Press Release

Arn-Chorn Pond, Survivor of Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge, Confirmed as Honourable Keynote Speaker for Borak Arts Series 2017

Southeast Asia’s most anticipated performing arts conference, Borak Arts Series, has welcomed more than 760 of delegates from 20 countries, 17 international festival directors and venue programmers, 32 international and local funding stakeholders, since 2013, and is now returning to its official home base - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia after a 2-year run in Georgetown, Penang. In conjunction with My Performing Arts Agency’s (MyPAA) fifth anniversary, Borak Arts Series’ fifth conference will be scheduled on 14 and 15 October 2017 at MAPKL Publika, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Borak Arts Series brings together artistes, presenters/producers, intermediaries, and funders and includes a keynote address, panel discussions, round table sessions, networking platforms and performances.  MyPAA is honoured to have the award-winning Founder of the Cambodian Living Arts, Arn-Chorn Pond, as the distinguished keynote speaker this year. At age 11, Arn-Chorn Pond experienced firsthand the atrocities of Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge genocide regime that saw the demise of up to 90 percent of Cambodia’s artists and preservers of the Khmer cultural heritage. He is one of the few who survived the genocide and was determined to rescue what was left of Cambodia’s traditional arts by navigating the country in search of remaining arts practitioners who would pass on their artistry to the future generation.  Arn-Chorn Pond is to speak on “Arts and Culture is Essential for Conflict Recovery and Sustainable Development”.

Other speakers to be featured in Borak Arts Series 2017 include Suon Bunrith (Cambodian Living Arts), Dr. Joseph Gonzales (The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts), Chumpon Apisuk (Asiatopia, Thailand), Kok Heng Leun (Drama Box, Singapore), June Tan (Five Arts Centre, Malaysia), YBhg. Dato’ Kamil Othman (Ministry of Communications and Multimedia, Malaysia), Norzizi Zulkifli (Universiti Teknologi MARA), Elizabeth Cardosa (Badan Warisan Malaysia), Ahmad Fuad Rahmat (BFM 89.9, Malaysia), Nadira Ilana (Malaysian writer and filmmaker), Faiza Mardzoeki (Institut Ungu, Women’s Arts & Cultural Space, Indonesia) and more.

This year’s conference features the following topics:

• “Arts & Culture Education: Yesterday & Tomorrow”
• “Politics, Activism and the Arts. How Do We Support Advocacy For Freedom of Expression and Cultural Rights in Southeast Asia”
• “Is Cultural Policy Relevant to Artists”
• “Preserving Versus Resisting Arts and Culture”

“The theme for this year’s Borak Arts Series has got to be the most tempestuous theme to date as freedom of expression is a privilege not enjoyed by many today.  Artists have often used the arts as peaceful but powerful tools to express concern with the way things are or to create visions of a better world, however there are those who also think that the arts bring repercussions.  The conference delves into these subjects to allow stimulating conversations about all the elements that surround the cultural community in the region,” stated Brian Johnson Lowe, Director and Co-founder of MyPAA.

Further strengthening the content for this year’s conference and to aid in bringing local and Southeast Asian works across borders, Borak Arts Series brings back the One-on-One Meetings with international venue programmers and festival directors and Pitchpad ASEAN, a forum for Southeast Asian creators and arts professionals to share and discover new performing arts projects.  Up to ten submissions from Southeast Asia are to be pitched to this year’s stellar line-up of international festival directors and venue programmers in the presence of more than 170 performing arts professionals.  Borak Arts Series 2017 features:

• Kristopher McDowell | Asia Pacific Consultant for KMP Artists & Program Manager for Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, Australia
• Zohar Spatz | Executive Producer | Australian Performing Arts Market, Australia
• Joe Sidek | Artistic Director | George Town Festival, Butterworth Fringe Festival, Rainforest Fringe Festival, Malaysia
• Joseph Mitchell | Festival Director | OzAsia Festival, Adelaide Festival Centre, Australia
• Hiromi Maruoka | Director | Performing Arts Meeting in Yokohama, Japan
• Yoshiji Yokoyama | Programmer | World Theatre Festival Shizuoka, Japan
• and a delegation of American venue programmers led by KMP Artists, USA

A number of Southeast Asian artists have been secured by international presenters to perform beyond their places of origin or accepted representation by an international touring agency through the networking opportunities offered at Borak Arts Series. Some of the success stories include:

• Aida Redza Moved by Padi (Malaysia) presented in George Town Festival 2016
• TerryandtheCuz Sk!n (Malaysia) presented in OzAsia Festival 2016, Adelaide, Australia
• Phare Circus (Cambodia), Hands Percussion (Malaysia) and Nading Rhapsody (Malaysia) being represented by KMP Artists USA 
• Amrita Performing Arts’ Bordal Serei (Cambodia) presented in Esplanade Singapore 2016, Singapore
• Sipat Lawin’s Gobreyno (Philippines) presented in Darwin Festival 2016, Australia

Pitchpad ASEAN Call for Applications

MyPAA is now calling for applications for Pitchpad ASEAN.  Participants may potentially secure additional project support, representation, touring opportunities, performance engagements, international exposure, premiere locations, and more, as a direct result of their presentations at Pitchpad ASEAN.

To be eligible to pitch, prospective projects must meet one of the two criteria:

• The work is still in developmental stage with plans to premiere within the next two years OR
• The work has already premiered but has not yet toured outside its country of origin

Eligibility criteria for all applicants:

• Professional performing artist(s) or company originating from an ASEAN member country
• Available to present at Borak Arts Series on Sunday, 15 October 2017 between 11.30 am to 3.00 pm 
• Able to attend a technical rehearsal on the evening of 14 October 2017

To apply for Pitchpad ASEAN, applicants are required to email armani@mypaa.com.my to request for an application form. Applications must be submitted by 1 September 2017 at 17:00 (UTC/GMT +8 hours) along with proof of payment for the application fee of MYR58 nett.

MyPAA 5th Anniversary Bonus

In conjunction with MyPAA’s fifth anniversary, 50 complimentary tickets have been allocated for students originating from Southeast Asia interested to attend Borak Arts Series.  In addition, MyPAA is also offering travel bursary for 10 artists from West Malaysia (Borneo) and Southeast Asia (not applicable to artists from Peninsular Malaysia) who are keen to join and experience the conference. 

According to Brian Johnson Lowe, “Since 2012, MyPAA has always strived to enable access to knowledge that would contribute to the development of arts and culture.  Besides heavily subsidising the conference’s admission fee, thus making the conference one of the most affordable international networking platforms in the world, MyPAA is offering complimentary tickets and travel bursaries to encourage performing arts students and artists around Southeast Asia, who would not have the means to participate in an international congregation of aspiring artists and movers and shakers from the performing arts community.”

Interested candidates can email info@mypaa.com.my to express interest and be considered.  Tickets are limited and are priced as below:

Pre-Conference Workshop on International Mobility and Partnership Building

For the first time ever, Borak Arts Series introduces a pre-conference workshop called “International Mobility and Partnership Building: Tools and Tips to Identify Partners” for performing arts enthusiasts to get tips and advice on funding opportunities and resources in order to maximise their international mobility.  Scheduled on Friday, 13 October 2017, with two separate sessions to choose from (Session 1: 3.00 pm – 4.00 pm / Session 2: 4.15 pm – 5.15 pm), the workshop is conducted by Marie Le Sourd, Secretary General of On the Move, a cultural mobility information network whose mission is to encourage and facilitate international mobility and cooperation. The workshop reflects on the different impacts that may have influenced their career, artistic practices, values and networks as a result of participating in residencies, touring, meetings, collaborations, co-productions and more.  The admission fee to this workshop is MYR50 nett and is limited to the first 20 registrants.

Enquiries on Borak Arts Series and ticket purchase can be made via +603 6207 9566 / info@mypaa.com.my and www.borakarts.com respectively.

Borak Arts Series is supported by the following partners:

• Asia Center (Japan Foundation)
• International Arts Manager magazine
• arteri.com.my
• MAPKL Publika (UEM Sunrise)

About My Performing Arts Agency (MyPAA)

A member of the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA), MyPAA is one of Malaysia's leading cultural and creative industries development partners that is set up to cultivate an ecosystem in which creative workers are able to do what they do best: tell stories, heal heartbreaks, explore and challenge their creative realms. We aim to promote entrepreneurship across multiple creative fields, nurture a skilled and empowered arts workforce, and multiply the number of people experiencing the arts. Our roles include arts management for arts organisations, strategic arts engagement and outreach planning.

For media enquiries:

Mr. Azimy Wan Ahmad                             Ms. Fauzia Sultan                                                               

My Performing Arts Agency                     Platinum PR         

T: (603) 6207 9566 (office)                       T: (6016) 337 5155 (mobile)                                               

E: azimy@mypaa.com.my                        E: fauzia_sm@yahoo.com