Since October 2020, ten Malaysian beneficiaries have received grants from the British Council to support cultural partnerships between the UK and Malaysia. These grants, with a total worth of over £80,000 from three distinct programmes, will help develop innovative ways of collaborating digitally in the arts during this period where Covid-19 has prevented international travel and face-to-face collaborations.
‘These grants will support work in various art forms ranging from literature, film, visual arts, music to theatre. Our ten beneficiaries will bring together people with different experiences and backgrounds, including the disabled, minority ethnic groups, LGBTQI+, youth, and those working in areas of environment and sustainability. We are proud to provide the opportunity for our grant beneficiaries in the UK and Malaysia to share and inspire each other,’ said Jazreel Goh, Director Malaysia, British Council.
Connections Through Culture
Seven beneficiaries received grants from the British Council’s Connections Through Culture programme, a bilateral grant designed to seed exciting cultural exchanges between artists and arts organisations and nurture cooperation and long-lasting relationships between the United Kingdom and Malaysia.
Malaysian Connections Through Culture grant recipient Goh Seang Heong of Hands Percussion will work on an organic approach to composing, with a new piece for the Malay gamelan, including live streams of classical work on the gamelan. Meanwhile, Sonia Luhong Wan of Borneo Bengkel will build bridges between creatives in the North East of England and Borneo through a virtual exhibition and collaborative experimental performance hosted digitally across continents.
Digital Collaboration Fund
The British Council’s Digital Collaboration Fund supports UK and overseas cultural partnerships to develop digitally innovative ways of collaborating. One Malaysian beneficiary received the Restart grant, offered for projects halted by Covid-19 but able to pivot and resume virtually.
The project is a collaboration between Omnibus Theatre (UK), artist Hester Welch, Wayang Kitchen and The Rojak Projek. The project will consist of two separate but linked programmes. The Far China Monologues explores the delicate existence of life between two cultures, featuring a two-women storytelling digital performance between London and Kuala Lumpur, all stimulated through the senses with delicious Malaysian dishes delivered to the audience via partner restaurants in both cities. Food Tripping will be two online events which are part performance, part cooking class that engages and encourages cultural exchange between UK and Malaysian audiences through theatre and food.
Literature Grants
The British Council has offered two Literature Grants to support the UK literature sector to work with organisations and individuals around the world.
Artists Chai Yee Thong and Rebecca Yeoh will curate an online exhibition exploring literature in response to the events surrounding 13 May 1969 in Malaysia. Meanwhile, Connect 360 run by All Change, a global cultural exchange and arts activism project, will mentor up to 60 diverse participants from Malaysia, Uganda and the UK.
The British Council has been working with artists and art organisations in Malaysia since 1948. We see the arts as an essential player in the growth of creative communities and the creative economy. We promote innovative and diverse aspects of the UK arts including visual arts, architecture, design, dance, drama, music, film, literature and creative economy.
