The Penang House of Music has been at the forefront of efforts to collect and preserve the music and performing arts cultural heritage of Malaysia and the surrounding Southeast Asian countries. It houses a growing archive of historical artefacts, which include entertainment magazines, photographs and vinyl records. This symposium, the first of its kind organized by PHoM in collaboration with Penang Institute and supported by George Town Festival, aims to bring together roundtable discussions and panels that are formed of performing arts professionals, government representatives and scholars currently conducting research and involved in policy development for Malaysian performing arts and culture. This symposium features speakers involved in ongoing fundamental research projects (funded by the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education) on Malaysian performing arts and music, led by researchers from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Universiti Sains Malaysia. The roundtables will focus on the sustainability of performing arts and will discuss the development of cultural policy in Malaysia to better sustain and flourish the nation’s arts and culture. It is hoped that this symposium will be a start for future events that showcase the most recent research and policy initiatives for performing arts and culture in Malaysia and eventually, the wider Southeast Asian region.

The symposium is centred on three main themes:

National Identity, Cultural Diversity and Social Cohesion in Malaysian Music: Panels will examine how music is instrumental in the making of national identity and provide a means to harmoniously connect people across cultural differences.

Mobility, Migration and Transnational Flows in Malaysian Performing Arts and (Popular) Culture: Current research uncovers the complex movement of music and musicians across national and regional borders, resulting in rich cultural expressions over time through everyday practices and popular culture media.

Sustainability, Preservation and Rejuvenation of Malaysian Performing Arts Heritage: Roundtables and panels will discuss current initiatives and solutions for sustaining Malaysian performing arts, as well as current research regarding issues of preservation, protection, promotion and education of Malaysian performing arts heritage.

The Symposium will feature the following invited speakers:

1. Prof. Ulung Datuk Dr. Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, KITA-UKM

2. Prof. Dr. Tan Sooi Beng, USM

3. Dato’ Dr. Ooi Kee Beng, Penang Institute

4. Datuk Dr. Anis Yusal Yusoff, KITA-UKM

5. Dr. James Boyle, ASWARA

6. Puan Zubaidah Mukhtar, JKKN

7. Mr. Eddin Khoo, PUSAKA

8. Mr. Grey Yeoh, International Arts Consultant