Class acts at George Town Festival

Sutra’s 17 Shaolin monks in an intense dance piece.

Immerse yourself in arts and culture for a whole month at the George Town Festival (GTF) 2013 beginning June 7. Now in its fourth year, GTF offers an array of art, music and the performing arts.

Parading acts from both the international and local scenes, this annual festival has inadvertently transformed George Town, and by extension the island of Penang itself, into a melting pot of arts and culture.

This year, expect to be marvelled by more than 80 events, all ready to transport you into a world of beauty, music and hope. Renowned Italian chamber music group I Musici will surely delight your ears with their contemplative interpretation of classical pieces.

If fusion is your thing, then you will not want to miss Sutra, a novel dance work inspired by the skill, strength and spirituality of the Shaolin monks. In what promises to be an enthralling visual spectacle and a heart-pumping experience, Sutra will feature 17 monks directly from the original Shaolin Temple in China.

For a hearty laugh, don’t miss Singapore comedian, the extraordinary Kumar with his rapid-fire and no hold barred jokes of, well, everybody.

But if you reckon the GTF is going to run your pockets dry, fret not! This time around, the festival’s goal is to make arts and the international performances accessible to everyone. This means affordable tickets, starting as low as RM20; some shows are even free! “We want to emphasise on accessibility and interaction, so to make it accessible, we have priced international performances like Sutra at only RM20 so that everyone can enjoy it,” shared festival director Joe Sidek.

Catch these class acts and many more at the 2013 George Town Festival which runs from June 7 to July 7.

> For more information, contact (04)-261 6308 or info@georgetownfestival.com and get the full list of the programmes on georgetownfestival.com.

-thestar online.