Stricken Performing Arts Centre of Penang makes donation call
The Performing Arts Centre of Penang (Penangpac) is calling for 6,000 donors to contribute RM100 each so that the organisation can survive through 2021.
As a token of appreciation, with every RM100 contribution, patrons would receive a uniquely designed "Patron of the Arts 2021" T-shirt, said Penangpac marketing and publicity manager Fa Abdul in a statement...
EDITOR'S NOTE: Email address for enquiries has been corrected
The Performing Arts Centre of Penang (Penangpac) is calling for 6,000 donors to contribute RM100 each so that the organisation can survive through 2021.
As a token of appreciation, with every RM100 contribution, patrons would receive a uniquely designed "Patron of the Arts 2021" T-shirt, said Penangpac marketing and publicity manager Fa Abdul in a statement.
The Penangpac was established a decade ago in Straits Quay and to date, is the only fully functional performing arts centre in the Northern Region of Malaysia.
"As a non-profit organisation, we have been struggling financially for many years and this pandemic has not been kind to us - yet we strive to stay afloat because we believe in the good work we do for society.
"During MCO 1.0 back in 2020 when our doors were shut for more than three months, we almost did not make it. With 30 percent compulsory salary deductions, loans from our co-founders and donations from the public, we slowly began our healing process.
"In January 2021, as we continue to bleed, MCO 2.0 hit us once again. We need 6,000 patrons to save us from sinking, to give us a lifeline for 2021," she added.
Penangpac launched its Patron of the Arts 2021 (POTA 2021) campaign three weeks ago and has so far gathered over 150 patrons.
"However, our reach is limited and we need help to have our voices heard across borders.
"We are thankful for the support and the aid given by the Penang state government and grant by the Cultural Economy Development Agency (Cendana) during the healing period but unfortunately the road to recovery isn’t easy," she added.
Fa said that even between lockdowns, not everyone was ready to return to performing arts centres, even with strict safety measures taken and crowd control policy adhered to.
"Since we resumed operation in July 2020, we became the first performing arts centre in the country to stage a live theatre show (The Ice Kacang Project, July 3-5); the first to stage a live stand-up comedy show (Garu Saves penangpac, Aug 21-23); and the first to stage a live orchestra show (Sounds Familiar, Sept 11-12).
"Sadly, ticket sales post-MCO 1.0 barely cover the cost of our shows let alone the overheads of running a 22,000 square feet centre - especially with many venue hirers cancelling their bookings due to SOP and limited seating capacity," she said.
Fa said while Penangpac is recognised as a performing arts centre, it is also a social enterprise that gives back to the community.
Penangpac provides public school children with free theatre-based workshops through its Rakan Seni programme.
To date, 53 public schools and 2,694 students have benefited from this outreach programme.
"We offer theatre-based academic courses, enabling artistic excellence to be achieved by children from all walks of life. To date, The Actors Studio Academy has enriched 982 children under our wings.
"We engage the community in public discourses through different social projects. To date, we have organised talks on women empowerment, parenting, children from broken homes, body shaming, patriotism and racism," she said.
Fa said Penangpac also makes it a point to support newcomers in the performing arts industry by offering collaboration opportunities at no cost and provides theatre space and studios at a discounted rate for those in the arts industry.
"We are still continuously looking for sponsors to save us from this financial struggle. Although there is a tax deduction incentive up to RM1 million for sponsoring arts activities granted by the government, somehow our efforts to find corporate sponsors isn’t making any progress.
"We cannot survive this pandemic on our own. Even with the ongoing 30 percent compulsory salary deductions, we are sinking. We need support in order to survive," she added.
For details on how to donate, please email: fa@penangpac.org
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