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Being Inspired
In the fi ve years since its inception, the George Town Festival
has grown from a wild ambition to a globally-acclaimed
extravaganza, and one that organiser Joe Sidek should be
immensely proud. Sarah Rees catches up with him to talk
inspiration, Indonesian bamboo, and what is coming for 2013.
Bridges & Kaki Lima
THEORETICALLY, IT SHOULD never have
been possible. Held on a small tropical
island, organised by a factory manager,
and relying on volunteers, interns, and the
power of the internet, the inaugural George
Town Festival (GTF) should never have
worked. Throw into the mix that he had just
six weeks to make it a reality and you could
confidently assume that festival organiser
Joe Sidek was either naïve or foolish when
he took on the challenge in 2010.
Meet the Man
He is neither, it turns out. Enthusiastic,
passionate, and bursting with positivity,
Joe Sidek must be one of the few men who
could make the impossible happen. Against
the odds and in a crazily limited time frame,
that first festival was a huge success and Joe
has continued to raise the bar each year,
attracting international and local artists,
performers, and talents to George Town for
the month-long arts and culture festival that
marks the anniversary of the historic centre
earning UNESCO World Heritage Status.
“I love the challenge,” Joe assures me. “My
family think I am crazy, but what better job
is there? I get to meet inspiring people, I get
to pick projects I am interested in, and I get
to learn so much!”
Joe’s interest in the arts is as old as he is:
he yearned to go to art college as a student
but studied Town Planning to please his
father, subsequently settling for a life of
variety, from landscape gardening in the
US to organising fashion shows, running
an agency, owning a factory and, as he
enters his fifties, organising the hottest
contemporary arts festival in the country.
Old and New
The word contemporary shouldn’t be
misleading – at the heart of the GTF is
a commitment to the traditional arts,
presented in whatever form can engage
the modern audience. Joe is inspired by
traditional skills and crafts, all too aware
that if these historical practises are not
celebrated, they will be lost forever.
“I have organised something this year
called Intriguing Instruments,” he says, by way
of an explanation. “I invited musicians
from all over the region who play curious
traditional instruments to bring them to the
Victoria Street bazaar. How interesting will
that be? People will be able to listen, and be
interested by these strange instruments, and
they will be able to learn about something
different!”
Pleasure for the Public
The people are a key consideration for Joe
and his team, and not just for financial
purposes. Joe is determined that art and
theatre should be accessible and available
to the masses, not the preserve of the elite
or the educated. “I don’t want
people to be intimidated by
art,” Joes says numerous times
during the interview, “the
masses can feel art too; it’s not
only for a select few.”
In line with this, much of the
2013 festival will take place
in public spaces – from a
dance piece in the street to the
Victoria Street bazaar, where
old houses will be opened
up for film screenings and
Heritage Celebrations
exhibitions. There is even an installation
trail to follow, with public spaces being
transformed into “secret gardens”. “Oh I
love the Secret Gardens project,” gushes Joe,
fairly bobbing with glee. “We are giving
these public spaces back to the community,
making them beautiful.”
Another project that he loves is also the
one that has caused him the biggest
logistical headache – further evidence of
Joe’s unfailing positivity and belief. For
Joko Avianto’s Theatre of Ships, an Indonesian
installation artist will build a large sculpture
purely of bamboo outside the town hall.
“Not everyone thought it was a good idea,”
concedes Joe, “but it draws attention to the
space and the history of the building, plus
it’s just spectacular!”
Aside from convincing the financial backers
that it was a worthwhile project, Joe had
to cope with organising the shipment of
3,000 pieces of bamboo to Penang, and for
all the necessary equipment and man power
to be available to build the structure, which
will remain in place for a whole month.
14 Penang International