An industry that’s constantly evolving and producing meaningful work, we look at three multi-disciplinary performing art studios in Malaysia who are not merely delivering performances but also giving us an outlet to cope with life.
By Agnes Chin
Where can one witness a showcase of diverse sets of thinking skills that blend various art disciplines in the foreground while combining science and technology in the background? A multi-disciplinary performance is one such source. Multi-disciplinary performing art practitioners actively collaborate with other art forms, combining forms such as theatre, music, dance, painting, photography, and the written word into a single artistic expression while using technology as part of its production. A romance between art and technology, we look at three studios from three different callings who have successfully created cross-discipline projects and whose productions have not only entertained their audience but also given them meaningful insights to life.
Jet Leang Dance Theatre
Where Diversity and Inclusivity are Made Possible in the Penang Art Scene
Dance with Reading Text: Choreographed by Jeth Leang (Jun 2018, Netherlands). Photo courtesy of Jeth Leang.
As the name implies, Jet Leang Dance Theatre (JLDT) was founded by Jeth Leang in 2018 as a contemporary dance company with a noble vision for artistes and a purposeful mission for the community. It aims to encourage Penang’s local community to explore and appreciate contemporary dance culture and to inspire creativity within artistes as well as help budding dancers express their stories through inter-disciplinary art genres. It envisions a next-level growth that is diversified and inclusive for the Penang art scene while grooming talents to achieve their professional aspirations.
True to its mission, JLDT offers apprenticeship programmes that involve aspiring artistes in its quarterly company productions as well as other national and international endeavours. An extension to JLDT is the JLDT Training Programme, where dancers are taught choreography, performance, and creative skills alongside physical theatre, music, visual arts, literature, history of art, and art business management.
JLDT’s upcoming production, Life, Food and Health, is a theatrical performance piece in collaboration with visual artist Bibichun that speaks about current issues, namely mental health and the stigma we live by. It opens at Hin Bus Depot on 7th January with the band COMA and vocalist Peny Chan, and runs on weekends until 16th January 2022.
Follow or connect with JLDT at:
Tel.: 60 13 543 6872
Email: info@jetldt.com
Facebook: @JETLDT
Instagram: @jet_leang_dance_theatre
Website: www.jetldt.com
Location: George Town, Penang.
Allspire Picsmedia was founded in 2009 by Joie Koo, a fashion, commercial, and performing arts visual creator, as part of his mission to produce awe-inspiring images that transform ideas and tell stories. Before photography became a profession for him, Koo was trained as a ballet and contemporary dancer and later a stage lighting designer. It comes to no surprise that he incorporated his passion for dance and stage lighting into his world of still images.
Armed with a mission to take photography and art to the next level, Koo initiated The Performers Project where talents from different dance genres are assembled for a showcase of their profiles and achievements and where performing artistes are motivated to embrace their art through photography. Koo’s fierce passion can be seen in his artistry where movements and expressions are frozen in the countless split seconds he captures.
Functionally, Allspire Picsmedia and the name Joie Koo are two separates entities that work hand in hand. While Allspire Picsmedia is a commercial brand used for commercial works, Joie Koo uses his own name as a personal brand for performances and art projects with Allspire Picsmedia acting as a supporting entity.
Joie Koo most recently concluded his personal project Still. Motion. Engage. on 31st December 2021. It was funded by the Cultural Economy Development Agency (CENDANA) and staged at Hin Bus Depot. A one-of-its-kind expression of art, the project featured a photography exhibition, video demonstration, and live performances.
Follow or connect with Allspire Picsmedia at:
Tel.: 60 12 472 6995
Email: joiekoo@allspire.com
Facebook: @Allspire Picsmedia
Instagram: @allspirephotography
Website: allspire.com
Location: George Town, Penang
Toccata Studio
Creative Incubators of Contemporary Originality
Timescaper by Toccata Studio, 2020. Photo courtesy of Tan E-Jan.
Toccata Studio, a registered non-for-profit performing arts organisation, was co-founded by Tan E-Jan and Ng Chor Guan in 2012 as a creative research and development platform, taking multi-disciplinary approach to artistic innovation. The studio’s projects are primarily focused on contemporary original creation where the boundaries between creative art and culture are examined and the relationships between artistes and audiences are provoked, and where artistry and technology form an alliance to create multi-disciplinary productions that focus on the themes of time and change.
Under the passionate leadership of Tan E-Jan as the Creative Producer and Ng Chor Guan as the Artistic Director, Toccata Studio started a three-phase project in 2021 titled Shan山 Hai海 Jin今, inspired by the ancient ‘Classics of Mountains and Seas 山海经’. Phase One, which concluded in December 2021, explored conversations with artistes and scientists across five continents that examined relationships between humans and nature, technology and environment with an aim to create contemporary myths that are relevant to the present and the future. Entering 2022, Phase Two will witness the Studio working on the creation of a production that may include video, art installations, and literature with a possible exhibition cum sharing forum while the final stage production is slated for 2023 as part of Phase Three.
Apart from Shan山 Hai海 Jin今, Toccata Studio plans to restage previous productions like Timescaper, Finding Takao, and Space Age, some of which may involve international collaborators. Understandably, the hurdle in this plan is the uncertainties with international travel arrangements. The most recent project, Timescaper, seems to be the most probable feature considering it was originally scheduled to tour back in 2020. Timescaper explores the concept of time travel and multiverse theory and investigates one’s own path with the constant struggle for control over time. It featured the Paranormal String Quartet from Munich, Germany. A copy of the original soundtrack is available for sale, an initiative to support Toccata Studio’s research and development process.
To support Toccata Studio’s cause, follow and connect with them at:
Tel.: 60 12 6122 436
Email: etoccata@gmail.com
Facebook: @ToccataStudio
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/toccatastudio/
Instagram: @toccatastudio
YouTube: @Toccata Studio
Website: www.toccatastudio.com
Location: Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
One can only imagine the limitless range in which performing arts can be represented when boundaries of various art disciplines are crossed and integrated, and even more so inter-culturally. Fusing technology with creative art unlocks even more doors, granting both creators and art consumers access to the innovative process of creating and consuming inspiring hybrid art productions, thus creating a continuous cycle of inspiration. As we feel inspired, so shall we inspire.
A self-proclaimed writer cum entrepreneur with corporate background in strategic management and operations efficiency, Agnes Chin enjoys living in her fairy-tale bubble where she envisions a world of happy endings.
Cover photo by cottonbro from Pexels