“The National Department of Culture and Arts (JKKN) together with a non-governmental organization (NGO) Kakiseni today (19 February) launched five grants for those involved in performing arts, mainly the theater,” Bernama wrote.

The five grants are:

• Production Cost Reduction Grant
• Malaysia New Art Grant
• Audience for Performing Arts Development Grant
• Apprentice Grant
• Mentor-Mentee Grant

The grants will help the performing arts industry to develop their productions and assist those working behind the scenes.

Worth a total of RM4 million, the grants will be divided into five different categories. Each distribution will range between RM1,800 to RM35,000.

"We hope that the disbursement of these funds will raise interest in the performing arts as well as generate some income for the industry, for the developments of themselves and the standards of their performances," said JKKN’s Director-General, Datuk Norliza Rofli.

According to the head of Kakiseni, Low Ngai Yuen, the criteria to receive the grants depended on how much the grant would benefit or help the production, the technical aspects of the production including their business plan and/or production plan.

"Basically, we want to help the performing arts producers to familiarize with paperwork involving budgets and planning as this will help them improve in organization and down the line it will help to prepare them to develop into a bigger production outfit," she said.

Yesterday, 10 people from the first phase of Production Cost Reduction Grant received their grants. RM35,000 was the maximum allocated per recipient. Altogether, RM205,190 was given out.

For more information on the grants, visit JKKN’s website or Kakiseni.

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