Young muscle for the arts

Fahmi Fadzil in the play, Bunga Manggar Bunga Raya, last May

The Annexe Central Market offers new space for a more varied visual arts programme such as the PT (Pink Triangle) Foundation’s photo exhibition that marks 21 years of its journey with HIV/AIDS last December

Previous award winners (from left) Teh, Fahmi, Kugan and Tan

ARTS collective body Five Arts Centre will mark 25 years this year, while its political colleague, Instant Cafe Theatre, will see turn 20. In the face of such established arts ventures, youth is tossing its long hair in the charge for a space for herself.

Mark Teh, Fahmi Fadzil, Brian Tan and Jerome Kugan were once winners of the BOH Cameronian Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur’s Fan of the Arts for Most Promising Artist award.

Today, it is known as Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur’s Most Promising Artiste award, but it still comes with a cash prize of RM1,000.

The four guys see themselves as catalysts for change in the local arts — visual, music, stage, dance, etc. New spaces. New issues, New works. New audiences.

Teh, for one, has been with Five Arts Centre but the 28-year-old says his work is cross-disciplinary. “I am very aware of our theatre history,’’ says Teh who won the award in 2002.

“I may be seen to be working against what has been done before but in fact, I am extending the questions that they have asked in the processes, content and form.

“This might not be important for the audience, but it is for me.

“I couldn’t go to university then, so Five Arts was a support system, as is this award.

‘‘Actually, I want to win all the awards available!” says Keramat-born Teh, adding that he would like to work with sisters Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle.

Kugan, 33, is the forefront of the emergence of new performing arts. “I’m with the singer-songwriter scene,” says Kugan who won the award in 2003.

“The underground music scene is flowering with the emergence of new talent and more singer-songwriters.

“Just 10 years ago, local musicians were all playing at pubs, offering covers more than their original material. There was also little appreciation for original works.

“Today, the 20s and 30s are confident about playing their own songs and music.

“It’s the maturing of talent among my generation and a receptive audience is growing in tandem,” says the singer-songwriter-poet from Kota Kinabalu.

Yes, agrees Kuala Lumpur-based Fahmi, 28. who won the award in 2006.

“I went for singer-songwriter-actor Shanon Shah’s show at No Black Tie recently.”

Shanon, by the way, won the Most Promising Artist award in 2004.

Says Fahmi: “I went because I knew him. He played covers in the first half but offered his own stuff in the second set. And the people woo-hooed away.”

That brought a grin to Kugan’s face, who adds: “There are regular slots for singer-songwriters in places like NBT and Acoustic Jaya (which ended its acoustic music run last weekend).

“Lots of talent. Even the bands are more in the scene now.”

An area where the old still holds sway is classical music. Tan started an amateur orchestra under KLpac, where the oldest musician is about 50 years old.

“Building an amateur orchestra is no easy task,” says the dimpled Most Promising Artist award winner of 2007.

Entrants must have completed Grade Six of music tests, but they may not have played in years. Still, the love of music and of playing is still there.”

For Tan, 39, the biggest task in conducting an amateur classical orchestra is to find a suitable programme. “As conductor, I explore every category — Baroque, Romantic, Folk — with the musicians. But I am trying to promote local compositions.”

The task is challenging. “I started with Christmas carols and moved on to more difficult work, like operas. Training is voluntary, you know, but members still need to come in at least three times a week.

“Competitions keep us healthy. Last year, we had the HSBC piano competition and this year, we will hold a competition for ensembles.”

He adds: “Classical music is rigid. The same music is played the world over. It’s just your interpretation that will make it your own.

“After this discussion, I am ready to introduce new elements to the amateur orchestra, like theatre and dance.”

Is there an audience for such avant-garde shows? Tan feels the audience grows with what is offered while Fahmi is quite sure the audience for new works is growing.

“From students in colleges to young graduates and young professionals. A larger segment is from the urban areas and it’s been more receptive to new work in the arts.”

Was there a turning point for them, like 1969 was for the older crowd?

For Teh and Fahmi, it was the Reformasi of 1998.

“It’s Reformasi-related,” says Teh. “I was a student and had to review plays held at Plaza Putra in Dataran Merdeka.

“I had to wade through the demonstrations to go underground to watch the plays. So I was forced to witness and watch the demonstrations. There were really two levels of performances for me — one was a dark room underground, and the other was a political performance of national importance above ground.”

He says his work deals with the history of the country, the arts and finding one’s place in all of this. Teh is now hands-on with webtv, called popteevee, with Hardesh Singh.

As for Fahmi, his sentiments about the Reformasi is known within his circle. This is a member of Five Arts and Artis Pro Activ, a non-political group from the arts community founded in 1998.

He feels his work is about finding new lines of identity. “It’s not an East vs West thing. I’m interested in searching for a Malaysian identity,” he says. “Hence, wayang. This is not as in cinema but as in Indonesia which has different kinds of wayang — wayang golek, kulit. So why not wayang KL? It will have post-colonial sensitivities. But the spirit is Five Artist-ish”

There is an undeniable confidence among the youth in putting their own works — be it music, visual arts or cross-disciplinary stuff — on public display. Along with this comes the emergence of spaces for such display like The Annexe at Central Market and the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre in Sentul.

Fahmi adds that these venues also offer good programmes for the new performing arts like KLpac’s Theatre for Young People.

Kugan finds performing with veterans “healthy”. It’s keeping my generation on its toes.”

Fahmi and Teh feel a coming together of the sense of history of arts practice in the country.

“The awareness of that history, of what has happened in last 20 years, is a connection with my peers,” says Fahmi. One example is his recent play, Operasi Oktober. Based on historical facts, the “devised” play looked at the start of the Emergency. Four youths have the job of creating a performance at the point where they meet to discuss how to fight the colonial British force. But the organiser is not to be found. The questions raised include the initiative of the rakyat as in Hindraf, for example, which leaders were under ISA detention.

According to Fahmi, there’s more diversity of voices and skill sets that the youths are bringing to their work in comparison to five years ago. For example, April will see a light exhibition at The Annexe. It will not just work by lighting designers like Mac Chan but by architects, theatre designers and others who will create more holistic pieces.

These four prove you don’t need combat boots to make change happen. Through their fresh perspectives and more democratic approaches to getting their voices heard through their work, change is inevitable.

The nominees
The Seventh Annual BOH Cameronian Arts Awards nominees were announced last Tuesday. The nominees represent the best of the 2008 performing arts season, as according to this private-sector award committee. It is organised by Kakiseni, a premier online magazine for the arts. The Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur Most Promising Artist Award nominees are:
- Bella Rahim, actor
- Fared Ayam, actor-writer
- Mohd. Amerul Affendi, actor-writer
- Suhaili Micheline Ahmad Kamil,dancer-choreographer
- Zahiril Adzim, actor-writer
For details, visit www.kakiseni.com.