Tales of the Orient by Simon Ostheimer
Tales of the Orient by Simon Ostheimer
Hey Joe
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Hey Joe

Events maestro Joe Sidek has done more than most to put his island of Penang on the cultural map. I ask him why the arts are important, and what it means to be an Old Free
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You couldn’t really say that Joe Sidek put Penang on the map (that would be Francis Light way back in 1786), but it’d be fair to say that the Johor-born maestro has done more than most to put it front and centre when it comes to cultural and arts festivals.

There was Tropfest South East Asia, which saw the island host the regional leg of the world's largest short film festival, but most of all it has been the George Town Festival, which we were lucky enough to attend almost a decade ago (has it been that long!).

First held in 2010, this remarkable event celebrated the unique arts, culture and heritage that make up the historic Penang capital, the city of George Town. To this day it’s still one of my favorite places in the world, a remarkable combination of colonial British, Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Peranakan influence - you won’t find a better mix of people, cultures, architecture, and food anywhere in Southeast Asia.

In between his busy schedule of working on his exciting new festival KLWKND I recently caught up with Joe to find out what drives him to promote the arts, why George Town is special, and what he has planned for the future (hint: there’s a lot).

Ps. Watch this promo video for KLWKND and see if you see someone familiar...

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Tales of the Orient by Simon Ostheimer
Tales of the Orient by Simon Ostheimer
Original travel stories about Asia by a British Hongkonger
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