Arts-ED

What Arts-ED does

Arts-ED is a Penang-based non-governmental, non-profit organization founded in 1999 by art lecturers from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) to provide community-based arts and culture education for children and communities. Operational since 2000 and led for 25 years by Executive CEO Chen Yoke Pin (曾玉萍), the organization runs programmes including the Cultural Heritage Education Programme (CHEP, co-organized with George Town World Heritage Incorporated since 2016), youth-focused Gempak 100, and the long-running 'Anak-Anak Kota' (City Kids) heritage documentation initiative. Its product portfolio comprises the CLAP (Community-based Learning Action Portal) online resource for teachers, launched in August 2024, the Bansan wet-market-themed board game (2023), cultural mapping services, training programmes, and research and interpretation services.

Underlying methodology is the Community-Based Learning (CBL) approach, which uses visual, performing, literary, and culinary arts as tools for participants to explore subject matter and engage with their communities, combined with cultural mapping of historical, social, economic, and environmental data. The organization is staffed by approximately 10 people and supported by a network of programme managers and coordinators including Foo Wei Meng, Amanda Chin (陈芩巧), and Charis Loke. Its primary customer segments are Malaysian primary and secondary schools, teachers, and underserved communities (notably in PPR housing and Seberang Perai areas).

Arts-ED's business model is grant- and donation-funded, with project-based revenues from partners such as Think City's 'Seberang Perai Small Town Fund' and UNESCO APCEIU; the CLAP portal and educational kits are provided free of charge to educators. Distribution is community-led and direct — via school partnerships, government collaborations, facilitator training workshops, and its own digital channels — rather than through commercial resellers. The organization publishes annual reports dating back to 2020 and earned the UNESCO-affiliated Wenhui (文晖) Award for Educational Innovation in 2013.

Name

Arts-ED

Legal name

Arts-ED

Website

https://arts-ed.my

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Arts-ED is a Penang-based non-profit founded in 1999 by USM art lecturers, delivering community-based arts and cultural-heritage education to Malaysian schools, teachers, and underserved communities through programmes such as CHEP and the CLAP online portal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts and Cultural Heritage Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts Education Instruction (Visual/Performing) (EDAJAFAK), Cultural, Arts & Humanities Community Education (Museums/Arts Councils) (EDAAAFAD), Cultural Heritage, Arts & Archaeology Service Programs (EDAIAGAH)

Keywords

• Community arts education
• Cultural heritage education
• Community-based learning
• Cultural mapping services
• Creative teacher training

Headquarters

HQ city

George Town

HQ country

Malaysia

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding & Donations: Arts-ED operates as a non-profit organization funded through grants, donations, and project-based funding from organizations like Think City.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Arts-ED designs and delivers community-based arts and culture education programs, including the CLAP online learning portal for teachers, the Bansan board game, the Cultural Heritage Education Programme (CHEP), cultural mapping, research and interpretation, and training for educators and community facilitators. Its work uses visual, performing, literary and culinary arts as tools for participants to engage with their communities and cultural heritage across Malaysia.

Product overview

Arts-ED offers a portfolio of community-based arts and culture education products and services. The core offerings include the CLAP (Community-based Learning Action Portal), a free online platform providing community-based learning kits for teachers; the Bansan board game for cultural education; the Cultural Heritage Education Programme (CHEP) in partnership with George Town World Heritage Incorporated; cultural mapping services; research and interpretation services; and training programs. These offerings are interconnected through Arts-ED's 25-year methodology of using arts as tools for community engagement and heritage education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CLAP: Community-based Learning Action Portal - a free online resource offering community-based learning kits for primary and secondary school teachers and educators
• Bansan
• CHEP
• Gempak 100

Products and services

• CLAP (Community-based Learning Action Portal) Free online platform providing project-based community-based learning kits for primary and secondary school teachers and educators across Malaysia.
• Bansan Board Game Educational board game for 1-5 players inspired by Malaysian wet markets (Penang's Chowrasta Market), simulating vendor life and including waste management mechanics.
• Cultural Heritage Education Programme (CHEP) Collaborative programme with GTWHI that teaches youngsters about local cultural heritage through creative educational projects, including the Youth Arts Camp endorsed by the Penang state government.
• Cultural Mapping Community asset and resource mapping that documents historical, social, economic, and environmental data to facilitate cultural appraisal for conservation and development.
• Research & Interpretation Services Research services on culture and heritage education including survey, mapping and community consultation work, research, and writing for manuals and resources, delivered for local and regional organisations.
• Training Programs Training in designing creative and participatory programs using the arts approach, covering facilitation, creative program development, community engagement, and leadership skills.
• Nibong Tebal Cultural Heritage Project Outputs Deliverables from the 7-month Nibong Tebal community participatory mapping project, comprising a banner panel, heritage booklet, and website.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• University Sultan Azlan Shah (USAS)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 April 20263 representatives from USAS participated in Facilitator Training Workshop at SK Juara, Bukit Mertajam, Penang where Arts-ED assisted in training and facilitation.
• Think CitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2025Think City's 'Seberang Perai Small Town Fund' supported the Nibong Tebal Cultural Heritage Project, a 7-month community participatory mapping and creative interpretation initiative culminating in promotional materials including banner panels, heritage booklet, and website.
• LUMAminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaboration on Bansan board game, inspired by Malaysian wet markets. Goh Choon Ean designed the game; Arts-ED provided community expertise and educational framework.
• UNESCO APCEIUcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 August 2019Co-organized advanced training workshop for Korean educators on GCED through Place-Based Learning approach, hosted in Penang July 30 - August 3, 2019. Twenty primary and secondary school teachers participated.
• George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Ongoing partnership to organize Cultural Heritage Education Programme (CHEP) since 2016, including Youth Arts Camp (YAC) endorsed by Penang state government. Jointly develops heritage education projects using creative educational approaches.
• MPKK Cherok Tok KunminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner in Komuniversiti Innovation Lab 2026, documenting local heritage, stories, people, and places while exploring ecotourism potential.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile (CHAT): Hong Kong non-profit combining heritage interpretation, arts education, and textile-industry community programmes. Comparable as a non-profit that uses arts to teach cultural heritage to youth and communities, with strong storytelling and exhibition components.
• MyDance Alliance: Malaysian dance advocacy and education non-profit promoting dance appreciation, education, and community programmes. Comparable as a Malaysian arts-education NGO using participatory arts to engage youth and communities, though narrower in discipline (dance only).

Regional players

• Think City: Malaysia-based heritage and urban regeneration non-profit that funds and runs community projects in Penang, including the Nibong Tebal project Arts-ED delivered. Comparable as a Malaysian heritage NGO with overlapping programme areas, though Think City operates as a funder/programme operator rather than a direct educational service provider.
• Singapore Heritage Society: Singapore non-profit promoting heritage research, education, and community engagement through talks, walks, and publications. Comparable as a Southeast Asian heritage-education NGO with overlapping target audience (community members, educators) but operating in a different country.

Direct peers

• Five Arts Centre: Malaysian non-profit focused on performing arts education, productions, and community engagement programmes, with youth and community workshops. Comparable as a Penang/KL-rooted arts-education NGO delivering participatory arts-based learning to schools and communities.
• Badan Warisan Malaysia (Heritage of Malaysia Trust): Malaysia's longest-established heritage advocacy NGO, founded in 1983, running educational talks, site visits, and community heritage programmes. Comparable as a Malaysian non-profit focused on built and cultural heritage education, with overlapping community and teacher audiences.
• George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI): Penang-based heritage body that co-organises the Cultural Heritage Education Programme (CHEP) with Arts-ED since 2016. Comparable as a George Town-focused educational and heritage non-profit targeting schools and youth, though GTWHI is broader in scope (site management, festivals) and is a partner rather than a competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU): Japan-based UNESCO-affiliated centre running cultural and educational programmes across the Asia-Pacific. Comparable as a regional UNESCO-affiliated heritage/arts education operator with far broader country coverage and larger funding base than Arts-ED.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ArtsEdPenang
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arts-ed

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arts-ED