It is my pleasure to welcome all of you here today for the programme announcement of George Town Festival 2023. Following the challenges over the last three years, the organisation of the 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.
Despite last year’s post-pandemic circumstances, George Town Festival 2022 saw an impressive and highly successful iteration, with 90% of sold-out ticketed shows and over 100,000 attendees throughout the two-week duration of the festival.
The overwhelmingly positive response towards last year’s festival showed its value as a positioner of the arts. The festival’s dedication to the arts has resulted in its recognition as the “main highlight on the global arts calendar” (Tatler Asia, 2022) and one of the “best music [and arts] festivals in Southeast Asia” (Lifestyle Asia, 2022).
As part of our commitment to celebrating the arts and culture in Penang and wider Malaysia, GTF 2023 presents Sounds from the East in collaboration with Design Village Outlet Mall. This also marks the first time George Town Festival extends its presence to Batu Kawan, making it a fantastic opportunity to come together and celebrate the truly extraordinary world of Borneo through music and dance on the mainland.
Sounds from the East is not just any other event; it is an experience that will ignite our souls and immerse us in the rich soundscapes of Borneo.
It is a celebration of the diverse musical heritage that flows through the veins of our nation, showcasing the extraordinary talents of bands from Sabah and Sarawak. These gifted musicians have dedicated their lives to preserving the cultural treasures that define our Malaysian identity.
The concert is also family-friendly, encouraging us to bring our loved ones, friends and children along. As we gather under the canopy of melodies, we give our children a precious gift—the gift of discovery. It is an opportunity for them to learn more about the diverse heritage that weaves the fabric of our nation.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
While the State remains dedicated to making Penang a meaningful place for everyone through the Penang2030 Vision, we are also committed to reinvigorating our sense of community. In line with the State’s devotion to the people of Penang, George Town Festival is a vibrant and vital space for all to immerse in new perspectives and rethink how we can engage with our society through the arts.
I welcome everyone to attend Sounds from the East on 8 July 2023 at Batu Kawan with your family, friends, children, and loved ones for an experience like no other because I understand that there will be a total of 50 programmes by our talented performers over a period of 16 days. I also take this opportunity to encourage everyone to celebrate the arts and culture with us at George Town Festival 2023. I look forward to seeing you all in the next coming weeks.
For press members who want more details on the curation of the festival, I now pass to Jack Wong… Thank You.
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.
SPEECH BY THE CARETAKER CHIEF MINISTER OF PENANG YAB TUAN CHOW KON YEOW LIGHT IN THE CITY GEORGE TOWN FESTIVAL 2023
30 July 2023
Lebuh Pantai
It gives me great pleasure to be with you here this evening at Light in the City, the grand finale of George Town Festival 2023.
As the Festival draws to a close, I want to share that I have been inspired and filled with hope throughout the past 16 days, experiencing all the outstanding works by local and international artists and, even more so, the positive engagement from the public.
This is why Light in the City stands as a meaningful way to mark the closing of George Town Festival 2023. Rarely do we see a celebration like this at the heart of George Town, where the arts take centre stage. This is a moment for everyone to see, listen, feel, and be a part of the Festival, illuminating how the arts can inspire and transform.
To celebrate Light in the City is to celebrate the impact of the arts in our lives and society. The arts pull people together, creating a community that speaks the language of togetherness. So today, we celebrate unity among diversity and the bountiful presence of the arts in our beloved heritage city and our thriving community. This, my friends, is the power and possibilities of the arts.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
For the past five years, George Town Festival has journeyed with one goal in mind - to create a more inclusive and accessible arts-centric festival under the overarching banner, A Festival for Everyone.
The vision behind this is to ensure that more people, especially those within Penang, would engage and actively participate in the arts. This is one of the main reasons the State has continuously supported the Festival, with minimal involvement and limitations to ensure that the arts can be expressed as freely as possible. But we could not have grown if it wasn’t for you.
That is why I want to thank all of you present today and those who have travelled near and far to be with us throughout the Festival - thank you for your presence and for being a part of the Festival’s journey. And to all those who have purchased tickets to the shows and performances, thank you for your generosity and for being patrons of the arts.
Your engagement is essential to the continued, sustainable growth of the arts in Penang and around the world. I hope you will continue to celebrate and recognise our local and homegrown talents beyond the Festival.
I congratulate the organisers and the committee on a job well done. Thank you for your hard work and for being a part of the effort to keep the arts alive in Penang.
Lastly, I leave you with this.
The arts shine a light in our lives, and every time you engage with any art form, you receive that light. So I hope you will shine that light to all those around you so that together we can build a society that appreciates and celebrates the power of the arts in our state and nation. And if you ever need a little hope and inspiration, the arts will always be here to show you the way home.
Congratulations, George Town Festival!
See you next year!
Pejabat Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang Tingkat 28, KOMTAR, 10502, George Town, Pulau Pinang
