MAP 2026: Melaka Arts & Performances Residency
About
MAP, a seven-day residency program, brings together international artists from diverse disciplines to collaborate, experiment, explore, and create works that reflect a spectrum of artistic styles. This culturally diverse and independent group will delve into philosophical and personal ideas and concepts centred around this year’s exploration: “gempa - quake.”
The residency aims to create an inclusive and simple model that provides a space for experimentation and showcases the artists’ intrinsically inter-cultural artistic languages. MAP fosters collaboration, sharing, and deepening connections among the artists while ensuring their autonomy and responsibility for their own needs. This flexible model offers open possibilities for all the participating artists.
MAP showcases, in the final stage, short works by independent artists. These works will explore the relationship between nature, intense volatility, and the human experience, aiming to ignite a transformation.
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MAP Fest home page (within ImPermanence Productions site)
Theme for 2026
Quake (GEMPA) is rupture! It breaks the continuity of habits. It interrupts the ordinary. It dislodges the comfort. When the ground trembles, we do not simply lose balance — we will lose the certainty that the world will continue to behave as expected. In this destabilisation, the artist is called to attention: a listening beyond the form, to something visceral.
The quake appears as trembling, quivering, shaking, faltering—moments when the body becomes porous, when the choreography cannot hold itself as it once did. The quake exposes the limits of technique and the failure of mastery. It opens a passage to truth. Quake makes us drop into unfamiliar grounds and forces. Where we fall into the uncertain. The artist ceases to perform, but a power performs through them. The final group performance, titled Eulogy for the Living, is a trance improvisation ground for all artists including dancers, visual artists and musicians to crack into the theme of Quake. The goal is to create a dynamic performance tapestry that celebrates diverse cultures and creative arts. The residency model emphasises inclusivity, welcoming artists from various levels of practice, backgrounds, and disciplines to participate and contribute to a collective creative event.
Registration Form
Deadline : 31 MAY 2026
Program
The pdf will be available around July 2026
DATES 2026
24 -30 August 2026
Mon 24 - Artist’s arrival - meet and greet
Tue 25 - Morning workshop starts & preparation
Wed 26 - 2-3 Performance Day / Night
Thu 27 - Prep
Fri 28 - Performances Day / Night
Sat 29 - Performances Day / Night
Sun 30 - Some performances Day / Finale (Group work - Euology for the living)
*Schedule above is subject to change
Support/Invitation letter
We strongly encourage and support all applicants pursuing funding or residency programs within their respective regions and countries. Should you require a letter of support or a formal invitation, please contact our Artistic Director, Tony Yap, at your earliest convenience.
Tony Yap: tonyyap@netspace.net.au
Venues (subject to change)
Accommodations & Transport
As a UNESCO World Heritage site, Melaka offers a broad range of accommodations to suit every preference and budget. Whether you are looking for luxury heritage hotels, boutique shophouses, or modern apartments, there are plenty of options available. Please use the provided map link for performance venues as above, as a reference to ensure your booking is conveniently located near your intended destinations.
There are frequent bus services operating throughout the day between KL International Airport (Terminals 1 and 2) and Melaka Sentral, the primary bus terminal for Melaka city centre.
Tickets can be purchased directly at the airport counters upon arrival, or you may book in advance through platforms like redBus. Please note that if your flight is delayed, obtaining a refund for pre-booked online tickets can be difficult. The journey typically takes between 2 to 2.5 hours.
Melaka Sentral is approximately a 10-minute drive from the city centre. We recommend using Grab for this final leg of your journey. As Uber does not operate in Malaysia, please ensure you have the Grab app downloaded on your phone prior to arrival.
CREDITS
Creative Co-directors
Tony Yap & Kien Faye
Project coordinator
Taka Takiguchi
ImPermanence Productions
Core community of organisers and helpers
Adam Forbes
Ankur Saxena Bashar
Agus Riyanto
Rithaudin
Wojak
Kiki Ando
Ro Ger Soong and
Qamar
Artists and creative collaborators
All participating artists
Documentation
All Malaysian based photographers
Frequently asked questions
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Artists will showcase their work in a program of short pieces at indoor and outdoor sites. They can present a ready-made work or choose to rework it during the Festival process. The festival will conclude with a finale, “Eulogy for the Living,” performed by all participants as a final trance/improvisation with a new, redefined structure. Artists can come from various disciplines, including dance, acting, music, and visual arts.
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Usually there are a couple of workshops will be run by Tony Yap & Agus Riyanto in the themes of ‘Trance Zones’ - levels of resonance in different trance zones.
A forum to introduce a different theme and open for discussions through individual practices.
More details will be updated as it closer to the Festival date. -
The MAP Festival is a seven-day residency program primarily designed for independent art practitioners. The residency culminates in performances over the festival weekend as part of an explorative and experimental process. Our mission is to provide a space for the independent arts community to gather, connect, and celebrate within the unique setting of Melaka.
While our focus is on independent practice, the festival is open to registrations from groups and ensembles, provided they understand and embrace this residency-based approach.
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This artists-for-artists residential festival is individually supported by private patrons as well as the artists. The festival will provide spaces (a warehouse, outdoor sites, and a gallery/performance space café), programming, and very basic technical support. You will need to organise and acquire from your own resources or funding bodies for your fees, travel, and accommodation expenses. Artists are welcome to contribute to the costs of venues. The core community of artists will help and inspire you with your necessities.
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The MAP Festival offers a seven-day opportunity to immerse yourself in the UNESCO World Heritage City of Melaka. It is a dedicated time to focus, deepen your practice, and collaborate with artists from diverse cultures and disciplines—drawing inspiration from new connections while experimenting with radical ideas.
While your stay duration is flexible, we strongly recommend prioritizing the weekend if your schedule is limited. The festival’s most intensive programming occurs on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. To conclude the event, there will be a significant group performance on Sunday titled "Eulogy for the Living," directed by Tony Yap, in which all artists are encouraged to participate.
Contact
Australia & all:
Tony Yap
tonyyap@netspace.net.au
Japan
Taka Takiguchi
hello@impermanenceproductions.com
Malaysia
Kien Faye
fai_0102@ymail.com
India
Ankur Bashar
WhatsApp +91989175 4498 or
ankur.saxena07@gmail.com
