PETALING JAYA, March 20 — Ahead of the 16th Boh Cameronian Arts Awards (BCAA), Miri-born singer Zee Avi and former Aswara dean of dance Joseph Gonzales have been named as the award’s Game Changers.
“The idea behind the Malaysian Gamechangers is a person who embodies courage to cross borders, to try to spread their wings not knowing what the end of the tunnel is,” said Kakiseni president Low Ngai Yuen.
The awards which will take place on April 28 will see Zee and Joseph conducting workshops and engaging with key players in the industry on how to further develop the arts.
This year’s theme Mulanya Di Sini (It starts from here) honours the beginnings of performing arts practitioners who made their mark in the industry
The celebration also hails an important year for Boh as the tea company celebrates its 90th anniversary.
To commemorate this momentous milestone, this year’s Cameronian Gold Blend Collector’s Edition tea canisters feature an Art Deco and songket design that reflect the past and the beginnings of performing arts in the country.
Boh Plantations deputy chairman and chief executive officer Caroline Russell said each year, Kakiseni comes up with the design of the limited-edition canisters but this year, the Malaysian tea manufacturer wanted to pay special attention to the theme.
“We felt because it is our 90th anniversary, we wanted something that was about heritage and a bit of a throwback.
“They (Kakiseni) came up with this idea about beginnings, which actually works really well for the arts industry and makes this not just about our beginnings but each artist’s beginning,” said Russell.
She also added that the eclectic cultural mix of Art Deco with songket was a fun twist.
On the night of the awards, the stylish black and gold canisters will be handed out to nominees, winners, judges and those involved in the awards as well as Kakiseni-related activities.
Unfortunately, the canisters won’t be available for purchase.
“You’ve got to be a member of the arts community and you’ve got to win an award,” joked Russell.
This year’s nominees were shortlisted from a total of 75 shows staged in 2018 by 22 judges.
Split into the categories of musical theatre, dance, music and theatre, recipients will be awarded an exclusive Boh Cameronian Arts Award trophy and RM1,000 cash prize.
The Best of Awards winners will receive support from Kakiseni such as access to pitch their shows to potential sponsors and for a full sponsorship to attend the Australian Performing Arts Market next year.
The nominees for the Best of Awards include American Tapestry, Dear Molly, Eight Twelve, Hoong Siamang Hooong, Iq Rock and OlaBola the Musical.
For the complete list of nominees, visit here.
