Recipients of the Krishen Jit Fund 2023 (from left): Andrew Igai Jamu, Goh Hooi Ling, Naomi Kakuvi Musau, Lau Beh Chin and Duncan Soo. Photo: The Star/Shaari Chemat
Five arts practitioners were awarded grants from the longstanding Krishen Jit Fund (KJF) this year to support them in pursuing their projects.
True to the fund's history of supporting diversity, the recipients hail from various backgrounds, including choreographer-researcher Andrew Igai Jamu; Goh Hooi Ling, founder and director of Teochew Puppet and Opera House; Lau Beh Chin of JinnD Productions, an interdisciplinary dance platform; sound designer Duncan Soo; and film student Naomi Kakuvi Musau.
This year's grant amount is RM46,000, a sum to be divided between the five recipients.
“As someone from the Iban community, I’ve encountered some confusion of what ‘ajat’ is – it is our equivalent to the English word ‘dance’. Through the production Ibanscapes: Transcending Ajat, which will feature works created by choreographers of Iban descent or non-Iban who have worked closely with ajat, I hope to clear up any confusion and explore the question of what is the ajat of tomorrow,” says Igai Jamu at a recent event in Kuala Lumpur to announce the grant recipients.
The Ibanscapes: Transcending Ajat project will receive RM15,000.
As for Soo, he comments that international audio libraries tend to be Western focused and that the sounds of Malaysia we grew up with and are used to haven’t really been archived.
“Most audio libraries will only have tropical sounds from Borneo, but they don’t have the roti man on the motorbike or the jingle the ice cream man plays,” says Soo, who will receive RM5,000 to continue his audio archival work.
“At the moment, we’re having issues with noise pollution and losing nature sounds within cities. That’s one of the reasons why I want to make an audio exhibition – so that Malaysians can hear and appreciate what we have right now, as well as to make sure that Malaysia’s sounds are preserved.”
This year wasn’t Lau’s first attempt at applying for the KJF, so she says she’s so glad to have finally been successful.
Lau, who is from Butterworth, has been working on a long-term interdisciplinary project called Beyond Moving With Artisans, which combines traditional Malaysian crafts with different forms of dance to raise awareness about endangered artisanal skills.
“My funded project will be the fifth iteration of the series and will bring together a rattan weaver with contemporary dance. It means a lot to me that I will be able to finish the series, thanks to KJF,” says Lau, who will receive RM10,000.
Musau, who is from Kenya, is currently studying at Multimedia University Cyberjaya. Her project is a short film called Thanimai, which means “solitude” in Tamil.
The film project - which receives RM5,000 - delves into the life of an elderly widow who is preparing for her husband’s death anniversary and the challenges she encounters, as well as the unexpected friendship she forms with a Grab driver who helps her in her preparations.
“In our film, we wanted to show elderly people and their lives, especially empty-nesters, whose children all live in the city while they remain in the kampung. We noticed that there’s not much representation of them in the media. Through the film, we hope people are inspired to be more attentive to the elderly, especially their loved ones,” says Musau.
For Goh’s project, she and her team aim to explore the stories and history of three primary traditional forms of craftsmanship found in Teochew iron rod puppetry, namely clay sculpture, wood carving and Teochew embroidery.
“We’d like to share the aesthetic, philosophy and essence of these three major craftsmanship through a staged performance,” shares Goh, looking ahead to next year after receiving RM11,000 from KJF.
The KJF, introduced in 2006, is managed by Five Arts Centre and supported by Astro and Creador Foundation. From 2006 to 2022, the fund has given out a total of 84 grants, amounting to RM626,000.
Grants are given for training, workshops, attachments/residencies, experimental productions, writing, creating new music works, dance, theatre, film, visual or performance art.
Theatre/performing arts icon and Five Arts Centre co-founder Krishen Jit, who died in 2005 aged 65, had a widespread influence on the development of Malaysian theatre for over four decades.
