The Krishen Jit Fund: Supported by Astro And The Creador Foundation!

The Krishen Jit ASTRO Fund was introduced by ASTRO, together with Five Arts Centre, in 2006, in commemoration of the late Dato’ Krishen Jit, and is aimed to provide deserving arts practitioners with monetary aid to pursue projects in the Arts.

In 2019, we gained a new supporter for the Fund, SK Chambers. The Fund changed its name to the Krishen Jit Fund, supported by ASTRO and SK Chambers. In 2020, Creador Foundation replaced SK Chambers as a supporter. The Fund is now the Krishen Jit Fund supported by ASTRO and Creador Foundation.

One of the main objectives of Krishen’s pioneering work was celebrating original Malaysian creativity in as varied and alternative ways as possible, in all the areas of the arts.

His ground-breaking theatre practice straddled and brought together a wide range of contrasting spheres, producing projects that were inter-disciplinary, multi-cultural, multi-lingual and
experimental. Negotiating between academia and practice, tradition and contemporary pop culture, Hollywood and Bollywood, the mainstream and the marginalized, Krishen’s work articulated a Malaysian identity that was ever evolving, and encouraged practitioners and audiences to reflect on their lives and societies.

This is the spirit of the Krishen Jit Fund. The Krishen Jit Fund works as an extension of this spirit, to encourage and support creative work in Malaysia. The announcement of the Fund took place on 28 April 2006, at Utih...Celebrating Krishen.

This was a commemorative event on the first anniversary of his death. The Fund was launched by Astro at this event. In 2021, recognizing the plight of artists during the Covid-19 Pandemic, Creador Foundation increased its support tremendously. This allowed us to give out 11 grants in 2021. This was a big
increase from the usual 5 – 6 grants per year.

Selection Panel for 2022 was:

• •Suhaimi bin Abdul Rahim – Director, Arts and Culture Enhancement Division, National Department for Culture and Arts, Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Malaysia.
• Jolyn Gasper – Senior AVP, Sustainability, Astro.
• Maha Subramaniam – Vice President, Creador Foundation.
• Leow Puay Tin – Associate Professor, School of Arts, Sunway University.
• Ravi Navaratnam – Member, Five Arts Centre.

The Fund is administrated and managed by Five Arts Centre. Grants are given for training, workshops, attachments or residencies, experimental productions, writing, or creating new work in music, dance, theatre, film, visual or performance art.

From 2006 to 2022, the Krishen Jit Fund has given out a total of 84 grants amounting to RM626,000.

HISTORY OF RECIPIENTS

In 2006, the Fund received 80 applications. The 3 recipients were:

• Au Sow Yee for The 4th Dimension: Mapping The Imaginary Cinema, a film installation and performance.
• Sharon Chin for Sensors: Banned Books & Other Monsters, an interactive installation and exhibition.
• Dr. Ray Langenbach for Malaysian Performance Video Archives Project

In 2007, the Fund received 27 applications. The 3 recipients were:

• Amir Muhammad for the film Punggok Rindukan Bulan.
• Hardesh Singh and CH Loh for the CD Faith Hope Chaos: Malaysian Contemporary Music Vol. 1 anthology.
• Lim Kok Yoong for Let Arts Move You, an exhibition and engaged arts project in commuter trains and train stations.

In 2008, the Fund received 47 applications. The 4 recipients were:

• Carolyn Lau for The Light Show exhibition.
• Chris Chong for the film Karaoke.
• Fahmi Reza for the Projek Hari Hartal documentation project.
• FINDARS collective for The Rain Project, a series of monthly experimental arts presentations.

In 2009, the Fund received 59 applications. The 5 recipients were:

• Beverly Yong for a major book of essays on Malaysian art.
• Fauzi Yusoff for Satu Hari, an audio-visual documentary.
• Pentas Project for A Word in A Year, a collaborative theatre project.
• KongHwee and Ying for a book of stories entitled Orang Asli Animal Tales.
• Tan Nan See for an alternative solo exhibition entitled Artist Sojourn.

In 2010, the fund received 60 applications. The 4 recipients were:

• Ho Sheau Fung, Aida Redza and Lisa Foo (Ombak-Ombak ARTStudio) for the River Art Project.
• Chong Sheau Ching (Corpcom Services Sdn Bhd) for A Portrait of Perseverance, a women’s video journal project.
• Suzy Sulaiman (Re-cap) for the Digital Architecture Heritage Trail: Suffolk House, Penang.
• Adrian Pereira for the Desa Mentari Youth Project, a community arts project.

In 2011, the fund received 42 applications. The 5 recipients were:

• Kok Siew Wai for KLEX 2011, the 2nd Kuala Lumpur Experimental Film and Video Festival.
• Amanda Leonie for video documentation of the cultural practices of villagers in Kg. Terian.
• Christine Yun May Yong for the Rhythm In Bronze Collaboration Project.
• Foo Fei Ling for If It Is Not Now, Then When? – a James Lee movie.

In 2012, the fund received 38 applications. The 5 recipients were:

• Margaret Bong for Weight of Salt, a documentation of the dying salt making culture of the Kelabit in Borneo.
• Agnes Lee Agama for Community Filmmaking Workshops in indigenous and local communities.
• Ng Chor Guan for New Music Series, a series of new experimental music.
• Too Chee Hung (chi too) for FTW! (For The Wind)!, a series of contemporary art works made in response to the artist’s research into kite-making and flying.
• Lim Li-Ling for Wayang, a photo and multimedia documentary of the Shio Kee Lin Hokkien Opera troupe.

In 2013, the fund received 39 applications. The 5 recipients were:

• Faisal Mustaffa for the publication of a book entitled Malaysia Cinema in a Bottle: A Century (and a little bit more) of Wayang, written by Hassan Muthalib.
• Mohd Afiq Arshad Yaakub for Tepuk Amai-Amai – The School Project by Revolution Stage
• Jeffrey Lim for KANTA, experiencing the living form of photography.
• Yeoh Seng Guan for LABORING FIGURES - Vignettes in the form of photographs and a video anthology of ordinary individuals at work, at home and at play as well as Articles in popular, semi-academic and academic publications.
• Mun Kao for MALAYSIA, THE GAME, a new Malaysian Board game.

In 2014, the Fund received 33 applications. The 4 recipients were:

• Lee Ren Xin for a dance performance with 14 mattresses that develops into an open-space series.
• Au Sow Peng for The Mengkerang Project: Home and Elsewhere, three video installations on the idea of the idea of nation as a socially constructed community, imagined by people who perceive themselves as part of the group.
• Aswara Dance Company for Pakyung Revisited, a contemporary dance performance.
• Sharon Chin for In The Land That Never Was Dry, a series of graphic non-fiction stories about water in Malaysia.

In 2015, the Fund received 48 applications. The 7 recipients were:

• Yeoh Lian Heng – Lostgen’s Contemporary Art Space for TransActions in the Field – Artists’ Residential Programme.
• TerryandTheCuz for SK!N, a Contemporary Dance Performance on Human Trafficking.
• Sharmini Ratnasingam – Rhythm in Bronze for Bites of Delights – Children’s Music Theatre.
• Seng Soo Ming – Pitapat Theatre for An Enemy Of The People. At The Moment, a Theatre Performance.
• Mohd Shahrul Mizad bin Ashari for Langkau, a Dance Theatre Collaboration.
• Dhanendran Maheswaran for Say It Like You Mean It (SILYMI), a Mentorship Program.
• Jun Ong for Gerai Tai, an Experimental Stall.

In 2016, the Fund received 45 applications. The 4 recipients were:

• Harold Reagan Eswar for a documentary film from the point of view of a 12-year-old, on the problems of her village.
• Muhammad Zikri bin Abdul Rahman for LiteraCity – Literary mapping and exhibition.
• Sunitha Janamohanan and Janet Pillai for Workshops for Community Engaged Arts Practitioners in Malaysia.
• Liew Kung Yu and Koe Gaik Cheng for The Little Door Festival for Young Audiences.

In 2017, the Fund received 43 applications. The 5 recipients were:

• Agnes Lee Agama for Eco Art Connects Interactive Art Installation, an art installation that incorporates reusable, recyclable and in-organic materials.
• Anrie Too and Kelvin Wong for The Emerging Directors Lab, a training programme for young directors.
• Christine May Yong to create a teaching and learning space of Kelantanese music and performance forms.
• Lim Pei Ern for Nyanyian Bumi, a collaborative project between dancers from Malaysia, Japan and Indonesia, looking at the Body in different dimensions.
• Ridhwan Saidi for Teater Modular, a series of playlets performed together.

In 2018, the Fund received 43 applications. The 5 recipients were:

• Wendi Sia for GERIMIS – Art Exhibition, an immersive art exhibition that bridges the narratives of Orang Asli with ours.
• Lee Ren Xin for Community Research Initiatives, research in the neighbourhood using adaily ritual of dancing and walking, as well as conducting dance movement workshops with the residents.
• Naaraayini Balasubramaniam (GoodKids Enterprise) for When Bells meet Buckets, a children’s Bharatanatyam performance accompanied by bucket drums.
• Thavarupani Subramaniam for ANTIDOTE: Uncovering Skin & Soul, a documentary which captures issues faced by women. 30 women share intimate stories which are deciphered into art and painted on their skin.
• Danny Lim for Bersih: The Inside Story, a book about the behind-the scenes history of Bersih.

In 2019, the Fund received 50 applications. The 5 recipients were:

• Andy Darrel Gomes for 4 Transitional Cinema Short Films, a new mode of cinema they are currently developing, to be directed by 4 emerging Malaysian directors, in response to New Malaysia.
• Nursuliana binti Sulaiman (Suzy Sulaiman) for Homes, a visual art exhibition featuring three art projects that explore social inequality of the built environment from the standpoint of a person’s dwelling.
• Justin Lee Kah Wai for Impermanence, a collaborative performative piece of sound, movement, and spatial design.
• Lim Jack Kin for KITA, an arts-anthology podcast that plans to launch its first season on Renegade Radio, a Malaysian independent podcasting network.
• Sheau Yun Lim for Malaysia Design Archive Publications, an initiative to redefine arts and visual culture publications in Southeast Asia. Positioned between academic scholarship, artist book and essays, they hope to publish well-researched works of non-fiction and art.

In 2020, the Fund received 75 applications. The 4 recipients were:

• Catriona Maddocks for Contemporary Indigenous Woven Art, utilising QR codes and curated digital libraries, a project to work with rural artisans to create woven mats decorated with QR codes that utilise traditional patterns.
• Jowin Foo for Standard Operation Procedure (S.O.P), an experimental performance that explores the relationship with the newly adopted S.O.P as a common ritual to counter the pandemic and the cultural dichotomies around it.
• Leong Yoke Mee for The Music of Inner Land, a series of graphic, non-fiction stories about the music of people of the interior (orang ulu) the Kerabit people in Malaysia.
• Aw See Wee for A Clay Stop Motion Animation Short Film where in a world of clay people society, a husband and wife are fighting another family of thieves, who are breaking into their house. It is a film about survival and hope.

In 2021, the Fund received 77 applications. The 11 recipients were:

• Anthony Alexander Chong Vee Yee for Malaysian Sign Language (BIM) literature workshop, a project for deaf participants in Malaysia to develop BIM literature in many forms.
• Jeffrey Lim Jew Chin for Khemah Kamera, a project to build a mobile canopy tent instant camera, and to explore live projection of any objects from within the tent.
• FLUX28 COLLECTIVE for Night Shift, is an interactive website that engages the audience in a narrative through the character of a fish, with themes of captivity, struggle, and control.
• Izat Arif for a hybrid exhibition featuring an immersive installation that explores the potential of reflective materials, spatial parameters, and audience participation.
• Rezza Coebar for Earthshine, is a multidisciplinary showcase with a focus on technicalities.
• Fraulina Tajuddin for a web series of short informative sections on how to do animation at home, with minimal equipment, and easy to source supplies.
• Gogularaajan Rajendran for Plantation Life: As it was, a documentary film and research project for the development of a feature film, Kaali (to be shot in 2023).
• Syamsul Azhar bin Mohamad Azmi for Dari Pinggiran, a devised live streaming performance that would feature artistic responses to spaces that were abandoned due to the pandemic.
• Arief Hamizan for Panas Play Reads, a project to conduct 60 online readings of local and international plays over 12 months.
• Susan Philip for The Satira Archives, a limited run ‘soundscape’/podcast series, looking at a range of works from innovative Malaysian artists and writers, who identify as women, examining in particular their engagement with humour and satire.
• Komeil Zarin for 30 Portraits in Exile, where 30 refugees sit for the artist (a refugee) to paint 30 portraits, culminating in an exhibition of the paintings, an art book and video documentation of this project.

In 2022, the Fund received 62 applications. The 6 recipients were:

• Taha Long for Tidur Lambak, an immersive performance, highlighting the nostalgic communal sleeping arrangements associated with the Malaysian practice of “Balik Kampung” or homecoming.
• Deepak Kumaran Menon for The Diaspora Story: Kalpavriksha, an anthology of 8 Tamil short films that explore the delightfully-chaotic, a-beautiful-mess of identity, culture, and nationhood, by lifting the veil on the Indian diaspora in Malaysia.
• Dylan Yeo Kok Siong for an adaptation of an absurd stage play of Eugene Ionesco in his work Les Chairs, with the about to be extinct local Chinese traditional puppets.
• Goh Choon Ean for PROJEK BANSAN which aims to develop and produce a table-top game that incorporates deep content about wet markets, as an embodiment of the evolving economic, social, and cultural identity of local communities.
• Low Hsin Yin for a publication collaboration with a South Korean collaborator, that aims to examine the cosmopolitan typography of Malaysia.
• Vesant Nair for Goldfish is a Tamil language family/drama short film about a boy’s desire to pet a goldfish and the complications he faces once he gets that fish – understanding the culture of Malaysian people living in low-cost flats.