KUALA LUMPUR, 30 January 2018 – After two successful outings, Malaysia’s biggest free-for-all arts festival is back with a heartfelt edition.
Presented by Yayasan Sime Darby and The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (klpac), the Yayasan Sime Darby Arts Festival (YSDAF) 2018 themed “You, Me + The Arts” will kick off in February and end with the festival finale on 18 and 19 August 2018.
YSDAF 2018’s theme is all about people – how does the arts relate to people and vice versa. In an effort to be more inclusive and to expand its reach, YSDAF will be spreading its wings to work with people in different communities such as the disabled, the underprivileged, schools and others.
This is an extension of YSD’s work under its Community & Health Pillar.
“I am once again excited to host you at our coming YSDAF! And I guarantee you that this year’s YSDAF is not going to be like any other arts festival. It will be the first of its kind in Malaysia, while promising to be as lively and engaging like our previous arts festivals, with various fun and educational activities suitable for everyone in the family,” said YSD Chairman Tun Musa Hitam.
“YSDAF2018 will be the first of this magnitude in the country to showcase issues affecting society in an entertaining and captivating way, giving a voice to those who need to be heard, with important takeaways that are sure to linger on in every festival-goer’s mind long after the festival is over. YSD is proud to use this meaningful platform of the arts as a knowledge hub and sharing mechanism. I dare say that this initiative also features the arts as an essential and necessary platform to advocate inclusion,” he added.
Dato’ Faridah Merican, Executive Producer & Co-Founder of klpac, added “This year’s theme in particular strikes a chord with us because we have had a long history of producing works on social issues and working with various NGOs. One such NGO is the Malaysian AIDS Foundation and we are delighted to be working with them once again for YSDAF 2018. Of course, all this would not happen without the support of YSD.”
YSDAF 2018 will be kicking off with an open call for project ideas via Pitch Start. The team is on the lookout for an alternative to a traditional museum that is catered for the visually-impaired and/or hearing-impaired.
Artistes or arts groups can submit their ideas in the form of a touchable museum, multi-sensory experience or installation by 15 March 2018.
The winner will be awarded with up to RM20,000 and the work will be unveiled as a highlight at the festival finale.
Other satellite activities include a crucial school outreach programme to educate young people about consent, a Speech and Drama outreach project for underprivileged children, a photography project highlighting the plight of the disabled and a singer-songwriter camp that will culminate in a showcase in May.
Similar to previous editions, YSDAF 2018 will wrap up with a mammoth two-day finale in August. If the last festival is anything to go by, there will be a flow of 15,000 people and almost 350 arts activities performed or conducted by an almost all-Malaysian contingent.
Nowhere else will you be able to enjoy such a wide sampling of the arts at one go.
Scale aside, what sets YSDAF apart is that it offers a highly engaging, interactive and feel-good festival experience for children through to adults. So, be sure to keep those dates free because the festival only happens once every two years.
Visit www.ysdartsfestival.com.my for the latest updates.
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