Community Based Arts & Culture Workers in Malaysia
A Documentation Project and Resource Site
Elaine Foster
Artist-Facilitator Project Manager/Coordinator/Administrator
Languages spoken:
English
Based in community:
Yes
Target age groups:
Youth aged 18 above and young adults
Women
Ethnic group
Mixed
Mission/ Personal Statement:
A professional working artist and teacher who writes and performs performance poetry solo and in ensemble; and develops, designs and hosts spoken word events.
“I teach spoken word and poetry slam in secondary schools across Malaysia (and) am in the midst of developing a Malaysian inter school poetry slam...I also use Theatre of the Oppressed practices in my speech and drama work with schools and other communities. As a volunteer with Fallen Leaves (a Batu Arang based community who use theatre and arts, specifically Theatre of the Oppressed (T.O.T.O.), I have worked with recovering drug addicts and people living with HIV and AIDS, HIV orphans and Myanmar refugees focusing on issues like gender and gender violence, English as a second language, peer pressure and addiction. …Again, using drama and theatre, I ran an anti-homophobia invisible theatre workshop with the LGBTIQ community in 2013 with the intention to develop creative interventions to the problems facing them. … (I also) run queer women events like film screenings, talks and social events that include, platform and develop queer women artists, musicians, comedians, poets and performers.
Community-based work interests:
Raise awareness
Building community relations
Address issues in the community
Types of community where work is conducted:
N/A
Types of activity:
Organising events: Festival, showcase performances/ exhibitions
Community interventions: Creative activities for improved livelihood, Creation of shared spaces
Classes:Acting/ drama, Writing/ poetry
Workshops: Acting/ drama, Writing/ poetry
Research & Documentation: Design of lesson plans and curriculum in the form of manuals.
Individual Profile
The accuracy of the information
in each Profile is the responsibility of the respective survey respondents at the time of survey between February-April 2014
Contact Details:
PROJECTS DATE SHORT DESCRIPTION
Gender Workshop
2010
Myanmar refugees - Tenaganita
Fallen Leaves
2009-2011
Various trainings and workshops with the Batu Arang communities – HIV/AIDS, dru addiction, children and school workshops
Young Women Making Change
2013
In collaboration with IWRAR and the UN, working with young women activists to empower them to oraganise and be activists
Invisible Theatre – Anti-Homophobia
2013
Workshops for Seksualiti Merdeka
Smart Queer Girls
2013
A collective/resource to empower queer girls and womyn including arts events, film screenings and social gatherings.
Resources & Additional Links
Facebook Page
Smart Queer Girls- FB Page
Online collaterals
TLGB
Printed collaterals
SM (Togehter Life Gets Better (TLGB)) booklet (Invisible Theatre workshop)