Penangpac urges govt to allow live recording for online shows

GEORGE TOWN, July 6 — The movement control order (MCO) 3.0 and the subsequent Phase One of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) have left a large impact on many businesses and one of the worst-hit is the performance arts industry.

Performing Arts Centre of Penang (Penangpac) is struggling to stay afloat throughout the pandemic since last year especially with frequent lockdowns as they were unable to put up physical shows for months. 

This time around, Penangpac general manager Fa Abdul said it is facing a crisis and planning ways to survive while making sure its small team of permanent staff are paid salaries each month.

“In June last year, we have already cut our team’s salaries by 30 per cent and this June, we contemplated cutting another 10 per cent but we decided against it as it would mean bringing down some of our team member’s salaries down to only RM900,” she said in a telephone interview with Malay Mail.

She said the management has decided to go with a flat rate salary for everyone in the team where every member of the 11-member team is paid the same salary, from the general manager down to the box office executive. 

She said they do not plan to let anyone go so they hoped they will be able to find ways to keep everyone on the team. 

“There are funding programmes for the arts industry under Penjana and Cendana but these are tied to productions and due to the SOPs of the NRP, we are unable to produce anything to be eligible for the funding,” she said.

She said the government should consider allowing the performance arts industry to do live recordings of their performances so that they can produce shows online.

“This way, we can apply for funding with our productions and use it to stay afloat and at the same time, we can put our shows online,” she said.

She said Penangpac has been very strict with its SOPs even before the lockdowns as it does not want to be the source of a Covid-19 cluster. 

“The last thing we wanted is to be the source of another cluster because it would mean us shutting down for a long time so we have always been very careful and strict with the SOPs,” she added. 

Penangpac launched a donation drive last year to collect funds to stay afloat but Fa said the collected funds are slowly drying up due to the long duration it had to be closed. 

Today, Fa issued a statement on the dire situation Penangpac is facing now and that she is not even certain if they can make it past August. 

“Our fund is depleting and we are working very hard to get donations and sponsorships in. Unfortunately nothing is helping much at the moment,” she said.

The employment status of the Penangpac team has been transformed from full-time employment to contractual employment.

“In fact, we have informed our team that we will accept their decision if they do receive better employment offers elsewhere,” she said.

Fa said some of their team members are doing small businesses to supplement their incomes.

“Some of them are baking and selling homemade snacks, we fully understand and support them in this, everyone has to do something to survive during this time,” she said.

She said it was fortunate that they were able to record three plays before the lockdown and now the plays will be available online.

The cast of ‘Once Upon a Time’, an online show available at Penangpac. — Picture courtesy of Penangpac

Once Upon A Time (Part 1): Badang The Magnificent & Si Tanggang: The Ungrateful Son premiered on June 14 and will be available online until December 31. 

The play is about Badang, a slave who wished for superhuman strength after meeting a mystic creature and Si Tanggang the ungrateful son who left his mother to make a fortune and returned home as a rich merchant. 

Entry to the online show is only RM20 each. 

The play 'Entropy' is about dealing with failure and loss. — Picture courtesy of Penangpac

The second play, Entropy, is about failure and loss and the “what ifs” of the choices if there is a way to make things right.

The play premiered on July 1 and is available online at RM15 each. 

The play ‘Have/Had’ by Penangpac is available online. Picture courtesy of Penangpac. — Picture courtesy of Penangpac

The third play, Have/Had, will premiere on July 14 with an online viewing price of RM20 each. 

The play is about the concept of truth and lies, reality and fantasy and whether rational thought or emotions will win if we get entangled in a web of lies. 

Those interested to purchase a link for the Penangpac shows can email Jeevan at [email protected]. 

Well-wishers interested in donating to Penangpac may email to [email protected].