Jetty 35, a godown-turned-event-venue, sets to dive deeper into leveraging local art and cultural assets after soul-searching amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.
By Lee Kwai Han
Strategically located on Jalan Pengkalan Weld opposite the Clan Jetties and a few steps away from the Weld Quay Bus Terminal and Raja Tun Uda Ferry Terminal, Jetty 35 used to be an art and culture hotspot for locals and tourists alike before the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
Each of Jetty 35’s four halls serves a different purpose: a handmade crafts and activities hall, a screening hall, a cafe space, and an open event space. It has showcased local talents, ranging from local craft makers and coffee makers, to photographers and musicians, since its inception in 2018.
The international and interstate travel ban to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 has brought Penang tourism to a near-standstill. After a temporary closure in January 2021 to comply with a fresh round of Movement Control Order, Jetty 35 reopened in February announcing its repositioning as a living art space.
Image courtesy of Jetty35
Hands-on experience by locals for locals
Without tourists in George Town, Jetty 35 has pivoted to engaging Penang-residing students and working adults in craft-making. Pre-registered craft workshops, such as pottery, embroidery, make-up, coffee painting, and sushi-making, are offered by its artist-vendors. These workshops promote understanding of the story behind the craft and its maker which allows participants to make better meaning of local craft products.
Floral embroidery workshop by Design by 7s in Hall1. A Chinese sachet embroidery workshop will be held in collaboration with 潮Ciào Cafe and Agarwood Aura Enhancer to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival in June 2021.
Lee Kim Ho, Jetty 35’s Event Executive, points out that compared to relying solely on craft product sales, the artists can better estimate their stock of materials based on the number of participants registered for their workshops. This helps them free up their cash flow by investing less into building inventory.
However, Lee remains cautious about following the global trend of shifting their workshops online. Concern about copyright and content misuse have been discussed with their artist-vendors. Liew Wai Hong, the Operations Manager, says their workshops are kept to small groups to abide by the standard operating procedure (SOP). Physical workshops are still preferred for more intimate interaction and exchange between the artists and the participants.
Tan Wei Chi, a hand embroidery artist who founded Design by 7s, agrees with Liew. Tan also finds that physical workshops provide a more conducive learning experience as she manages to pay more attention to each participant’s progress. ‘Troubleshooting in craft-making is challenging in a virtual session, especially for beginners,’ Vanessa Loh Ee Pheng of Arcane Leather comments. Vanessa prefers physical workshops where she can provide immediate hands-on assistance whenever the participants need.
In preparation for the return of tourists, Jetty 35 is also working with hotel operators to bundle craft workshops with hotel stays to add value to the accommodation packages.
Life inspires arts
While the general lack of proper valuation of art in Penang society poses challenges to the local art scene, the symbiotic relationship between rituals and traditional crafts deserves attention. Year 2020 has seen the cancellation of major annual Chinese prayer ceremonies in Penang, such as the month-long Hungry Ghost Festival and “Thi Kong Seh” to commemorate the Jade Emperor God’s birthday.
Lee observes that such cancellations and scaling down of communal rituals, as well as gradual changes in understanding about the rituals, have affected traditional crafts trades such as the paper effigies trade. Both Lee and Liew share their worry that if this condition persists, these rituals and crafts might soon fade into history, only to be found in a documentary or a museum.
Chuah Hun Soon, an artisan in Jetty 35, repairing old items brought in by neighbours.
To address this concern, the team is devising a programme to allow more young locals experience and understand these rituals. They are working with tour guides and community members who practice these Chinese praying rituals to organise sharing sessions about the rituals.
In addition, the team is also looking at creating exchange opportunities between young local artists and traditional craft makers to instigate potential inheritance of the trade or to inject new life into these traditional crafts in the future.
Where local talents showcase and collaborate
Public exposure of budding art practitioners is also on their minds. The team has been working closely with local art and design colleges, such as KDU Penang and The One Academy, to host student showcases to encourage engagement exchange with public members. Jetty 35 will be hosting Equator College’s graduation show this August.
Lee’s notion is that a trend starts with one’s persistence in pursuing something, which is why Jetty 35’s Mandarin name is 潮人居 (Chao Ren Ju). The character “潮” (Chao) means trend. The team is anticipating the emergence of new ideas and trends through exchange and collaboration via the various platforms that Jetty 35 provides.
A fusion of a Hanfu experience and coffee-brewing workshop offered by Hanfu store, MyHans and 潮Ciào Cafe.
George Town’s social and economic landscape has been transforming rapidly since the city’s inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site spurred a boom in tourism in 2008. The pandemic seems to call for a breather for us to re-think the city’s direction. ‘Go slow and focus on the details,’ Lee comments on the exchange between young artists and traditional craft makers. The same seems to be applicable to our tourism. The issues, dilemmas, and strategies related to cultural tourism are worth revisiting in devising a way forward, minding the changes brought about by the pandemic.
All images courtesy of Jetty 35.
Cover image shows a short films screening session in Hall 4 which was jointly organised by The Fortnights Film Club, MyCinema, and 潮Ciào Cafe in 2020.
Lee Kwai Han manages arts and environmental education projects in Penang. Despite her training in engineering, she believes arts is the software solution our society needs.