The Shantanand Festival of Arts has always been a platform for celebrating cultural heritage and artistic innovation. This year, the festival dives into the Ramayana, reimagining the epic through performances, workshops, and interactive showcases. Festival Director Dr. Dhanya Thurairajah, and Production Director Kishore Krishnan, join us to share insights into the creative process behind this year's festival, what makes this year’s event special, and to share how this three-day event will bring ancient stories to life through dance, music, workshops, and a spectacular feature production titled I AM RA.



Image credit: Temple of Fine Arts

The <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://sfa.tfa.org.my/">Shantanand Festival of Arts</a> has always been a platform for celebrating cultural heritage and artistic innovation. This year, the festival dives into the Ramayana, reimagining the epic through performances, workshops, and interactive showcases. Festival Director Dr. Dhanya Thurairajah, and Production Director Kishore Krishnan, join us to share insights into the creative process behind this year's festival, what makes this year’s event special, and to share how this three-day event will bring ancient stories to life through dance, music, workshops, and a spectacular feature production titled I AM RA.Image credit: Temple of Fine Arts

Don’t be afraid of the arts. You too can enjoy it! Don't believe us? Tune in to Front Row to find out about the best shows and exhibitions that will recharge your brain and restore your spirit, as told by the producers, performers and artists themselves.

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Shantanand Festival of Arts 2024 (SFA)

Retro swing sensations Sean Ghazi and Ida Mariana are back with Tarakucha! Snapshots, promising a fusion of retro, jazz, and Malaysian flavours. Presenting the Malaysian songbook through the show, the dynamic duo join us to share more about the immersive performances in store, with wall-to-wall musicians spanning the entire BoboKL stage-wall, and which features the 12-piece “terrer-menerrer” big band.



Image credit: BoboKL (via CloudJoi)

Retro swing sensations Sean Ghazi and Ida Mariana are back with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.cloudjoi.com/shows/tarakucha-2024">Tarakucha! Snapshots</a>, promising a fusion of retro, jazz, and Malaysian flavours. Presenting the Malaysian songbook through the show, the dynamic duo join us to share more about the immersive performances in store, with wall-to-wall musicians spanning the entire BoboKL stage-wall, and which features the 12-piece “terrer-menerrer” big band.Image credit: BoboKL (via CloudJoi)

Tarakucha! Snapshots

The internationally acclaimed dark comedy The Bee is set to be performed for the first time in Malaysia, adapted into Mandarin. This celebrated work by Japanese playwright Hideki Noda and Irish playwright Colin Teevan offers a disturbing yet humorous dive into a world where the ordinary turns sinister, and where everyday life is overrun by violence and madness. Directed by Loh Kok Man, The Bee brings together a talented, all-star Malaysian cast and award-winning production team. Presented by Pentas Project and W Productions, we speak to the show’s producer, William Yap, to find out what’s in store.



Image credit: Pentas Project & W Productions (via CloudJoi)

The internationally acclaimed dark comedy <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.cloudjoi.com/shows/the-bee">The Bee</a> is set to be performed for the first time in Malaysia, adapted into Mandarin. This celebrated work by Japanese playwright Hideki Noda and Irish playwright Colin Teevan offers a disturbing yet humorous dive into a world where the ordinary turns sinister, and where everyday life is overrun by violence and madness. Directed by Loh Kok Man, The Bee brings together a talented, all-star Malaysian cast and award-winning production team. Presented by Pentas Project and W Productions, we speak to the show’s producer, William Yap, to find out what’s in store.Image credit: Pentas Project &amp; W Productions (via CloudJoi)

The Bee

Artist Angelo Chia’s new exhibition, Value. Elements. Prospective. Impromptu, offers a fresh look at the foods we consume, especially the durian, often considered the 'King of Fruits.' Through abstract yet lifelike watercolour paintings, Angelo explores the theme 'we are what we eat,' presenting fruit as a mirror to our identities and shared cultural heritage. Angelo joins us to discuss his creative process, and his personal connection to these works, being exhibited at AweGallery.



Image credit: Angelo Chia

Artist Angelo Chia’s new exhibition, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DB5mqW2JS1l/?hl=en">Value. Elements. Prospective. Impromptu</a>, offers a fresh look at the foods we consume, especially the durian, often considered the 'King of Fruits.' Through abstract yet lifelike watercolour paintings, Angelo explores the theme 'we are what we eat,' presenting fruit as a mirror to our identities and shared cultural heritage. Angelo joins us to discuss his creative process, and his personal connection to these works, being exhibited at AweGallery.Image credit: Angelo Chia

Shantanand Festival of Arts 2024 (SFA)

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