Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – The Kelab YSD-Kakiseni Junior art incubation programme reached a milestone today with its successful completion from 19 to 23 June 2025. This year, 32 new teachers and 16 performing and visual artists from 16 states across Malaysia – including Selangor, W.P. Kuala Lumpur and W.P. Putrajaya – gathered in the capital for an immersive week of hands-on training, exploration, and professional development. 

The participants took part in a five-day intensive training in Kuala Lumpur, aimed at equipping educators and artists with tools, modules, and mentorship methods to lead arts clubs in public schools. This 2025 cohort builds on the momentum of previous editions, where trained educators implemented the programme in their respective schools, creating vibrant spaces for arts-based learning and creative expression. 

While the target was to engage 450 students, this edition surpassed expectations with 480 students actively participating across 16 new schools nationwide. This expansion was made possible through the support from the MADANI government through the Belanjanwan 2025 matching grant. The final student showcase is scheduled for 30 October 2025. 

At its core, Kelab YSD-Kakiseni Junior seeks to nurture a deeper appreciation for the arts among young Malaysians while empowering students to take an active role in their communities. Its key objectives are to:

• Connect schools with professional performing and visual artists as mentors and role models
• Facilitating knowledge transfer between artists and educators
• Inspire students to develop leadership through creative expression
• Foster a supportive community of educators and artists championing arts in education.

As CEO of Yayasan Sime Darby, Dr. Hajah Yatela Zainal Abidin expresses that, “Kelab YSD-Kakiseni Junior has successfully nurtured a sustainable ecosystem that brings teachers, artists, and students together through the power of the arts. By empowering educators and creative practitioners, we are fostering a new generation with soft skills and critical thinking that values creativity and cultural identity. With the support of the MADANI Government through the Belanjawan 2025 matching grant, we are not only expanding our reach to more schools and communities but also deepening our long-term impact on Malaysia’s arts education landscape.” 

The intensive five-day programme featured a wide-ranging curriculum led by respected figures in Malaysia’s arts such as award-winning Gangsapura, Geetha Shankaran-Lam, KL Shakespeare Players and Fairuz Sulaiman. 

Other industry experts include Zaifeeda Zainul Abidin and Lok Shi Shuen. The participants also took part in an arts excursion to Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (klpac), culminating in a showcase presentation. 

"When professional artists become part of the school ecosystem, creativity becomes a daily language. Kelab YSD-Kakiseni Junior fosters not just appreciation for the arts, but a fundamental shift in how students and teachers engage with learning, making every subject more imaginative, connected, and alive. This expansion aims to reach more teachers and students to expose them to the arts at its core, cultivating a generation that learns, thinks, and expresses with creativity at heart,” said Low Ngai Yuen, President of Kakiseni. 

With a total of 90 teachers, 48 artists, and 1,354 students now part of the Kelab YSD-Kakiseni Junior network across 45 schools, the programme continues to build a lasting framework for inclusive, creative education in Malaysia. All teaching resources, including the syllabus, teacher manuals, and student workbooks, are freely accessible via the Kakiseni Junior website, encouraging long-term sustainability and replication. 

As Kelab YSD-Kakiseni Junior continues to grow, it reaffirms its commitment to using the arts as a powerful tool to build empathetic, inclusive, and future-ready communities; sparking change that endures far beyond the classroom.

Kelab YSD-Kakiseni Junior Network Nationwide (2023 - 2025): 

Number of Schools: 45 
Number of Teachers: 90 
Number of Visual & Performing Artist: 48 
Number of Students: 1,354

Participating Schools Nationwide (2025):

1. SJK Chi Wen - W.P. Labuan
2. SK Bachang - Melaka
3. SK Balik Pulau - Pulau Pinang
4. SK Beserah - Pahang
5. SK Bukit Marak - Kelantan
6. SK Guar Nangka - Perlis
7. SK Jalan Bintang - Sarawak
8. SK Putrajaya Presint 8(1) - Putrajaya
9. SK Senaling - Negeri Sembilan
10. SK Tengku Bariah - Terengganu
11. SK Wangsa Maju Zon R10 - W.P. Kuala Lumpur
12. SMK Bukit Gambir - Johor
13. SMK Lahat - Perak
14. SMK Methodist (ACS) Klang - Selangor
15. SMK Paya Kemunting - Kedah
16. SMK Salaping - Sabah