GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government has released guidelines for arts and culture organisations so that they can start operations.
The "Public Health Safety Operations Guidelines for Arts and Culture Spaces" are to assist in the reopening of arts and culture spaces according to public health guidelines provided by the Federal government.
State Tourism, Arts, Culture and Heritage Committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin said the guidelines were key considerations to help arts and culture organisations make decisions about operations and programming while the Covid-19 pandemic persists.
"So far Penang is the first state in Malaysia to come out with the guidelines.
"The arts and culture sector are among the most affected by the Covid-19 crisis, with many public events and activities cancelled or postponed due to the national Movement Control Order (MCO).
"The guidelines are not intended to be exhaustive or comprehensive in scope and not every consideration will apply to all organisations. We encourage arts and culture organisations and practitioners to use the guidelines as a foundation for their plans and adapt to their specific needs in implementing mandatory public health guidelines," he said today.
The guidelines, Yeoh said, provided information recommended and/or mandated as of the date of issuance.
He said that it was a working document that would be updated regularly to reflect changes in state and federal guidelines related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"I hope the information outlined in the guidelines will be beneficial in helping arts and culture operators develop their plans for the future.
"I urge arts and cultural organisations to prioritise the health and safety of their employees, artists, contractors, volunteers and audience when determining whether to engage the public with physical and in-person programming and performances.
"I also encourage the public to continuously support our arts and culture practitioners and groups by attending their online programmes, spreading the word about their works and efforts, and donating to their fundraising campaigns," he added.
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