Story Snapshot
- Award-winning pianist and educator Foo Mei Yi transformed a lifelong connection to Negeri Sembilan into Nine Arts Festival 2026, celebrating Malaysian creativity through nine artistic disciplines.
- Through performances, mentorship and the MyHeart-supported Navarasa collaboration, she connected established artists, emerging talent and communities through cultural exchange and knowledge sharing.
- Nine Arts Festival demonstrates how global Malaysians can preserve heritage, inspire future generations and elevate Malaysia’s creative voice on both national and international stages.
The significance of the number nine is central to the festival’s goals and themes: nine events, spanning nine different artistic disciplines, held in Negeri Sembilan, and its opening “Navarasa” a MyHeart Collaboration, is an exploration of the nine different emotional states in Indian culture and classical arts.
The decision to hold the event in Negeri Sembilan is a testament to the love she has for her roots as an ‘Anak Negeri’ herself. Furthermore, the location serves as a strategic halfway point between two of Malaysia’s biggest cultural arts hubs, Kuala Lumpur and Malacca, allowing creatives from around the country to come from various states.
As the event has come to an end, Mei Yi shares her thoughts about the experience.
Surpassing all expectations: Mei Yi’s reflections post-event.
Before Nine Arts Festival’s full run, Mei Yi, alongside MyHeart, had organised a soft launch a year earlier on 16 August 2025 at Seri Menanti Old Palace. The soft launch consisted of a fusion Wayang Kulit performance with music from the Western classical world, which became Nine Arts Festival’s premiere act of its second day, “Wayang!”
Being able to collaborate with imaginative, courageous and immensely talented Malaysian artists based both at home and overseas also fills her with great pride. Through this event, she has realised that the Malaysian heritage we share is very much alive, capable of evolving and worthy of standing proud on the global stage.
The festival was made possible through support from partners across government, the arts, business and civil society, including Negeri Sembilan Tourism, Tourism Malaysia Negeri Sembilan, Seremban City Council, the Polish Embassy and British Malaysian Society (BMS), Bata, Percussion and Piano stores and CloudJoi. The support from Yayasan Hasanah and, of course, TalentCorp, also played a crucial role in bringing this event to life.
“The support from TalentCorp was crucial, giving us the confidence and capacity to realise an ambitious programme. TalentCorp’s belief in the value of artistic creativity, cultural participation and diaspora contribution aligns closely with the festival’s mission and vision.” – Mei Yi Foo.
“The true value of our diaspora is not measured by where they have gone, but by what they bring back – knowledge, global perspectives, mentorship and a willingness to inspire the next generation.” – Ms Biruntha Mooruthi, GCEO, TalentCorp.
Navarasa: The Nine Emotional States – A MyHeart Collaboration.
The main act of the first day of the festival was none other than “Navarasa,” an immersive dinner and dance experience exploring the 9 emotional states (Navarasa) of Indian classical arts: Śṛngāra (Love), Vīra (Heroism), Karuṇā (Compassion/Sorrow), Adbhuta (Wonderment), Hāsya (Laughter), Bhayānaka (Fear), Bībhatsa (Disgust), Raudra (Anger), and Śānta (Peace).
The idea took more than half a year to grow into a fully realised work. Mei Yi worked closely with Dato’ Ramli Ibrahim and the Sutra Dance Theatre, whom she approached in January 2026 with an idea to create a dance and live music piece with improvisation as a central element. Dato’ Ramli then introduced the theme of Navarasa, which aligned beautifully with Nine Arts Festival’s themes.
After months of devising, the Nine Arts Festival musicians, Sutra dancers and Noghori Arts School young performers created a complex and beautiful artistic entity. Through the MyHeart Collaboration, the production extended beyond the stage. Local and emerging talent gained access to mentorship, workshops and shared learning opportunities, creating an exchange of knowledge and experience between established artists, global Malaysian talent and the next generation of performers.
Mei Yi is proud to say that it is one of the biggest productions she has ever been involved in, truly believing it deserves to be staged many more times.
A Wrap for 2026: The next chapter for Nine Arts Festival.
Mei Yi describes this past year creating Nine Arts Festival as an emotional roller-coaster ride. Even with the soft launch serving as an introduction, nothing could quite prepare her for the sheer amount of work involved in producing a festival of this scale. Though there were many sleepless nights and lots of hardwork, it was all worthwhile watching her dream take form and come to life.
The immediate priority for Mei Yi and Nine Arts Festival is to document the impressive body of work that was showcased so that it can be remembered, developed and experienced again beyond the 2026 festival. The festival consisted of 5 new productions: Navarasa, Charlie Chaplin Meets Caklempong, Lagenda Seri Lama, Music at an Exhibition and The Big Stage Quiz which all need to be recorded, notated and documented for future use.
After that, it will be time for Mei Yi to reboot, recharge and allow new ideas for Nine Arts Festival 2027 to emerge.
Contributing to a better future for Malaysia.
Mei Yi shares that MyHeart has been incredibly supportive throughout the curation of Nine Arts Festival since the Soft Launch in 2025 to the inaugural public festival this year. She hopes to continue this collaboration, believing her and MyHeart share the same vision of nurturing Malaysian talent, connecting Malaysians everywhere with home and contributing to the country’s creative future.
If you have an idea to contribute back to Malaysia, register as a MyHeart member today and connect to see how MyHeart can support your initiative.
