Fringe 2024 – The Asian Art Awards

The Asian Art Awards 2024 were presented during the Fringe at the treehouse in Assembly George Square.

More than 100 artists from 25 shows came to present their work and also to meet fellow artists.

The Asian Art Awards have been running since 2014 when they were founded by Dr Chris Wang, an international festival producer, as a way to help Asian artists have a broader and more rewarding experience at the Fringe.

The event was hosted by Chelsea Zhou, a trustee of Asian Art Fund Scotland along with long time friend of the awards, Lyndsey Jackson, who is Deputy Chief Executive of the Fringe Society.

Two former Edinburgh councillors are on the board of the Fund – Richard Lewis, Chair of the board who is also a performer at the Fringe and Jim Orr who is Treasurer, and an accountant with experience in charity administration.

The act which undoubtably impressed the judges the most was The Legend of the White Snake, a spellbinding “opera” in the ancient Chinese “Kunqu” style, which played to a packed audience for a week at C Aorura. They won the award for Outstanding Production.

Full list of winners:

Outstanding Production

Winner: Legend of the White Snake – Northern Kunqu Opera Theatre – China

High Commended – Gayatri and Gitarja – Gytr.art with 7evenotes Productions and Mhyajo – Indonesia

Highly Commended – Weaving Me, Weaving Mum – Neverland Space Theatre -UK/China

Outstanding Male Performer

Winner: Masa and Hitoshi aka Gabez – Live Manga – Japan

Highly Commended – Wong Tan-ki – It’s Not My Body Chapter 3.5 – Hong Kong Soul 2024

Outstanding Female Performer

Winner: Tsumugi Masui, YOAH Cirquework, Japan

Highly Commended 

Sindhura Kalidas – Psychobitch – W!ld Rice – Singapore

Xiner Lan – Vanishing – in-version ensemble

Outstanding Show 

Winner: Aha! Doggy Poo – Modl Theater – Korea

Highly Commended – Picasso 2033 – WaitDog – China/UK

Highly Commended – Sushi Tap Show, Tokyo Tap Do! – Japan

Outstanding Young Performer 

Winning award shared between: 

Only Human – Conundrum Theatre – Singapore 

Echoes from The Archipelago – An Indonesian Music Odyssey, Trinity Youth Symphony Orchestra – Indonesia

Highly Commended – Ms Liu Zhan (the Green Snake) – Legend of the White Snake – China

Asian Arts Special Award

Winner: Draft My Life – A Concept Musical – We Draman Group – Hong Kong

Highly Commended – Cantonese Opera x Children’s Interactive Theatre: Dic Dic Chang Chang Playground – One Table Two Chairs – Hong Kong

Highly Commended – Ms Gao Pei Yu (the White Snake) – Legend of the White Snake – China