In collaboration with the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences - UNMC, the students from SMK Perimbun, Cheras performed Palette, a new theatrical play directed by one of Malaysia’s leading theatre practitioners - Anne James
(Five Arts Centre). The performance took place in the Great Hall, UNMC on the 23rd of August. The cast of the play performed to an audience of more than 200 including teachers, parents, classmates, teaching staff from UNMC
as well as local media representatives. The play, which was scripted and performed by the students, revolved around a 16 year old boy called Malik, who faces bullying in school because of his ambition to become an artist At home, his parents do not support his dreams, urging him to abandon his passion for art and graffiti and to follow his brother’s footsteps instead. As the play continues, Malik’s friends, Stella and Nick come up with a plan to convince Malik’s father to allow him to continue pursuing his dream.
Conceived through a series of intensive workshops held from June to August, the script captured the experiences and expressions of the students in relation to everyday life as a young adult in Malaysia, which included issues on bullying, corruption, censorship, relationships, stereotyping, and parental demands/control.
(L to R): Patrick O'Reilly, Joanne Lim, Christine Ennew and Pn Hajah Petri Noor Jaliah bt Megat Adnan, the
Principal of SMK Perimbun
This theatre project is part of a three-year Ministry of Higher Education ERGS-funded research project which commenced in September 2013, which looks at the role of theatre in fostering intercultural dialogue and improving learning outcomes in Malaysian Schools. It is also aimed at encouraging the use of intercultural theatre as an approach to cultivating high-order thinking skills, developing cultural literacy and increasing English language proficiency. The participatory nature of the project encourages young people from different cultural backgrounds to work together in putting together a piece of meaningful artistic work, acquiring creative problem solving skills in the process.
Led by Dr Joanne Lim (SMLC) and Dr Patrick O’Reilly (CFFRC), with Dr Ganakumaran Subramaniam (Education) as project advisor, the intellectual output of this project involves the development of a novel framework whereby youth theatre (and other relevant performing arts programmes) are designed to be more accessible to young adults in national schools, especially in suburban areas where performing arts is often disregarded. This project is also useful as a tool through which an authentic dialogue between young people and drama/performing arts is created.
For further information about the current project and future plans, please contact Dr Joanne Lim or Dr Patrick O’Reilly
Posted on 24th September 2014