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Scott Sneddon - artistic collaboration in Malaysia

Brisbane-based performance artist Scott Sneddon collaborated with artists and presenters in Kuala Lumpur to create new work. 

What

Scott Sneddon (also known as Scotty Wings) travelled to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to collaborate with local artists, explore different cultural contexts, and learn about the city’s experimental performance spaces. 

He worked with studios Five Arts, Theatre Now and Rimbun Dahan to focus on site-specific and immersive theatre. 

Scott was interested in understanding how the different performance spaces operated within the arts landscape, and their roles in developing and showcasing new work and flexible performance art.

He was also interested in setting up partnerships to pursue future work between Australian and Malaysian performance artists and to diversify audiences.

 

When and where

1 June to 8 July 2017, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 

 

Arts Queensland investment

$2040 – Individuals Fund   

Arts Queensland supports individual artists and cultural workers to participate in transformational professional and career development opportunities.

Outcomes

  • Scott set up ongoing partnerships in Kuala Lumpur to pursue new work. He has connected with local artists and with a number of experimental performance spaces interested in creating collaborative work.
  • Scott worked with local performance artist Chai Vivan to create the new work, Food Fight, which was presented at Now Theatre and attracted interest from Melbourne Fringe Festival, SunPAC in Sunnybank, Queensland, and Brisbane’s Metro Arts.
  • At the end of his time in Kuala Lumpur, Scott presented a week-long workshop for local artists with a focus on physical theatre and vocal training. This helped to build rapport with his newly-established partners and created a healthy space for further experimentation.

 

Learnings and reflections

“I'd like to share with others how encouraging and accessible artists are in Kuala Lumpur. There is a veritable open door policy. The speed at which we could access spaces to construct work, connect with other artists and become involved in community was terrific. Compared to places like Melbourne where spaces may be booked or are expensive, there are a number of spaces such as Now Theatre or Five Arts, which have accessible spaces to construct art. We were never stuck for a space to access and companies were encouraging of new work between cultures.”Scott Sneddon

 

Tips for others

Spaces and site-specific work carry rich contexts that westerners may take for granted, especially in terms of ancestors and colonisation. 

The dynamics of the three main cultures (Malay, Chinese-Malaysian and Indian-Malaysian) have their own acceptances and prejudices.

 

What next?

Food Fight is scheduled to be presented at MAP Fest in Melaka. Scott is in discussion to present Food Fight at Theatrethreesixty in Kuala Lumpur and at other venues.

Scott will continue to develop the partnerships he established during his residency in Kuala Lumpur.

 

Find out more

Email: contactscottwings@gmail.com

Website:  https://scottwings.wordpress.com/ 

Reviews: https://www.criticsrepublic.com/2017/07/04/dinner-party-shenanigans-a-review-of-food-fight/

 

A pdf version (PDF) (320.9 KB) of this case study is available.

 

Banner image: Photo by  John Adams on Unsplash