The National Department of Culture and Arts (JKKN) is planning to revive the National Theatre Festival next year to reinvigorate the development of local theatre, which has been on the decline in recent years.
Its deputy director-general (Culture and Arts) Mohd Radzi Omar, said the festival was last held in 2019, and its absence since then has caused a slowdown in the development of theatre in Malaysia.
"While there have been events organised by private organisations and certain groups, the government's role is crucial in ensuring the continuity of theatre,” he told the media after the recent children’s theatre performance Di Mana Putra? in Kota Baru, Kelantan.
He added that agencies like Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) are active in organising performances in Kuala Lumpur every week, and cultural complexes at the state level also offer facilities that can be utilised.
Mohd Radzi said JKKN is currently working on securing the necessary budget to organise the festival again, following the successful staging of the National Dance Festival earlier this year.
"We will alternate the events, one year we hold the Dance Festival, and the next year, the Theatre Festival," he said.
He emphasised that the festivals should not only be a competition platform but also lead to follow-up performances, helping winning theatre groups remain active.
Mohd Radzi noted that these groups often disband after the festival due to the lack of ongoing activities and suggested they be given opportunities to perform at other venues and lead theatre workshops in schools.
On the current state of theatre groups, he noted that most are now operating independently and do not focus on Bahasa Malaysia theatre.
"Most of the active theatre groups today are focused on English-language productions, such as those at KLPac. Bahasa Malaysia theatre, on the other hand, heavily depends on government and NGO support,” he said.
Mohd Radzi also highlighted that the government provides the Cultural Sector Support Grant (GSSK), which is available for NGOs and cultural arts companies, with an annual allocation of approximately RM30mil to support arts activities, including theatre, dance, and music.
"We hope that this support will continue next year to ensure the ongoing development and expansion of our nation’s arts and culture,” he added. - Bernama
