Quest International University’s (QIU) first-ever Festival of Creativity (FoC) promised a celebration of creativity—and it was delivered in style!
Imaginative students and academics from the Faculty of Social Sciences put on a fantastic bash that gave local youth an unprecedented opportunity to unleash their creative potential.
Co-organised with the Perak state education department, this virtual celebration of creativity and diversity provided meaningful spaces of expression for hundreds of students to reimagine themselves through three exciting competitions in photojournalism, digital storytelling and performing arts.
It combined a series of informative expert-led talks with exciting competitions targeted at secondary school, college, and university Foundation students.
No registration fees were charged for the competitions, and all surplus funds from the event will be channelled to two charitable organisations in Ipoh: Pertubuhan Kebajikan Anak-Anak Yatim/Miskin Dahikmah in Gopeng and Vision Home.
A total of three fascinating competitions were held throughout the festival. The photojournalism contest challenged participants to fit the theme of “COVID-19: The Unsung Heroes”. The digital storytelling competition focused on what makes Malaysians unique, while the performing arts competition had contestants exploring education through their eyes.
And of course, QIU had to bring in some big creative minds! These talented, accomplished industry leaders headlined performances, forums and workshops that were held concurrently during Saturday’s session. Some also judged the excellent submissions of the competitions. They included:
- YouTube content creator, Zhafvlog
- Associate Publisher of Burda Luxury KL, Rubin Khoo
- Founder of Artdialogo Asia, visual artist and children’s book illustrator, Anna Karina Jardin
Photojournalism (Snapshots of Life)
- Bernama photojournalist, Ahmad Iskandar Kamaruzaman
- National Geographic Asia’s Programme Art Director and Visual Storyteller, Md. Syazwan Anuar
- UiTM senior lecturer in the Department of Photography and Creative Imaging, Dr Md Nagib Padil
Digital Storytelling (The Stories We Tell)
- Channel News Asia (CNA) Malaysia’s bureau chief, Melissa Goh
- Performing artist-cum-content creator, Shanthini Venugopal
- Humans of Kuala Lumpur founder and storyteller, Mushamir Mustafa
- Senior Lecturer in Special Education at QIU, Dr Johanna Maria Means
Performing Arts (In the Spotlight)
- Founder and Artistic Director of Theatresauce, Kelvin Wong
- Actor (stage and film), singer, emcee, model, and speech & drama educator, Anrie Too
- Theatresauce director, actor, writer, Ashr Au
Psychology (Hoodwink)
- QIU Psychology department programme coordinator, Alex Lim
- QIU Psychology lecturer, Nur Aishah Azman
- Founder of Dearest You Counselling, Yeoh Shu Yon
QIU Vice-Chancellor Professor Zita Mohd Fahmi said: “Universities inspire self-improvement and knowledge seeking in its student body, but we must also do the same for the community at large. This event was all about inspiring the youth to showcase their creativity to the fullest, and this will only bode well for the growth of our nation.”
Faculty of Social Sciences Deputy Dean Professor Dr Adeline Kok added:
“The young participants learned so much from the insights and the feedback shared by our speakers. Our hope is that they take that spark and turn it into a full-fledged talent that could build an exciting future. This method of hands-on learning from the experts is one of the core tenets here at QIU.”
The judges had a tough time picking the winners amidst such tough competition but in the end, a select few stood out from the crowd.
Winners
Creative Icon Award for Digital Storytelling: : Jenny Hoi Ming Ye, Chong Xin Yu, and Wong Hao Yi (SMK Seri Keledang)
2nd: Emily Lim Yan Ran, Lee Weng Tim, and Lee Chun Hin (SMK Seri Keledang)
3rd: Yean Jian Jia (SMK Seri Keledang)
Performing Arts Creative Icon Award: Yashila Isabelle and Nicole Chow Yin Ying (Quest International University)
2nd: Khong Yong Quan, Loh Weng Joon, and Leenash Sasitharan (Quest International University)
3rd: Muhammad Danish Shaharuddin, Muhammad Afiq Zabidin, and Amirul Hafiz Haiqal Mohd Fadzli (SM Sains Tun Azlan Shah,Taiping)
Photojournalism Competition Creative Icon Award: Muhammad Nur Mifzal Irman (MRSM Parit)
2nd: Norhafiza Mat Tajudin (Sekolah Raja Perempuan Taayah, Ipoh)
3rd: Muhammad Faiq Hakim Amran (SMA Maahad Al-Aziz, Parit)
In the Psychology programme’s Hoodwink contest, winners Linitha Ramesh and Evreena Jagit Singh won Grab cash vouchers.
First prize winners are awarded RM500, while second place winners bring back RM250. Third place winners receive RM100 while consolation prize winners receive RM50. All winners and participants are awarded e-certificates as well.
QIU thanked the partners who made this event a success—online news portal Ipoh Echo, as well as creative collectives Theatresauce KL and Artdialogo Asia.
