood complex or from the comfort of their own homes – just throw open the windows to enjoy the concert!
Most of us look forward to the weekends but not Red Hong Yi and her artistic team – it is Mondays that they look forward to the most.
“Within Indigo Walls” returns for its second edition this year at George Town Festival 2021. The two-day celebration will take place at one of George Town’s most lauded architectural gems, the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, also known as The Blue Mansion.
Paper Moon: Jazz in the City brings together some of Malaysia’s finest musicians in two complementary back-to-back concerts. The second, Murakami and Jazz, presents a unique tribute to one of Japan’s greatest cultural icons, Haruki Murakami. As one of the best-known and most critically acclaimed writers working today, Murakami himself has had a lifelong love affair with all kinds of music, and especially jazz. This unique multimedia concert combines three artistic elements: the narration of a specially written script based on Murakami’s words – from novels, short stories and essays – featuring Marina Tan and Gareth Richards as the two…
Paper Moon: Jazz in the City brings together some of Malaysia’s finest musicians in two complementary back-to-back concerts. The first, Purnama, is a premiere of the latest album from the award-winning group WVC Jazz. For this special occasion, they are joined by renowned names: guitarist Rizal Tony, saxophonist Yow Weng Wai, Ng Chor Guan playing the theremin, Tan Jie on shakuhachi (end-blown flute), together with singers Junji Delfino, Janet Lee, Jo and Tan Chee Shen. Come and listen to great classic songs – “Hitam Manis”, “Main Shayar to Nahin”, “Putera Puteri”, “Penang Samba”, “Song of Crossing at Dawn” and more…
With soaring selections of Mozart’s arias and duets by Kuala Lumpur City Opera (KLCO) at George Town’s historical landmark, the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion (also known as The Blue Mansion), “Mozart at the Mansion” promises an evening of divine opulence as the maestro’s delicate music fills the air of the most befitting venue for an exquisite evening.
Get inspired by CUTOUT Magazine’s transformative journey in this commemorative exhibition. A celebration of the magazine’s tenth anniversary, this exhibition sums up its journey from humble beginnings to a household name in the design industry.
Drawing upon the associations between people, culture and place, and relating it to the concept of a hot pot cuisine, “Down the Melting Pot” will bring audiences into an intercultural journey through the perspectives of young contemporary artists.
The “France eMotion” photography exhibition combines photography and digital animation to take you on an eye-opening journey to (re)discover France’s rich heritage through 35 original photographs that come alive through augmented reality! The result is an artistic experience like no other.
Prepare to be mesmerised by ASK Dance Company, Dua Space Dance Theatre and Sutra Foundation as they bring together cultural and contemporary dance performances on one stage in “All Together Now”. This is a commissioned work by George Town Festival 2021.
History buffs will find much to be discovered in George Town UNESCO World Heritage Site. Happening from 7 to 31 July 2021 alongside George Town Heritage Celebrations, the virtual “George Town Discovery Walk” will take you to various historical buildings and unique street art pieces and installations in the heritage enclave.
Advocating the culture of upcycling, “Between 01” is a thought-provoking part art installation, part dance performance by visual and performing artist Lay Heong, where she uses recycled materials, dry leaves, movement and lights to get people to rethink our relationships with ourselves, each other, the environment and the world.
Presented to you by George Town Festival, the “Creative Collection” exhibition aims to promote and highlight local brands and identities, from promising startups to the industry’s movers and shakers.
In “Sama-Sama: George Town, A Multicultural Art Journey”, Penang-born artist Lefty Julian revisits his birthplace, George Town, and embarks on a personal journey to explore from a sensory perspective, what brings people together in our multicultural society.
Presented by George Town Festival, Tanjong Life: The New Norm is a comic book illustrated by Penang-born cartoonist Azmi Hussin. Follow the funny adventures of Joe G – Azmi’s buck-toothed, true-blue Penangite character – as he explores the amusing and the not-so-amusing sides of the new normal in Penang!
After taking a break from art for a few years, Frankie Lim, a Penang-based contemporary artist living with autism, returns with “AR/UTISTIC: Diaries on the Spectrum”, an art exhibition showcasing his art pieces created before and during the pandemic as well as the subsequent lockdown.
Catch the screening of “Perspectives”, a disability-led film featuring virtually impaired Lim Lee Lee and Victor Tan as well as wheelchair user Stephanie Esther Fam, with soundscapes provided by Harmony Community Choir, a choir that primarily consists of young adult choral singers with autism and other learning disabilities.
Elegantly set in the heritage centerpiece of Penang’s modern shopping mall, “Kamerata String Ensemble Performance” is set to fill the century-old chapel of St. Jo’s Gurney Paragon with the sounds of luxurious chamber music by classical composers such as Mozart and Tchaikovsky.
Catch stand-up comedians Phoon Chi Ho, Kavin Jay, and Rizal Van Geyzel in “Make Penang Laugh Again!”. Hosted by the loveable MC Farid Azmeir, the two-hour bumper stand-up comedy extravaganza will leave audiences in stitches.
Momo is a clever yet naughty little boy caught in a magical world of fantasy, where Baddie, an evil wizard, lives. What happens when Baddie captures Momo and wants to put him in an ugly soup to make the world an ugly kingdom, forever? Find out in “Oops! Belle the Witch is Gone!”.
Presented by George Town Festival, Penang at a Glance is a collection of photographs captured from the lenses of four local photographers coming from four different backgrounds. The book showcases Penang’s breathtaking landscapes, festivals, celebrations, arts, culture, heritage, people and lifestyles.
The ‘Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow’ photography exhibition aims to encourage members of the community to travel back in time to the good old days of the past and to capture and cherish the present moment, as a way to ensure that there will be a future with a past to look back on.
“BODY X The Culprit” is a unique digital theatre production that allows you to be involved in the solving of a murder-mystery and experience it as if you are living in the physical space! Shot entirely on a mobile phone, the show requires you to observe evidence, watch the crime scene as it happens, discuss with other fellow investigators online and vote for the murderer – it’s the first interactive-immersive digital theatre ever presented on Zoom.
Embark on an unforgettable musical journey with musicians Chow Jun Yi (New York, United States), Tan Yong Yaw (Malacca, Malaysia), and Raymond Choo Boon Yew (Macau, China) as they are brought together virtually to take audiences on a deeper dive into the different styles and periods of the Chinese orchestra music in “Immerse”, an online concert for music lovers of all age.
The pandemic has got us all confined in our bedrooms. It’s time to discover a whole new imaginative universe in “IMAGINARIUM”, an audio-immersive theatrical experience!
G-Short is a short film festival held as part of the George Town Festival 2021 to celebrate the endless imagination and possibilities a 90-second short film can bring about. It is set to be held in George Town, Penang in July 2021.
Drawing upon the associations between people, culture and place, and relating it to the concept of a hot pot cuisine, “Down the Melting Pot” will bring audiences into an intercultural journey through the perspectives of young contemporary artists.
“Lights On” is a virtual projection mapping installation programme which showcases George Town’s diverse cultural and historical landscapes through pulsating lights and swimming patterns projected onto a small mockup of the heritage city.
“3 x 3” art residency and group exhibition offers an opportunity for homegrown creative talents to be supported while remaining in their studios/workspaces safely, allowing them to create when lockdown restrictions are in place this July.
At the “Step by Step” series of online workshops, you get to draw Penang’s iconic trishaw and ferry on your very own George Town Festival tote bag guided by artists Leong Wai Khong and Lefty Julian! At the end of the workshops, you will have a gorgeous present for a loved one – or just keep it for yourself!
Presented by George Town Festival, Tanjong Life: The New Norm is a comic book illustrated by Penang-born cartoonist Azmi Hussin. Follow the funny adventures of Joe G – Azmi’s buck-toothed, true-blue Penangite character – as he explores the amusing and the not-so-amusing sides of the new normal in Penang!
Glimpse into the spirit of the George Town Festival while jotting your way through “A Notebook”. The notebook is meticulously handcrafted by Penang-based stationery producer Muccapaper featuring four creative, one-of-a-kind doodles with stories about the Festival illustrated by Yuki Koe.
Selling and buying art is just a click away now! “Arts to Your Doorstep” is a digital marketplace initiated by George Town Festival. The three-month-long collaborative campaign seeks to support homegrown artists by promoting and selling their artworks online while galleries and art spaces are closed during these trying times.
The ‘Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow’ photography exhibition aims to encourage members of the community to travel back in time to the good old days of the past and to capture and cherish the present moment, as a way to ensure that there will be a future with a past to look back on.
George Town’s art scene is about to get more exciting – if you know where to look. SPACE, an art space managed by George Town Festival, is set to draw art makers and enthusiasts of all kinds from October 2021 onwards.
Most of us look forward to the weekends but not Red Hong Yi and her artistic team – it is Mondays that they look forward to the most. For them, Mondays are spent on experimental, self-initiated and curiosity-driven personal projects. So get ready to check out the “Thank God It’s Monday” exhibition!
After taking a break from art for a few years, Frankie Lim, a Penang-based contemporary artist living with autism, returns with “AR/UTISTIC: Diaries on the Spectrum”, an art exhibition showcasing his art pieces created before and during the pandemic as well as the subsequent lockdown.
Paper Moon: Jazz in the City brings together some of Malaysia’s finest musicians in two complementary back-to-back concerts. The first, Purnama, is a premiere of the latest album from the award-winning group WVC Jazz.
Paper Moon: Jazz in the City brings together some of Malaysia’s finest musicians in two complementary back-to-back concerts. The second, Murakami and Jazz, presents a unique tribute to one of Japan’s greatest cultural icons, Haruki Murakami.
As part of a wide-ranging series of jazz events at this year’s George Town Festival, Hikayat will host three in-person and hands-on music masterclasses, led by some of Malaysia’s most respected musicians.
“Within Indigo Walls” returns for its second edition this year at George Town Festival 2021. The two-day celebration will take place at one of George Town’s most lauded architectural gems, the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, also known as The Blue Mansion.
A-bin Fang (方烱彬) is returning to Penang to sing for you! Born and bred in Air Itam, Penang, A-bin Fang is a Malaysian singer-songwriter based in Taiwan. He is a celebrated artiste in the Mandopop scene, known for his popular songs such as “Huai Ren” (Bad Guy), which has won numerous accolades.
In “Sama-Sama: George Town, A Multicultural Art Journey”, Penang-born artist Lefty Julian revisits his birthplace, George Town, and embarks on a personal journey to explore from a sensory perspective, what brings people together in our multicultural society.
Prepare to be mesmerised by ASK Dance Company, Dua Space Dance Theatre and Sutra Foundation as they bring together cultural and contemporary dance performances on one stage in “All Together Now”. This is a commissioned work by George Town Festival 2021.
“Macallum Stay-at-Home Concert” is set to offer residents a sampling of the George Town Festival at the rooftop of their neighbourhood complex or from the comfort of their own homes – just throw open the windows to enjoy the concert!
Wayang kulit is an ancient form of storytelling with immense historical value and significance. For those born in the 90s, this traditional entertainment might not be familiar. This year, George Town Festival is bringing back traditional wayang kulit performance so that everyone could get reacquainted with this vanishing traditional art form.
In collaboration with the Embassy of France in Malaysia and Alliance Française de Penang, George Town Festival is pleased to present “Ciné France” French movie screenings, featuring three watch-worthy contemporary French films – “The Bears’ Famous Invasion of Sicily”, “Remi, Nobody’s Boy” and “Felicità”.
Get inspired by CUTOUT Magazine’s transformative journey in this commemorative exhibition. A celebration of the magazine’s tenth anniversary, this exhibition sums up its journey from humble beginnings to a household name in the design industry.
George Town Festival’s “Isle to Isle” returns this year, continuing the excitement of interpreting the spirit of exchanging cultures, communicating through the arts and connecting two islands, Penang and Taiwan, together.
Elegantly set in the heritage centerpiece of Penang’s modern shopping mall, “Kamerata String Ensemble Performance” is set to fill the century-old chapel of St. Jo’s Gurney Paragon with the sounds of luxurious chamber music by classical composers such as Mozart and Tchaikovsky.
Catch stand-up comedians Phoon Chi Ho, Kavin Jay, and Rizal Van Geyzel in “Make Penang Laugh Again!”. Hosted by the loveable MC Farid Azmeir, the two-hour bumper stand-up comedy extravaganza will leave audiences in stitches.
Presented to you by George Town Festival, the “Creative Collection” exhibition aims to promote and highlight local brands and identities, from promising startups to the industry’s movers and shakers.
Join us to experience woodblock printing and basic intaglio woodcarving through the hands-on workshops specially curated by Keng Hwa Carving Studio, a woodcarving studio based in Penang which upholds the spirit of traditional handcrafting.
The “Penang Native Wood Kiln & Pottery Exhibition” is your one-stop-shop for everything wood kiln and pottery, with a pottery event, exhibition and a workshop to indulge in.