#GTF2023
#GTF2023
George Town Festival 2023
George Town Festival (GTF) – an annual festival held in Penang, Malaysia in honour of George Town’s inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 – is back and is expected to be more exciting!
Now in its 14th year, the Festival is set to present an exhilarating mix of arts and cultural programmes encompassing visual art, theatre, music, dance, film, photography and more within the heritage city of George Town and beyond from 15 to 30 July 2023.
E-Booklet
OPEN CALL FOR PROPOSALS #GTF2023
#GTF2023
If you have works which are intended to showcase arts and culture or enhance the value of the heritage city of George Town, you are welcome to be a part of George Town Festival 2023. Be it performing arts or visual arts, new or otherwise, we look forward to receiving your submissions!
E-Booklet
#GTF2022 PROGRAMMES
G-Short
Short Film
G-Short is a short film festival held as part of the George Town Festival to celebrate the endless imagination and possibilities a 90-second short film can bring about. Following the resounding success of the inaugural edition in 2021, G-Short returns for the second edition in July 2022.
Macallum Rooftop Concert
Music
For one night only, Kompleks Pulau Mutiara’s rooftop will be buzzing with rhythmic cultural beats, original songs inspired by the state of Penang, and some select classics! So join us as we elevate this one-of-a-kind programme to new heights – literally. There’s nothing quite like catching amazing cultural performances while looking over the urbanscape of George Town.
Art of Orient Garden
Fashion Design
“Art of Orient Garden” aims to elevate the design scene in the Pearl of the Orient by allowing festival-goers to discover and unfold the endless possibilities of fashion design! Festival-goers can expect a fashion showcase and an exhibition revealing fashion products designed by local designers Ranndy Goh, Villiam Ooi, Pa Ya Hui and Saw Alexis, inspired by Penang’s lush greenery.
Le Corbusier Maquettes: The representation of modern architecture
Architecture Exhibition
Trace the evolution of Le Corbusier’s mastery of space and time and his influence on the cities where his legacies live on and beyond in this exhibition! With 17 of Le Corbusier’s buildings on the UNESCO World Heritage List and his profound impact on the 20th century, the exhibition – featuring models of Le Corbusier’s iconic buildings from the private collection of RT+Q Architects – is an excellent place for learners and lovers of architecture.
Ciné France at Cheah Kongsi
Film Screening
In collaboration with the Embassy of France and the Alliances Françaises in Malaysia, George Town Festival is pleased to present “Ciné France”, an open-air night movie screening of the French movie “Dilili à Paris”, an enchanting tale of brave young heroes, mysteries and discoveries, kidnappings and ordeals, extraordinary places and magical encounters, and dark forces and triumph.
The Great Story of the Infinite Drawing
Augmented Reality Exhibition
Stuck in her bed following an accident in 2017, young French illustrator Elly Oldman created an Instagram account of endless drawing: @theinfinitedrawing. There, she deploys all her creativity and overflowing imagination in her very personal graphic style. she partners with Electroni[k] and works with &Friends and Benjamin Le Baron, mixing drawing and augmented reality (AR) to create “The Great Story of the Infinite Drawing”, a giant and evolving interactive fresco with an ecological and environmental background.
Down Memory Lane featuring Kathleen Rodrigues
Music
Nostalgic for the good ol’ days? Catch Penang’s living musical heritage Kathleen Rodrigues in this special performance and expect to be serenaded with classic hits that will take you back in time. Kathleen will be joined by keyboardist Oswald Scully, bassist Bonnie Jeremiah, and guitarist Chris Estrop, so mark your calendar.
Down Memory Lane featuring Colleen Read
Music
Make a date with living legend Colleen Read for a heartwarming afternoon of music. The veteran songbird will be crooning songs from yesteryears with the support of musicians pianist Lee Chong Heen, bassist Zaki Ani, and drummer Alex Henry Noden. Nothing like some good old-fashioned oldies to get you all nostalgic.
Songs at the Dawn of a Nation (Part 2)
Music
Director of Penang House of Music, Paul Augustin, together with Daryl Goh will present a session of vinyls and recordings from Malaysia’s past while sharing their crate-digging adventures in old and dusty stores, junk shops, and houses searching and sifting through mountains of stuff! Listen and hear the stories of the songs and recordings rescued and retrieved from before, during, and after the birth of a nation – Malaysia!
A Night at Hin
Market
“A Night at Hin” offers three different RE – Reset, Refine, and Retro – thematic Saturday Market each week! So, mark your calendar and unwind with us all while supporting our local artisans and entrepreneurs.
Potehi Puteri Hang Li Po
Puppetry
Catch the story of Puteri Hang Li Po told through the traditional artform of Potehi glove puppetry! This brilliant Potehi theatre tells the story of the legendary Chinese princess who was betrothed to Sultan Mansur Shah, the Sultan of Malacca, in the early 15th century.
Isle to Isle
Series
“Isle to Isle” is set to return for its 4th edition, continuing the excitement of interpreting the spirit of exchanging cultures and communicating through the arts to connect two islands – Penang and Taiwan – together. Festival-goers can expect a design exhibition, ‘Beyond Aesthetic’, and two themed forums, ‘Aesthetic Riot’ and ‘Design and Community Power’.
Jom! Pi Holland!
Theatre
Presented by The Old Boys Drama Club, “Jom! Pi Holland!” is an open-air community performance about three good friends who are about to embark on a long-planned trip to the Netherlands when the pandemic lockdown happens! They tried every means to get into the plane but met police patrolling the road. Will they end up in a lock up? Or lockdown？Or lockdown lock up？
GTF Summer School: Arts Masterclasses
Masterclasses
The George Town Festival Summer School welcomes members of the public of all ages and levels of artistic experience to Hikayat’s series of arts masterclasses – created and taught by guest artists who are leaders in their fields.
Performance To Screen
Arts Film Festival
The Arts Film Festival is dedicated to showing some of the finest films from around the world about the world of the arts. Music, the musical, dance, theatre and cinema itself are all part of Performance to Screen in a celebration of film’s ability to capture unique creative talents.
Angin OMbulan
On-site Experimental Performance
Witness the healing power of sounds and body movements in “Angin OMbulan”, a contemporary version of Malay traditional healing performances inspired by Main Puteri and Mak Yong. Performed by Kamal Sabran, Aida Redza, K.Azril Ismail, and Mhd Sany Mhd Hanif, this therapeutic multisensory experience will heal you in ways you’ve never imagined.
1025: 10 Years of CUTOUT Magazine
Exhibition
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. There will be a display of photographs on the walls, just like a walkthrough of the magazine’s decade-long journey so far.
Tiles of George Town | A Contemporary Take
Clay Craft Exhibition
Tiles of George Town | A Contemporary Take” reveals some of the key stages in creating traditional Peranakan tiles-inspired jewellery. See the actual shape and form of the tile designs, from the early stages through to completion. It also shows the unsuccessful part of the process, though what is shown is merely a tiny fraction of the actual challenge this art form poses.
Cahaya XR: First Edition
Immersive Exhibition
Catch the physical and virtual exhibition of “Cahaya XR: First Edition”, featuring new mixed reality immersive works by Penang artists White Bones, Kabilan Murali Dharan, and Ysabel Loh! The trailblazing exhibition fuses local stories with immersive technology such as virtual, augmented, and mixed reality to demonstrate new ways of reimagining Penang’s traditional stories and heritage while showcasing how the metaverse can be used to hold space for inclusive community storytelling.
TU7OH
Group Exhibition
Curated by Ivan Gabriel, “TU7OH” explores the simple yet intriguing number seven by gathering seven Penang artists of different backgrounds, skills, and influences – Aboud Fares, bibichun, ERYN, Esther Geh, Mandy Maung, Maizul Affendy, and White Bones – to each present a series of seven artworks. The exhibition aims to showcase a range of approaches – from the traditional to the unconventional, to the postmodern and contemporary – and in the process, witness the connection and interaction between the artworks by seven artists whose neither works nor artistic practices overlap.
SERENITY: A Glimpse Through the Traditional Lenses
Interdisciplinary Dance Art
Presented by Marrow Collective and performed by interdisciplinary artist Kar Kah Chan, in collaboration with cinematographer Joie Koo, dancers Ker Yee Teng and Winnie Tay Yi Xuan, Malaysian composer Yii Kah Hoe, and visual artist Sim Hoi Ling, “SERENITY: A Glimpse Through the Traditional Lenses” is a screening session, a performance, and a brief workshop that aims to connect traditional art forms with contemporary practices in dance and discover the vibrancy and diversities of the Malaysian art scene.
Come Play With Me: A Piano Concert for Families
Music
Introduce your kids (and your inner child) to the joys of classical music at “Come Play With Me”, a concert designed for all ages. Presented by award-winning international pianist Dr. Esther Shin Chuang with a special appearance by aspiring classical ballerina Abigail Ng Jingxuan, the hour-long concert ensures the young and young-at-heart a fun, family bonding time accompanied by family-friendly classical and modern piano music.
Echoes, Shadows & Footprints
Sustainability, Mobility and Nationalism in Malaysian Performing Arts & Culture Symposium
The Echoes, Shadows & Footprints: Sustainability, Mobility And Nationalism In Malaysian Performing Arts & Culture Symposium brings 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.
Handbuilt Pottery Workshop
Hands-on Workshop
Make a keepsake you’ll treasure for years to come in this handbuilt pottery workshop. The instructor will introduce and demonstrate the pottery-making technique of handbuilding. As an added experience, you will also be introduced to the wheel throwing process! Participants can expect to collect their masterpieces 6 to 8 weeks later.
VISION - a New Wave:
Dance Creations by Emerging Choreographers
Contemporary Dance
Inspired by the saying “the eyes are the window to the soul”, “VISION, a New Wave” features exciting displays of new dance creations choreographed by three emerging choreographers of Euphoria Penang that remind audiences of the gift of SIGHT.
Teater Tradisional Makyung 'DEWA INDERA INDERA DEWA'
Theatre
Kumpulan Seri Makyung USM is bound to astound with Teater Tradisional Makyung ‘DEWA INDERA INDERA DEWA’, one of the twelve common Mak Yong stories. This Mak Yong performance tells the tales of two princes – Dewa Indera and Indera Dewa – vying for the love of Puteri Selindungan Daun, whom they saved from a jinn.
A Notional History
Documentary Theatre
Directed by Mark Teh, “A Notional History” pulls from various modes of documentation to investigate and speculate on the possible histories of a ‘New Malaysia’. The result is like a three-dimensional found poetry – its origins are intact, but now it swings between two poles, giving Malaysian history a new perspective.
IBU
Theatre
Inspired by the famous Southeast Asian folklore “Si Tanggang”, “IBU” tells the story of a young man, Tanggang, who escapes his impoverished hometown and marries a foreign princess. When he returns to his hometown as the husband to a princess, he feels ashamed of his humble origins and refuses to recognise his old and ugly mother.
A concert to “浪(lang4) x lepak”
Music
Through energetic performances of shigu, gamelan, jidor, gendang, didgeridoo and more, Orang Orang Drum Theatre (OODT) is set to explore the diverse sounds of global cultures while “drumming” their pandemic anxiety with Rosemary Joel and Gideon Alu8khan Chen on vocals and sape and shamise. Expect original pieces like “People. Cars. Buildings.”, “Tuyang sit in the corner”, and more.
The Shang Sisters: Pesta Irama Bersama-sama
Jazz
The Shang Sisters bring their inimitable artistry, style and flair to create a concert for the ages. Accompanied by the award-winning WVC Jazz ensemble, Janet Lee, Winnie Ho and Mian Tan will be presenting classic Chinese and Malay songs, tunes from the Great American Songbook and much more, all rooted in a distinctly Malaysian and Nanyang sound.
The Senses
Music
“The Senses”, set to take place at Penang’s highest 360° viewing platform that is The Habitat Penang Hill’s Curtis Crest, is a one-of-a-kind concert in a 130-million-year-old rainforest with mesmerising views of Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve’s ancient rainforest, the George Town World Heritage Site and beyond. “The Senses” offers an all-round sensorial experience for all types of audiences.
Oops! Belle the Witch is Gone!
Children Musical Theatre
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!”.
Mozart at the Mansion
Opera
“Mozart at the Mansion” is surely not to be missed by opera lovers. Set to take place at the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion (also known as The Blue Mansion), “Mozart at the Mansion” promises an evening of divine opulence with soaring selections of Mozart’s arias and duets performed by the Kuala Lumpur City Opera (KLCO).
George Town Discovery Walk
Discovery Walk
Soak in the culture and history of George Town in the “George Town Discovery Walk”! Happening on 7 July 2022, in celebration of the 14th anniversary of George Town’s UNESCO World Heritage Site listing, the 5km fun walk will take you from the historic Beach Street and through the heritage enclave to discover fascinating history-rich buildings of the George Town UNESCO World Heritage Site. Participants can expect t-shirts and goodie bags.
A Starry Night Recital
Music
Dubbed “the prince of love ballads”, Malaysian artiste Abin Fang will be performing live in his online recital at 7:30 pm on 15 February 2022, which coincides with Chap Goh Mei, also known as the Chinese Valentine’s Day in Southeast Asia. On this romantic occasion, fans from Malaysia and beyond are welcomed to partake in an evening of auditory pleasure with Abin Fang’s celebrated works.
Tanjong Life: Back to the 90s
Comic Book
Remember when we did not need fancy gadgets or the Internet to have fun; when we took the time to send postcards instead of making long video calls? The 90s children sure had a sweet and uncomplicated time growing up, a time when human connection was more important than network connection!
Moments
Photobook
Presented by George Town Festival, Moments showcases images of unforgettable moments and scenes of contemporary Penang captured through the lenses of lifelong Penangites and photographers Patrick Loo, Sean Lim and Yih Chang. These images evoke elusive memories, inspiring a profound desire to create and capture more moments specific to the Penang experience that lasts a lifetime.
Arts to Your Doorstep
Online Marketplace
“Arts to Your Doorstep” is an online marketplace to buy and sell unique art pieces and rare, handmade items created by local artists and artisans. Started in 2021 by George Town Festival to support homegrown artists by promoting and selling their artworks online.
Moments
Photobook
Presented by George Town Festival, Moments showcases images of unforgettable moments and scenes of contemporary Penang captured through the lenses of lifelong Penangites and photographers Patrick Loo, Sean Lim and Yih Chang. These images evoke elusive memories, inspiring a profound desire to create and capture more moments specific to the Penang experience that lasts a lifetime.
Penang at a Glance
Photobook
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.
Tanjong Life: The New Norm
Comic Book
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!
A Notebook
Handcrafted Notebook
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.