The world of Tzu Chi August 2020 (Vol.125)

2020 • 08 10 eature arts practitioners, so it’s a win-win situation,” he reasoned. You Ping noted that the performing arts community is resilient and adaptable, citing the instance of an actor who is able to immerse himself in a new character soon after receiving the script without caring about his celebrity image. This versatile quality enables one to switch from one role to another – as is in life. The suspension of live performances had compelled the performing arts community to turn to online avenues in the form of digital theatre, such as the ASLI Online Performing Arts Carnival held in mid-June by local theatre association ASLI, featuring a 15-hour marathon of shows streamed live online interspersed with recorded footage of past performances in an appeal to the public to support the local arts and culture industry by donating. Concerns of the sustainability of the performing arts and the loss of income notwithstanding, You Ping was even more worried about the talent drain in the industry. Some performing arts practitioners manage to scrape by with help from their family or by relying on their savings, but those with families to feed have mostly left the profession. Hope prevails for the arts Linda Ang, an advocate of children’s theatre and the founder of Hongjiejie Work Station, wished to expose children to the arts despite the MCO restrictions. Therefore, she decided to continue telling stories through drama, albeit on a different platform. She uploaded five-minute storytelling videos online, which received an encouraging response from her young audience. In response to the impact of closed theatres, Linda launched a fundraising initiative on Facebook, appealing to the public to contribute a monthly donation of RM38 to sustain the performing arts community and venues. To her pleasant surprise, the initiative garnered widespread support from parents and children alike – a sponsor donated the money originally saved for other purchases, another discreetly transferred a substantial sum to her bank account. She was especially moved by her young, loyal audience, who donated their pocket money. Ultimately, 150 sponsors contributed to the initiative, raising a total of more than RM30,000. Even in the face of unprecedented adversity, Linda remained optimistic. “Compared to banks going through a rough patch, my plight seems insignificant. How could I complain?” she quipped in a media interview. The tenacity of local performing arts practitioners in saving the industry by exploring new possibilities and adapting to the shifting circumstances mirrors their ability to take on various roles on stage. Just as ups and downs are inevitable in the plot of a play, life is paved with highs and lows. As the local performing arts community has demonstrated, with perseverance and fortitude, the light at the end of the tunnel will eventually emerge.