A RENT-free stage has been set up at the B5 Street Market in Tampoi, Johor Baru in Johor, for performers to display their talents.
State unity, heritage and culture committee chairman K. Raven Kumar said the Pentas Seni Johor stage served as a platform for youths and artistes to showcase as well as promote arts and culture.
“I believe that this stage will strengthen Johor’s artistic identity and attract more tourists to the state.
“When tourists visit a place, they tend to look for elements such as arts, heritage and entertainment.
“This stage can cater to those needs,” he said when launching the stage.
Located in the centre of the street market, the stage was funded by Johor Corporation (JCorp) Foundation in partnership with the Johor Heritage Foundation.
Raven Kumar also suggested that a similar platform be set up in all of Johor’s 10 districts to promote and recognise local talents, as each place has its own cultural characteristics.
“Only when I visited the different districts did I learn that there are six different types of Zapin dances in Johor and that various categories of dragon dances exist in Chinese culture.
“Aside from showcasing local talents, we also want to promote cultural knowledge to the people.
“This will help to boost our Visit Johor Year 2026 campaign to attract more tourists to the state,” he enthused.
Raven Kumar said the platform could benefit other communities too, as they could take to the stage to introduce their cultures and heritage to the masses.
“Johor has a sizable Sarawak and Sabah community, and we welcome them to share their cultures and celebrations on Pentas Seni Johor because the purpose of the stage is also to spread new knowledge to the people,” he said.
JCorp Foundation chairman Rozaini Mohd Sani said activities such as creative arts workshops, visual art exhibitions and traditional music performances would be held on the stage as a build-up to Visit Johor Year 2026.
“The stage will provide a vital platform for local artists to thrive, offering them opportunities to showcase their talents and creativity while generating income from their work.
“This initiative will also support differently-abled artists whose creations will be featured here,” he said.
Rozaini added that the effort reflected JCorp’s commitment towards promoting Johor as a leading destination for arts and cultural tourism.
The schedule of activities and events to be held on the new stage will be updated via the foundation’s social media channels.
Local artistes who want to utilise the stage can email [email protected] to obtain a performance slot.
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