Padi patch cultivated for showcase to mark George Town Festival

Tan showing the flourishing padi field that was planted just a month ago.

A PADI field on the island – right in the heart of George Town? Yes, there is one, on a 6.69 sq m plot of land bounded by Macallum Street Ghaut and Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway. And it’s flourishing with green padi.

The field was set up for a site-specific programme called Moved By Padi in conjunction with the George Town Festival (GTF) 2016.

Project manager Tan Hock Kheng said the team was helped by an experienced padi farmer known as Awang from Balik Pulau.

“We mixed a different type of soil with the present soil at the site to boost the padi growth.

“The watering method was done manually using a water pump from a nearby water source,” he said when met at the site on Wednesday.

“Initially, the field was irrigated once a day and after a month, it was twice a day.

“Research on the soil type, method of padi growing together with the performances that are going to be done on the site, were started a year ago,” he said, adding that the padi planting process started from June 14.

A bird’s eye view of the padi field and the surrounding area at Macallum Street Ghaut overlooking Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway and Komtar in the background.

Few people know that Penang island was once a rice bowl, and all of Bayan Lepas – now full of factories, houses and shopping centres – was just one “big” padi field stretching as far as the eye could see.

These padi fields used to be on both sides of the main road, and the network of irrigation canals provided plenty of opportunities for anglers.

Now, there are only some patches of padi field found in Balik Pulau.

Homegrown choreographer and dancer Aida Redza, who leads the Moved By Padi programme, said the site was set up by the Ombak-Ombak ARTStudio for a contemporary performance, which will be held from Aug 20 to 28.

She explained that rice embodies nature and culture, which is the central way of life in East and South-East Asia.

“The performance concentrates on the traditional culture of padi and creates a contemporary reinvention of performance rituals and communal celebrations of the semangat (spirit) of padi,” she said.

Aida also said Moved By Padi is a multi-arts collaborative project that includes visual projection, exhibition and lastly the dance performance.

The project consists of a visual projection opening on Aug 20 at 7pm followed by the exhibition from Aug 21 to 26 at 7pm.

The dance performance will be held on Aug 27 and 28 at 8.30pm. Admission is free but the public are advised to obtain entry passes from GTF office.

GTF officially starts today until Aug 28 with an array of performances for the public.

For ticketing and details, visit www.georgetownfestival.com or call 04-2616308.