Arts-ED Penang, 48, Lorong Toh Aka, George Town (2026)

Arts-ED is a non-profit organisation (NPO) based in Penang, Malaysia since 2000, which specialises in innovative community-based arts and culture education for young people and adult communities. The work of Arts-ED is focused on empowering communities to develop awareness of their cultural assets through mapping, documentation, promotion and celebration of culture. Arts-ED provides non-formal art

s and culture education programs for young people, conducts research-type service in cultural mapping and community consultation, produces cultural events and publishes culture-related educational materials (teaching CDs, cultural maps, brochures and newsletters). Arts-ED works in collaboration with institutions, arts educators, artists, and community activists to promote culture education at a local and regional level. The innovative approaches of ARTS-ED have been emulated by other non-profit organisations within Malaysia as well as in Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia.

05/07/2026

🎉 10+ YEARS OF CAMARADERIE! 🎉

More than a decade ago, we connected with Djung Network Thailand! 🇹🇭

Our journey hasn't just been about successes—for over 10 years, we’ve exchanged real ideas, tested new methods, and openly reflected on our failures and stuck points in creating better and creative spaces with local communities through the arts

Let's keep creating, learning, and growing together!

03/06/2026

How do we keep the soul of a heritage site alive?

Last week, Arts-ED facilitated a heritage immersion programme for students from the National University of Singapore (NUS). In collaboration with Dr. Roweena Yip and the NUS Global Experience (GEx) Programme (Thailand & Malaysia), we took a deep dive into the heart of George Town: Chowrasta Market.

More than just a place of trade, Chowrasta is a vital ecosystem of generational businesses and community networks. We guided students through an on-ground exploration of:

🥦 The Value Chain: Investigating the journey of local ingredients from source to stall/table

🤝 Cultural Identity: Interacting with traders and customers to understand the human stories behind the food.

🎲 The "Bansan" Board Game: Using our signature educational tool to simulate and explore complex market dynamics and ecosystems.

By questioning how traditional wet markets remain relevant amidst shifting demographics, we aim to bridge the next generation to value and document the "sights, sounds, and smells" of our intangible cultural heritage.

We are proud to enter our second year of collaboration with Dr. Roweena and NUS, and we look forward to continuing this meaningful learning journey!

16/05/2026

Selamat Hari Guru! Today and everyday, we celebrate the joy, agency, and possibilities of educators who build the foundation of our nation and world 🌻🌻🌻

Here are some snippets from our recent Global Citizenship Education (GCED) workshops to kickstart two 5-month teacher training programs this year: a Level 1 GCED + Project-based Learning training program with teachers from Perlis, Perak, Kedah and Penang, and a Level 2 GCED Action Research program with teachers who’ve completed the Level 1 program. Stay tuned - we’ll share more soon!

01/05/2026

Through our teacher training programs and research, we’ve always found that support from school leaders is key to sustaining effective Global Citizenship Education (GCED) / Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) practices. It was thus very meaningful for us to share with all 398 primary and secondary school principals from around Penang state on the key principles of ESD, various ways of integrating ESD in school, and some case studies from teachers and schools whom we've worked with.

The presentation was part of a workshop for the inaugural Anugerah Lestari Pemimpin Sekolah Pulau Pinang, organised by GREW in collaboration with Jabatan Pendidikan Negeri Pulau Pinang and the Malaysian National Commission for UNESCO. The award aims to encourage and recognize school leaders who drive whole-school transformation towards sustainability beyond one-off initiatives. Many thanks to GREW for the invitation and we look forward to more meaningful efforts in ESD and GCED that will bring greater positive impact on our students, communities, and planet.

Photos credit: GREW

28/03/2026

Yesterday morning and all afternoon, Arts-ED hosted the second cohort of Tilting Futures apprentices on an exploratory orientation of George Town. We went on guided walks through the Street of Harmony, a confluence of cultures, where the group conducted field research to study sustainability in Penang with a cultural lens.

They drew insights from the local community of businesses, residents and stewards of places of worship to unpack the intersections of culture, religion, arts, economics, generational continuity and the urban environment.

We wish this cohort a wonderful and fruitful journey in Penang as they embark on their respective apprenticeships with various local organisations and hope today’s session gives them a meaningful headstart. All the best!

Special thanks & shoutout to co-facilitators Sofea Lee Yee Heng Yeh

18/03/2026

Arts-ED was honoured to attend this executive briefing and dialogue yesterday with the Minister and Deputy Minister of Education and other stakeholders as a representative of the National Strategic Committee for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Global Citizenship Education (GCED).

We look forward to the continued partnership with the Ministry and other organizations to ensure meaningful, systemic implementation of the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2026-2035, especially through capacity-building and resource development for teachers in GCED.

Address

48, Lorong Toh Aka
George Town
10100

Telephone

+60164003471

Website

http://www.arts-ed.my/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Arts-ED Penang posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Arts-ED Penang:

Arts-ED Penang