KL boasts new space for arts in the region

Helly Minarti, Contributor, Kuala Lumpur

The 103-year-old brick wall of a train depot from the British colonial era has been married to a sleek, modern, four-story steel and glass structure in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to produce a place dubbed a hub for the performing arts community.

It is an organic space for artists and arts practitioners to explore artistic possibilities, instead of a shiny theater to stage blockbuster shows. Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Center (KLPAC) or PentasSeni KL, started to stage a variety of performances last May, and has been busy and well-booked through to 2007.

Looking at its impressive architectural design -- even the old zinc roof has been retained as part of the theater design -- or strolling through its vast park, also designed to be an outdoor performing space, one can hardly believe that the design concept was drawn up just a year ago.

That is ironic, in comparison to the years-long, yet unfinished renovation of Taman Ismail Marzuki arts complex in Jakarta.

Moreover, the venture is the initiative of three non- government bodies: YTL Corporation Berhad (one of Malaysia's leading property businesses), Yayasan Budi Penyayang Malaysia (YBPM) and The Actors Studio Malaysia (a theater group).

Each had a role to play. While YTL Corporation, widely recognized for its arts sponsorship in Malaysia, built the complex, YBPM assists with the promotion of cultural heritage and the arts, while The Actors Studio manages the artistic program.

"It is a dream comes true," exclaimed Prof Mohd Anis Md Nor, from the University of Malaya. As the president of the World Dance Alliance (WDA) Asia-Pacific chapter, he booked the space for the organization's annual general assembly and conference, which was held in conjunction with the MyDance Alliance Festival, even though the building had not yet been constructed.

Now, the extensive, yet compact site in Sentul -- which is 20 minutes' drive from the city center -- houses two theater spaces with proper backup facilities for a modern theater, strategically fitting artists' needs.

The large, 500-seat proscenium theater, while equipped with state-of-the-art rigging, lighting and sound systems, is designed to be sufficiently flexible to cater for many types of performance.

The 200-seat black box theater offers even more flexibility, with movable seats, designed for smaller, experimental productions. It also has 10 rehearsal studios, with a unique, open concept in which the technical workshop is at the front on the ground floor, so people and audience members passing the front can easily watch stage designers and technicians at work.

Offices are on the mezzanine between the ground and first floors, so anybody climbing the stairs can see the staff working.

"We aim to serve a broad spectrum of the arts. This is built for arts practitioners by providing access to affordable studio and venue rental," said Marge Chew, the general manager.

Hence, this sets the space apart from the government-built Istana Budaya, an official venue more appropriate for staging large-scale shows and orchestral performances.

"It has answered what the artists had been asking: a performance space with multidimensionality, which is able to accommodate many things without having to fit into an ambitious performance site, which might be too large or small," added Prof Mohd Anis, an expert on ethnomusicology and ethnochoreology.

One of the expected results is that it will allow access to shared and different kinds of space, for artists to meet or interact with each other.

Another of its functions is arts education, thus the academy of the arts was established, now offering arts classes for children, adolescents and adults.

Two months after opening, KLPAC organized two large events: the French Spring Festival and the MyDance Festival.

While the physical site attracts international acts, local programming and presentation provide a real challenge.

During dance performances by the local artists, traditional, folk and contemporary numbers were confusingly wrapped into a night showing.

Too much dry ice was spilled onto the stage, enveloping the dancers in an overly thick cloud-like fog; many in the audience found it spoiled their enjoyment of the dances.

Improvements are, however, likely to continue as the space inspires the local arts scene to evolve.

(Visit www.klpac.com for future updates.)