How We Built It: Community in the Arts – Kuala Lumpur Edition

What does it really take to build a creative community in Kuala Lumpur?
Join ArtRabbit at British Council Malaysia for an evening of short “show and tell” presentations from people shaping Kuala Lumpur’s cultural landscape.

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Each speaker will share how their work began, the challenges they have faced, what has not worked, and what it takes to sustain a community over time.

As ArtRabbit deepens its work in KL, this event creates space to listen, learn, and connect with those building the city’s cultural life.

The focus is on how community-led initiatives respond to gaps in access, space, and visibility, and how local practices position themselves within a wider regional and international context. These efforts point to a shared aim: building conditions that allow the Malaysian art scene to sustain itself on its own terms.

ArtRabbit connects a global audience of over 250,000 people with arts and culture across cities including London, New York, Los Angeles, and Berlin. In Kuala Lumpur, this event focuses on how local initiatives respond to gaps in access, space, and visibility, and how they position themselves within a wider context.

You’ll hear from: Ahmad Hakym Ahmad Hilmy, KL Sketch Nation (KLSN), Kennedy Michael, The Alliance of River Three! (ART!), Nazura Rahime, Jalan Negara Kita, Rahel Joseph, ILHAM Gallery. With an introduction from Florence Lambert, Head of Arts and Creative Industries at the British Council Malaysia, and Vivi Kallinikou, Managing Director of ArtRabbit.

What to expect
Short presentations from local community builders
Honest insights into organising, infrastructure, and sustainability
Open Q&A and discussion
Informal networking and drinks

Who this is for
Artists, curators, organisers, producers, cultural workers, and anyone building or contributing to creative communities in KL and beyond.

Free. Capacity is limited, early booking recommended.