Latest news with #YSDAF
New Straits Times
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Yayasan Sime Darby Arts Festival wraps up this Saturday at Elmina Lakeside
KUALA LUMPUR: The Yayasan Sime Darby Arts Festival (YSDAF) 2025 is set to conclude its six-month-long celebration of the arts with a grand finale this Saturday (Aug 9) at Elmina Lakeside Mall in Shah Alam. This will be the only evening edition of the festival, running from 4pm to 11pm. Held to mark the festival's 10th anniversary, YSDAF 2025 has already brought vibrant performances to communities across five states and seven cities earlier this year. The event returned to the Klang Valley in June for a three-stop urban tour, visiting KL East Mall and PARC Subang Jaya before its final stop at Elmina Lakeside Mall. Festival-goers can enjoy a fantastic lineup of over 80 free activities and performances, featuring more than 300 artistes. The day will include concerts, workshops, and installations, all open to the public free of charge. Highlights include the Young KL Singers (YKLS) performing 'Spice, Magic and Mystique', a musical journey through Southeast Asian folk songs. They will also offer a sneak peek of their upcoming Coldplay tribute concert, complete with a sing-along session. MyDance Alliance will premiere new site-specific works in their outdoor series, 'Dancing in Place', while Orang Orang Drum Theatre will put a rhythmic spin on a classic fable with 'Berlumba Seperti Arnab'. Two crowd favourites from the Kampung Tour, 'Dollah', a coming-of-age theatre piece, and 'Ceritaku', a poignant monologue series based on real-life stories, will also return. Both are directed by Christopher Ling. On the main stage, singer-songwriter Zee Avi will perform alongside her band, The Good Things, with a night of soulful folk, jazz, and pop. They will be joined by powerhouse live acts Kyoto Protocol and FUGO. A new production, 'DETOUR the Musical', will debut, featuring both deaf and hearing performers on stage together. This pioneering work seamlessly blends spoken word, Malaysian Sign Language, and music.
The Star
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
The touring Yayasan Sime Darby Arts Fest rolls into Subang Jaya this Saturday
The Yayasan Sime Darby Arts Festival (YSDAF) 2025, designed as a touring festival this year, rolls into PARC, Subang Jaya this Saturday (July 5) – turning the serene lakeside community hub into a buzzing arts playground for the day. This YSDAF 2025 date is the second part of its Urban Tour series, which takes the spirit of KLPac on the road – bringing festival favourites to new neighbourhoods. If you're missing YSDAF's traditional home at KLPac and its sprawling, leafy grounds, PARC looks set to fill the gap – offering the masses an open-air arts escape. There will also be plenty of indoor activities. YSDAF, which is free admission, runs from 11am to 5pm, with over 330 artistes and 80 arts activities. No need to worry about parking either – free YSDAF shuttle vans run from 10am onwards between LRT Subang Jaya and the venue, making your arts-filled Saturday even easier. Food trucks and eateries will be on hand to keep the crowd fuelled throughout the day. Festivalgoers are encouraged to bring their own flasks, containers, and cutlery. Ramps in and out of the main building also make the event accessible, with dedicated festival ambassadors on hand to assist Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). Other amenities include a nursing room, calm room, and water refilling stations. The Young KL Singers invites you on a mysterious journey with a selection of choral songs on folklore and folktale from South-East Asia. Photo: YSDAF Highlights include performances by Young KL Singers, MyDance Alliance, Orang Orang Drum Theatre, and The Actors Studio Seni Teater Rakyat, alongside special acts like a traditional Jikey troupe from Penang and a Mandarin children's theatre piece by Hongjiejie Work Station. Arts without barriers Making their debut today are two winning projects from the YSDAF 2025 Pitch Start grant, both creatively engaging Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). 'A Synesthetic Symphony: The Art of Sound and Sight' is a multi-sensory performance featuring blind artists creating abstract art in response to live music performed by marginalised and special needs children. Exploring synesthesia in the visually impaired, the work reveals how the absence of sight can inspire unique artistic expression. 'I was moved to tears at a recent preview, seeing artists of different abilities and backgrounds working together. It reminded me what YSDAF is really about – and what the arts are about,' says Ian Chow, festival co-director. In the YSDAF programme, the drum circle gathering is always a crowd favourite. Photo: YSDAF Also premiering is 'OH! Together-Gather in the Kalendar', a site-specific installation reimagining the traditional Chinese calendar through poetry, scent, and touch – including suspended, braille-printed paper delicately folded like origami. Into the Handyzone PARC will be the first tour stop to host 10 Handyzone booths — a fan-favourite YSDAF feature where visitors can pick up new skills and create their own mini-masterpieces. While most pre-registered slots are full, walk-ins are welcome to join the waiting list at least 15 minutes before each workshop, as last-minute spots may open up. All-day activities are also available, including Fashion Revolution Malaysia's Communal Weaving, where you can weave with discarded textiles and plastic waste, and "Lakar" by Mekar's Live Mural Workshop, where festivalgoers help restore a container with a nature-inspired design. Lakeside chill out In addition to its indoor main stage, the festival will feature two outdoor stages. Bring a mat, your kids, and good vibes - the festival at PARC on July 5 promises fun for the whole family. Photo: YSDAF By the lake at Stage One, two commissioned installations by the Malaysian Institute of Art (MIA) set the scene – "Floating Islands", with seven pavilion structures, and "Nothing But Us", an interactive piece inviting festivalgoers to leave their mark as a reminder that no one is alone. It's the perfect spot to unwind with anime tunes by the KLPac Symphonic Band or take in Hanyut, a dance and drum performance exploring environmental themes. Further along, tucked into a quiet corner, Stage Two hosts a line-up of buskers curated by Stage ReSet. YSDAF 2025 will culminate in the finale at Elmina Lakeside Mall, Shah Alam on Aug 9. More info here.
The Star
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
YSDAF 2025 gears up for its arts festival party season across the Klang Valley
The Yayasan Sime Darby Arts Festival 2025 (YSDAF) is hitting the road with its Urban Tour, bringing three culture and arts-filled pit stops to the Klang Valley over the next three months. The tour kicks off tomorrow (June 14) at KL East Mall, continues to PARC Subang Jaya on July 5, and wraps up at Elmina Lakeside Mall in Shah Alam on Aug 9. Each stop is free to attend and promises a full day of live performances, interactive workshops, and family-friendly fun for all ages. 'Following its recent Kampung Tour to five states and seven locations, the festival is coming back to the Klang Valley with more than 130 free arts events,' outlines YSDAF in a media statement. It's also the first YSDAF to venture beyond its KLPac home turf. Let the party begin At the KL East Mall tomorrow, the YSDAF party starts at 11am with over 30 performances and workshops throughout the day. The activities - performances to workshops - will go on until 5.30pm. Orang Orang Drum Theatre's new take on 'The Hare And The Tortoise' debuts at YSDAF 2025 Urban Tour, featuring in all three stops. Photo: Handout The Young KL Singers is set to present its award-winning showcase Spice, Magic And Mystique – a colourful medley of folk tunes from across South-East Asia. Visitors will also get a sneak peek of the choir's upcoming tribute concert to Coldplay and Alanis Morissette. For a bit of movement, MyDance Alliance presents Dancing In Place, a site-specific dance series featuring five original performances at each venue. Meanwhile, Orang Orang Drum Theatre offers Berlumba Seperti Arnab, a playful reinterpretation of the Aesop's fable. Arsyad Azrai's Dollah – a standout from the Kampung Tour – makes its return, alongside Ceritaku, a poignant series of monologues based on real-life stories gathered on the road. Adding even more rhythm and soul to the day are buskers curated by Stage ReSET, delivering an eclectic mix from blues and classical guitar to Celtic tunes and electronic grooves. Each tour stop also features its own unique line-up of performances and activities. Family fun At KL East Mall, expect everything from ballet, clowns, and a 60-member choir to a wushu dance troupe all the way from Johor. Workshops on offer include bamboo pole dancing (Magunatip), traditional Malay joget, children's singing, and a high-energy "Dance It Out!" session. Families can also check out Teng-Teng: Kembali Ke Akar, an interactive hopscotch installation made with natural materials, or catch the lively WaaiwaiiDrum performance, where household items like buckets and pans transform into percussion instruments. Both KL East Mall and PARC are PWD-friendly venues, with shuttle vans available from nearby LRT stations and festival ambassadors on-site to assist. YSDAF 2025 is presented by Yayasan Sime Darby and The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (klpac), with support from Sime Darby Berhad, SD Guthrie Berhad, Sime Darby Property Berhad, and the MADANI Government through Belanjawan 2025.
New Straits Times
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: YSDAF 2025 Urban Tour begins on Saturday
KUALA LUMPUR: The annual Yayasan Sime Darby Arts Festival (YSDAF) 2025 will finally be kicking off its Urban Tour with three stops over three months starting Saturday. In a statement yesterday, its organisers, the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC) and Yayasan Sime Darby (YSD), said that the beloved Malaysian festival made a bold move to scale up this year geographically by embarking on its first tour to bring the festival directly to communities across Peninsular Malaysia. "After its Kampung Tour to five states and seven locations from April to May, it makes a full circle back to Klang Valley with 130 free arts activities. "YSDAF 2025 Urban Tour boasts Festival Highlights from its Programme Partners including FabU, Malaysian Institute of Arts, MyDance Alliance, Orang Orang Drum Theatre, Rhizo, Soundscape Records, Stage ReSET, The Actors Studio Seni Teater Rakyat and Young KL Singers," said the organisers. Staples at all locations include the Young KL Singers' "Spice, Magic And Mystique" with folk songs from around South East Asia and their upcoming Coldplay and Alanis Morissette concert. Festival premieres include MyDance Alliance's site-specific "Dancing In Place" which features five new dance works per location as well as Orang Orang Drum Theatre's "Berlumba Seperti Arnab", an exciting reimagining of the Aesop's fable "The Tortoise And The Hare". Arsyad Azrai's "Dollah" which premiered during the Kampung Tour will be performed in full at the Urban Tour alongside "Ceritaku", a series of monologues drawn from the human library interviews that ran throughout the Kampung Tour. An eclectic lineup of buskers curated by Stage ReSET will be featured, performing the blues to classical guitar salon music, Celtic music, and electronic music. For Malaysians who prefer to keep cool in the convenience of a mall, the first stop is KL East Mall with 30 epic shows and workshops by 250 artistes from 11am to 5.30pm. A 60-strong choir alongside crowd favourites like clowns and even a wushu dance troupe all the way from Johor will also be at the mall. Workshops for Sabah's Magunatip dance (bamboo pole dance), joget, the Jom Nyanyi Trek Tek Tek kids' singing workshop, and Dance It Out! will only take place at KL East Mall. In addition, there will be an interactive installation "Teng-Teng: Kembali Ke Akar" displayed like a hopscotch but filled with natural wonders like husks and leaves. Another rare treat will be WaaiwaiiDrum, who is bringing his street rhythms indoors with his symphony from buckets, pans, and woks. From the pulse of the city, YSDAF invites festival-goers to chill at PARC on July 5 from 11am to 5pm. One of Subang Jaya's precious gems, this thriving sustainability-driven hub nestled in a park is the perfect backdrop for its second Urban Tour stop. Those who missed the Festival Highlights at KL East Mall have another chance to catch it alongside some new acts, including winners of the YSDAF 2025 Pitch Start grant aimed at engaging Persons With Disabilities (PWDs). "Oh! Together-Gather In The Kalendar" by Sumay Cheah of OtherHalf Studio and Sumidik, reimagines the traditional Chinese calendar in an art installation featuring suspended braille-printed paper, poetry, and scent. On the other hand, "A Synesthetic Symphony: The Art Of Sound And Sight" by Synesthetic Symphony Of Sound And Sight (4S) brings together blind artists and special needs children. Another highlight is the Handyzone booths. Parents should check an assortment of science, food, technology, and crafting workshops by Fun4Kids, KeyNote Minds, and Some Fun Enterprise. Adults can try clothes mending and communal weaving with Fashion Revolution, wooden stool making with EPIC, silver jewellery workshop with Nellevate Studio, and even making a luggage tag with Precious Plastic Malaysia. Other workshops include Lindy Hop, screen printing, picture book-making, Jikey mask-making, and a children's drama workshop. Taking advantage of the beautiful outdoor setting, Grow Subang will also. be running gardening workshops even for the littlest gardeners. Festival goers can enjoy performances like the family-friendly Music Play Date by The KLPAC Symphonic Band and Hanyut by WindRiver Productions while lounging on Floating Islands and Nothing But Us – two installation pavilions created by the Malaysian Institute Of Art. YSDAF 2025 will culminate in the Finale at Elmina Lakeside Mall on Aug 9.
