Nikoi is a member of The Long Run.
Maisyarah Mazlan is a Malaysian teaching artist, theatre director and producer whose work centres on children, young people and community-based learning through theatre and puppetry. She is the founder of Play With May and co-founder of Main Boneka Festival, Johor’s first puppet festival.
She is joined by Flying Balloons Puppet, an Indonesian performance collective founded in Yogyakarta in 2015 by Rangga Dwi Apriadinnur, with core collaborator Jefri Mugi. Together, they create object-led, non-verbal and site-responsive works that explore ecology, memory and human emotion through puppetry, movement and material.
During their residency, the artists will develop The Girl Who’s Afraid of Everything, a new collaborative work that explores fear and curiosity in young audiences. Maisyarah will shape narrative, characters and interactive elements, while Flying Balloons Puppet will create puppets, objects and installations using materials found on Nikoi Island alongside textiles from Java.
Their residency will include workshops for children and Nikoi staff, inviting participants to gather natural objects, transform them through play and creativity, and contribute to a collective installation shaped by the island itself.
Ubah Rumah is an artist residency on Nikoi Island that supports research-led creative practice rooted in place, community and environmental awareness, encouraging meaningful cultural exchange. For guests, this means opportunities to engage with artists through talks, workshops and open studios, offering a deeper connection to the island beyond a typical stay.
First photo: Shadow Puppet Workshop by Flying Balloons Puppet
Second photo: Puppetry by Maisyarah Mazlan