THE OPENING CEREMONY OF GEORGE TOWN FESTIVAL (GTF) 2023
SPEECH BY THE CHIEF MINISTER OF PENANG YAB TUAN CHOW KON YEOW FOR THE OPENING CEREMONY OF GEORGE TOWN FESTIVAL (GTF) 2023
15 July 2023
Majestic Theatre
It gives me great pleasure to be with you today for the Opening Ceremony of the 14th Edition of George Town Festival.
It is not easy to mark yet another season where the arts take centre stage in George Town and wider Penang. Following the challenges of the last three years, the organisation of George Town Festival has needed to adapt to certain restrictions and limitations, seeing a digital version in 2020, a hybrid version in 2021 and a scaled-back physical version last year. Yet throughout its varied iterations, we see that George Town Festival continues to be an essential avenue for artists from around the globe to showcase their talents and works for all to experience and enjoy.
I am pleased to witness the perseverance of collaborative efforts to ensure the continued commitment of the Festival to promoting the arts and culture in Penang and the region.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Throughout its 14 iterations, we have experienced how the Festival is a platform to celebrate the things that can bring us together. This is the power of the arts – the telling of our lived experiences, our histories, and the future we can build together through the weaving of compelling characters and stories, evocative and dynamic artistic works. Together, they remind us of who we were, who we are, and the people we can be. What a way to honour the power and possibilities of the arts here in Penang.
For its 14th iteration, the 16-day festival runs from today, 15 July to 30 July, with performances, exhibitions and community events bringing together residents, city makers, as well as local and international tourists for a remarkable celebration of the arts.
The Festival presents over 50 programmes and events across 8 categories, with more than 10 premieres and debuts, allowing audiences to encounter new and original works which contribute to the growth of the national and regional arts industry.
I am also thankful that this year, the Festival has persevered in growing as a people-centric avenue by ensuring that over 70% of its programmes and events have free access, providing greater accessibility for people to engage with the arts. The pre-festival programmes held in the mainland on the first and second weekends of July, namely, Macam Macam Berapit and Sounds from the East, brought together over 15,000 audiences to an overwhelmingly positive response.
This proves that these events unite many people across generations and localities for a shared experience of what the Festival offers.
We expect a crowd of more than 150,000 festival goers, local audiences and tourists who will be flocking to Penang just to be a part of the Festival experience. This ultimately gives way to reaching out to wider audiences and providing increased spaces and moments for people to participate and be a part of the Festival in a more personal approach. This is truly a testament to George Town Festival as a Festival for Everyone.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
For the past 14 years, the State has greatly benefitted from the impact of George Town Festival. We have seen an increase in homegrown artists, creatives and international art practitioners who call Penang home. Because of them, we are able to experience a wide range of disciplines and varied narratives revealed through their works.
As such, the State remains devoted to our intention and motivations of creating spaces for global artistic exchange, intercultural exchange and fostering debates on how to develop the local arts scene.
In recognising George Town Festival as an influential voice in the local and regional arts scene, the State has invested much to continue its dedication to encouraging and advancing the position of the Festival. This is so that the Festival remains a vital and vibrant space for the creation of new and original works for all to experience and enjoy.
With that, I wish to congratulate the organiser, the crew, the volunteers and all those who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make this a successful Festival. And to all stakeholders and artists here, thank you for bringing works that inspire and transform how we see life.
I wish you all a wonderful time with your loved ones at George Town Festival 2023.
Thank you.