THE GEORGE TOWN FESTIVAL 2022 OFFICIAL OPENING

SPEECH BY THE CHIEF MINISTER OF PENANG YAB CHOW KON YEOW

FOR THE GEORGE TOWN FESTIVAL 2022

OFFICIAL OPENING

9 JULY 2022

 

Welcome to the official opening of George Town Festival 2022. First and foremost, thank you for inviting me to join all of you today. It is a great honour for me to be here.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Since 2008, the Penang State Government has invested substantial resources to develop our creative industries including the arts and culture, hence successfully raising the scene to exceptional heights.

For instance, the Penang State Government has invested over RM30 million to organise the annual George Town Festival since 2011. As a result, the GTF grew in stature, both at home and internationally, and made significant strides in the global arts scene.

CNN Travel dubbed the George Town Festival as the 'Best of Penang rolled up in one big festival' while The New York Times reviewed it as a 'festival growing into a major Asian arts event'. Through the success of GTF, we in Penang have established our position as a key player in Malaysia's arts and cultural scene. 

The COVID-19 pandemic, however, disrupted our initiatives in 2020. The pandemic was not just a health crisis for countries across the globe. It impacted all sectors and industries and created New Norms not previously seen before.

Certainly, Penang's creative industries were not spared from its devastating consequences. For a period, the Penang State Government has been actively assisting those in the art and cultural sectors to overcome their predicament while reviving the economy.

Since the reopening of international borders, we have been preparing to welcome visitors back to the state. With the return of the George Town Festival to the physical stage from 9 to 24 July, we have given more reasons for domestic and international travellers to revisit the state, especially so for the arts and culture enthusiasts.

With more than 80 exciting programmes to offer, I am certain that the 16-day celebration will be a hit among locals and visitors as many of us have been looking forward to on-site events after two years. This will help speed up recovery in the arts and culture sector.

Ladies & Gentlemen,

I must note that the Festival has aligned itself to the Penang2030 Vision of “A Family-Focused Green and Smart State that Inspires the Nation”. Through this year’s impressive curation, the Festival hopes to bring thousands of visitors, family members, and communities together while inspiring generations of arts lovers and practitioners. The Festival has brilliantly leveraged on Penang’s best tourism assets, which are our two UNESCO-designated sites, and turned our ancient rainforest and historic buildings into venues for the arts.

Some of the programmes are also exceptionally creative and original in their approach while others blend arts, history, culture, and technology in perfect harmony. 

I want to commend the organiser for taking risks and having the foresight to make bold choices in this year's curation to provide a shared space for festival-goers and to keep our community inspired.

In some ways, GTF 2022 is a re-birth for the Festival after two challenging years. I am pleased that the very spirit of the Festival spirit has remained the same, and that is, to make arts accessible to all. It is my sincere hope that everyone will make time to explore the fascinating programmes on offer and to share our love for the arts and culture at GTF 2022.

Thank you.