George Town Festival is once again seeking proposals for 2015 but the question that often haunts its director Joe Sidek is "where are the local artists from Penang?".

Only 58 percent of the total programmes in this year's festival involved Malaysians.

At the time of this reporting, the Festival could not say how many local artists were part of the programme.

"When I curate a festival, I always take what is good. I certainly would like to take Penang products," Joe said at a press conference yesterday.

He was quick to add, "I am not saying they are not good.

"I have actually turned down KLPac and big productions from KL and Singapore only because it is not suitable. What I am saying is that I want you to be chosen because you are good.

"I hope I was chosen to do the festival because I was good, not that I am from Penang or that I am Malay," stressed Joe ( left) .

The closing date for proposal submission to GTF, which is planned for the whole month of August, is on Feb 15.

Unique, local and quirky

Already in its sixth year, the Festival is touted by the New York Times and Al Jazeera as one of the foremost events in the Asian cultural festival.

In July, several local performers, including famous Penang poet and lawyer Cecil Rajendra, lamented that the GTF "lacked local flavour".

Asked what Penang artists have to do to be suitable for the festival, Joe said it was difficult to say.

The criteria to be accepted by the Festival is that one's act has to be "unique, local and quirky", he said.

Joe's objective is to brand and sell the Festival overseas.

He cited an example where there was a proposal to bring in Broken Bridges, an award-winning local musical, which would have cost RM300,000.

"Half of KL has already seen it. So why would I spend RM300,000 to bring in a show that has been seen, and which is no longer exclusive to Penang?" he asked.

Joe however said that just because their proposals were rejected by him, they should not give up.

"If I am turned down by Joe Sidek, I would do my own local festival that would put him to shame. That is what I would do," he said.

He denied that there was a lack of local content in the Festival, which is an annual affair since Penang was awarded the Unesco Heritage site in July 2008.

For example, the 7th of July (George Town Day) programme heavily focuses on local content, he noted.

"I tell everybody - don't park everything under George Town Festival.

"If George Town Festival does not want your act, you should try to sell it to someone else who wants it," he added.

He refuted allegations that he does not support local artists, giving examples of those he has approached, like the Temple of Fine Arts in Penang and dancer Aida Redza, to be part of the event.

But he prefers to get local acts which have international appeal and which fits the criteria of George Town Festival.

He is happy that he has been given the freedom by the Penang government, which supports the Festival, to curate the event.

"It is hard to curate a festival. I don't have a magical formula. It is hard doing the programmes, branding and begging for funds.

"I hope I am still given the freedom where I don't have to accept a percentage of anyone just because we want to have a festival," he added.

To prove his point, Joe said many international students - from Singapore and Japan - have come to study about the festival, which meant "we are doing something right".

Accompanying Joe at the press conference were Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang general manager Jaseni Maidinsa, Local Council chiefs Pattahiyah Ismail (Penang) and Maimunah Shariff (Seberang Perai).