COLOURS OF CHANGE

It’s not every day that an unassuming catch-up session over teh tarik would give rise to a festival that celebrates Malacca’s ancestral heritage through contemporary culture. Yet, that was exactly how the Melaka Art and Performance Festival (MAPFest) was conceived. “We were simply mooting the idea of creating a festival that would allow local and international artistic collaboration. That one session progressed into months of deliberation on whether a fast-developing sleepy hollow like Malacca was ready for an international arts and performance festival of this nature,” recalls Andrew Ching, the festival’s Founder and Producer. “I was convinced, however, that I was ready to leave a legacy for future generations to come in the town where I was born and raised.”

Both Ching and fellow Malaccan Tony Yap, the festival’s Creative Director, believed that the growth of arts should be parallel with the expansion of commerce, and there was no better place for this to happen than historically rich Malacca, which was then rapidly developing after acquiring its UNESCO World Heritage Site status. With deep roots in culture and tradition (as well as being their hometown), they were convinced of Malacca’s potential in becoming the premier hub for artistic collaboration in South-East Asia. This belief in the fusion of arts and performance with culture and tradition, however improbable, gave birth to the now multi-award winning MAPFest.

Having devoted more than 40 years to the arts, Yap has insights into the current state of the arts scene. “I am extremely aware of untapped diverse voices from the non-western region in the discourse of new contemporary ideas. Non-dominant cultures have very interesting ideas and fresh approaches to the arts, especially in performance and traditional rituals. That’s why this festival plays an important role in the global arts scene. It’s time for these quiet cultures to take centre stage and dazzle the world with their beauty and complexity.”

As the years went by – this year’s festival, taking place from 27 to 29 November, is the seventh edition – MAPFest has gained a high national profile as well as increased its international status, evolving into a collaborative arena where local artists are openly welcomed and included, free from the borders of hierarchy. With artists hailing from Indonesia, Australia, France, Poland, Singapore and Russia, a new wave of avant-garde works have been developed while long-term relationships established.  It’s a breath of fresh air set to change the course of arts, heading to an exciting new frontier. “Diverse cultures and voices bring rich, contemporary and innovative ways to create new works and developments. We’ve had an Australian opera singer, a Javanese bull-trance shaman, a Parisian hip-hop dancer and a parkour artist from Russia all working together. These rare combinations have now become a commonality. It’s a truly multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary effort.” explains Yap.

Listening to Ching and Yap speak excitedly of MAPFest, one is easily swept away by their passion. They say that this festival belongs to the artists and its evolution has been radical. “Artists collaborate to have on-the-spot, quick improvisations with highly developed frameworks. This festival focuses on spiritual transformation. We want the depth and authenticity in art to prevail. The thematic finale, Eulogy for the Living, is a total collaborative momento mori and, thus, a true reminder of the essential to the questions of why we live and create art.”

Though the festival lets the rich and varied voices around South-East Asia be heard, it endeavours to forge a connection with the local community. Guided by the concept of ‘if it’s inaccessible to the poor, it’s neither radical nor revolutionary’, it reaches out to every facet of the diverse Malaccan folk. This year, the Heritage Group and a Malaccan children’s exhibition, Every Child is Gifted, are among the local talents taking part, while Malacca’s very own Soong Ro Ger will be debuting Caged, his very first solo performance installation.

Of course, running the festival is not all a bed of roses for Ching and Yap. “We are still far from acquiring substantial funding and we depend on the individual artist finding his or her own transportation and fees. We do provide heavily subsidised accommodation and, in some cases, help with travel funds, especially for artists from countries with limited support for the arts,” Ching says. For Yap, it’s all about wearing multiple hats – from graphic designer to programmer and liaison officer. “It certainly takes up a bulk of my time and energy, but this is my contribution to the festival. As the numbers and complexities increase, I have to be creative in constantly reinventing pathways in dealing with them.”

Despite the challenges, there are those magical moments that remind them of the spirit of the festival, where art is truly for all, especially when seeing someone overwhelmed by the beauty of the performances. Yap remembers: “There was one year we dedicated Eulogy for the Living to Sura Nyoman, a Balinese artist who died just a few months before he was supposed to join us. That night, a Javanese dancer, Agung Gunawan, danced as if possessed by the soul of Sura. Everyone felt his presence and there was a power emanating from the dance that left the audience in tears. It was true magic.” And this is why he hopes for a space where there is true freedom of expression, one where the arts will receive extensive support. As he fittingly puts it: “Artists, after all, are the shamans of society.”