“DON’T sell (your collection) to Singapore ah!” a state official told Penang House of Music (PHoM) founder and director Paul Augustin a few years ago, indicating that there was no lack of understanding for the value of content the museum has amassed over the years.
Neither was there a lack of awareness on the value of the museum, because since it announced plans to permanently close its doors last Tuesday (February 13), the number of visitors has significantly increased.
Collectors, antique dealers and treasure hunters have contacted the museum over the past few days asking if the House of Music was discarding or selling its collection.
Despite this, promises to fund, support and help develop the museum have been lethargic.
“Overhead costs are high, adding up to RM50,000 a month – this includes salaries (for administrative staff, guides, documentation and digitisation work among others), utilities, conservation and restoration costs (for items that include music recording in various formats, books, posters, instruments and equipment among others), and the introduction of new interactive technologies for interpretation of the collection,” Paul told Scoop when met at his office today.
One of the highest overheads is the RM17,000 monthly rental for the space in Komtar, Penang.
“This would have been manageable if the funding promised by the state comes in on time, but the disbursements of the funds have not been consistent,” Paul said.
He then added that appeals to the state authorities for a suitable place with lower rental as well as higher visibility and footfall which will increase revenue seem to have fallen on deaf ears.
He said this option (space with lower rental) would reduce the museum’s dependence on funding from the state.
Despite the frustration of having to deal with bureaucracy and delays, Paul said he would never consider selling his collection to people outside the country.
“I am a patriot at heart and in addition to that, I have become the unofficial custodian for items that people sell or entrust to the museum.”
These are donors and families who entrust the items to the museum with the condition that these remain in the country, said Paul, adding that this is despite the fact that these items will likely collect a tidy sum if sold to collectors overseas.
“My life is dedicated to this, but it is difficult to sustain and I am tired of having to go around trying to explain the importance of documenting and archiving our culture, arts and music heritage – asking for support and funding.”
The interview with Scoop was frequently interrupted by phone calls and enquiries about the closure, followed by arrangements to visit the place.
An influx of visitors, more than usual – since news about the impending closure was published – kept Paul and his employees at the museum on their feet all day.
Paul is currently considering a few options on the table, including going national given the rising interest and support from people outside Penang to take on the project of developing PHoM into a national centre of music, art and culture. This also includes offers from local tertiary institutions, he added.
Speaking about what he envisions PHoM to be in the future, Paul said: “I want this to become a national preservation centre, which not only acts as a repository for our music industry but also a place which promotes creativity, skill development and for research, documentation, preservation, restoration and digitisation of material.”
“My hope is that this place will become a cultural centre for Southeast Asia, a place that espouses the principle of creative economics, a resource and research centre.
“If we lose what we have to others in the region, they will gain the advantage of creating and moulding the narrative to suit their agenda, in addition to benefiting from the brain drain that will follow when they absorb human resources with the skill, expertise and knowledge needed to manage the resources acquired.”
On questions if there was a succession plan in place, he said: “If there is no foundation at the moment, how can I put a succession plan in place.”
“Right now, I feel a sense of déjà vu, back to the days when I was playing with my band New Faces for a living…because just as you announce the last song for the night, only then people would ‘hear’ you and start shouting ‘we want more!’” – February 17, 2024