arts-ED is a non-profit organization (NPO) based in Penang, Malaysia which specializes in innovative community-based arts and culture education for young people and adult communities. Our work is focused on empowering communities to develop awareness of their cultural assets through mapping, documentation, promotion and celebration of culture. Our vision is to help sustain local culture and diversity through creative hands-on approaches to education that emphasize the relationship between arts, culture and life. arts-ED projects are run in community settings and are organized around the theme of ‘arts, culture and heritage’. The theme helps participants connect with their own environment, cultural assets and community and encourages learning around real issues, values and meaning. We work in collaboration with institutions, arts educators, artists, and community activists to promote culture education at a local and regional level. Our innovative approach has been emulated by other non-profit organizations within Malaysia as well as in Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia.