Front Row

Funding is an essential aspect of the Malaysian arts landscape, with most artsmakers relying on government or corporate financial support. The INXO Arts Fund aims to help bridge this gap by seeding works by younger or emerging artsmakers, with RM100,000 available to fund up to 10 arts and culture-related projects. We speak with the INXO Arts and Culture Foundation’s CEO E-Jan Tan to learn mo...

After a decade, a theatre production called “Transitions” sees one of our most treasured theatre practitioners - Datuk Faridah Merican - essaying a lead role once again. The play was written specifically with her in mind by writer Marina Tan, and tells the story of the founder of a radio station who suffers an unexpected stroke. We speak with Faridah and Marina about how the play is br...

POW Ideas is a Malaysian design and architecture collective who will be the first Malaysian architects to be presenting at the Venice Art Biennale. They will be presenting an art installation called “Gerai Tai Tai”, which combines some truly Malaysian concepts - from pasar malams to fortune telling. We speak with Kyle E and Jun Ong, the people behind the idea. See omnystudio.com/listen...

Bharatanatyam and music become the central points around which the story of “His Father’s Voice” unfolds - an Indian film that addresses memories, relationships, loss, and healing. Ahead of a special screening in Malaysia, we speak with the film’s writer/director Kaarthikeyan Kirubhakaran and actor/producer Ashwini Pratap Pawar. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...

A group of artists, writers, and poets come together to present an exhibition that marks the one-year anniversary of Malaysia’s pivotal 14th general elections. Titled “Rasa Sayang” after the ever-popular folk song, the exhibition uses humour and a playful approach to examine the urgent sociopolitical issues that underpin the idea of being Malaysian today. See omnystudio.com/liste...

A feature documentary film called “M for Malaysia” captures a watershed moment in Malaysian politics, following Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on the campaign trail over the 16 days leading up to Malaysia’s 14th general elections in 2018. Directed by Dr Mahathir’s granddaughter Ineza Roussille together with Dian Lee, the film contrasts grand political moments with intimate footage...

This is an edited version of a live recording of BFM's Speak Easy at The Joke Factory as part of MAP Fest 2019. Host, Sheena Baharudin is joined by a lineup of polyglot poets as they explore the creative art of multilingualism. This is an edited version of a live recording of BFM's Speak Easy at The Joke Factory as part of MAP Fest 2019. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The anniversary of the historic May 9 elections is coming up, and perhaps what we all need to take a look back is a bit of humour. So The Instant Cafe is back with a brand new show called “The May 9 Show”, a late-night talk show-style performance which promises to bring back some very familiar characters - both real and fictional! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysian artist Jeffrey Lim collaborated with Taiwanese indigenous artist Posak Jodian to visually document the cultural and social histories of indigenous communities in Peninsular Malaysia. We speak with them about the project and their experiences working on it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mek Mulung is a 400-year-old Kedahan art form that brings together dance, drama, and music. Despite its long history, however, Mek Mulung is relatively little-known as part of Malaysia’s cultural history. “Mek Mulung: Lakhon Dewa Muda” aims to bring the art form to a wider audience, and introduces a new generation of performers - in this case, the young performers from Sekolah Se...

A music carnival by Trinity College London called “Music for All” will emphasise the involvement of special needs students. The show features both performances as well as training for music teachers on working with these students. We speak with the show’s curator, as well as a music teacher of students with special needs, on why events like this are so essential.   See omnys...

Poetry and theatre come together in “Pohlithik”, a play about student activism and finding one’s voice. We speak with the scriptwriter and two of the actors from the show.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Back in 2017, “Kandang”, a local Malay-language adaptation of George Orwell’s Animal Farm, premiered to sold-out shows and much acclaim. Two years later, the play returns to what many might call a rather different Malaysia - so what could “Kandang” have to say about our Malaysia Baru? We find out from the show’s director and cast members. See omnystudio.com/list...

What’s taken stand-up comedian Phoon Chi Ho so long to put on a solo show? And why is he calling it “Creepy”? We head straight to the source to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Urban legend and personal narrative come together in “Fragrance” (or “Wangian”),, a monologue inspired by  the murder of a young woman and the hauntings along the Vale of Tempe in Penang. We speak with the show’s playwright/director Noor Rizuwan and performer Darynn Wee about how facts, anecdotes, and myths mingle in the show to uncover what might be behind these...

Argadol, an artist from France, finds inspiration in pop art and street art. His first exhibition in Kuala Lumpur, called “Brave New World -  Today’s Key Issues Seen through Pop Art”, uses portraiture rendered with bold colours and motifs to examine modern living. We speak with Argadol about his work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the first time ever, the prestigious Venice Art Biennale - which will take place from May to November this year - will feature an official Malaysia pavilion. We speak with the pavilion’s curator and project director Lim Wei-Ling about how she made it happen and what we can expect. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Dancebox Festival is a mini-festival stretching over 4 days, featuring 27 local dance groups in 4 different programmes. The festival will feature a mix of revived choreographies and new works, as well as performances from the wider dance community in Malaysia. We speak with the show’s producer and two practitioners who reconstructed performances from Malaysia’s dance history. See o...

Two groups of odissi dancers, from two different schools of training, nurtured in two different countries; “Odissi on High” brings together dancers from Malaysia’s Sutra Foundation and the Rudrakshya Foundation in Odisha, India. We speak with two dancers, one from each school, to gain insight into how their differences and similarities became the basis for a joint exploration of...

This is an edited version of a live recording of BFM's Speak Easy at The Joke Factory as part of MAP Fest 2019. In part one, host, Sheena Baharudin is joined by a lineup of polyglot poets as they explore the creative art of multilingualism. This is an edited version of a live recording of BFM's Speak Easy at The Joke Factory as part of MAP Fest 2019. In part one, host, Sheena Baharudin is joined b...

Aman Ali is a storyteller, comedian and social media personality from New York City who uses the power of narratives and humour to explore issues related to Muslims in America. Ali was in Kuala Lumpur recently for a series of performances and workshops, and we speak with him about why he thinks sharing our stories is the best way to reach across societal divides. See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

The odissi dance form, which originates in the state of Odisha in India, has taken root and evolved in Malaysia in its own way. An event called “Samprajna” aims to connect contemporary odissi with the history of the dance, by bringing some of its most renowned exponents to Kuala Lumpur for both conversations and performances. We speak with the event’s curator. See omnystudio.com/...

“The Tempest” is often considered to be one of William Shakespeare’s best plays, combining tragedy, comedy, and romance in a story that brings together magic, intrigue, and art. The play is being reimagined for an upcoming staging in Kuala Lumpur, by David Glass, who is renowned to be one of the founders of the physical, devised and applied theatre movements. We speak with Glass...

The whirling dervishes of Turkey are a familiar sight. It is perhaps less known, however, that the whirling dervishes are a part of the Mevlevi order, which was founded in the 13th century by the Persian poet Rumi. A recent whirling dervish performance in Kuala Lumpur gave audiences the opportunity to see how poetry, music, movement, and worship come together. In honour of World Poetry Day, we lea...

In this age of constant image-making and instant shareability, how do we draw the line between the real and the image? Artist Ivan Lam examines this idea in his exhibition “FAUX”, where oil painting, still-life, and interestingly, Whatsapp images come together to question what is real and what is a copy - and what this says about the way we relate to the world today. We speak with Lam...