{"id":362401,"date":"2025-08-21T15:46:25","date_gmt":"2025-08-21T15:46:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/362401\/"},"modified":"2025-08-21T15:46:25","modified_gmt":"2025-08-21T15:46:25","slug":"fringe-2025-scottish-asian-art-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/362401\/","title":{"rendered":"Fringe 2025 – Scottish Asian Art Awards"},"content":{"rendered":"

The awards were presented by Lyndsey Jackson Depute Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society and composer Richard Lewis. The event at MOXY Fountainbridge was masterminded by Jim Orr.<\/p>\n

The highly acclaimed Kanpur: 1857, written and co-performed by Edinburgh-based Niall Moorjani and showing at the Pleasance until Sunday, won the award for Outstanding Production. Set at the time of the Kanpur uprising, this new play \u201ccomically satirises contemporary conflicts around gender, colonial violence, and making art in times of crisis\u201d. The award was collected by the production\u2019s musician, Sodhi.<\/p>\n

\"\"Sodhi collected the award for Kanpur<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"Sanjay from Chai Tea with Richard Lewis left and Lyndsey Lyndsey Jackson Deputy Chief Executive Edinburgh Festival Fringe Societry on right<\/p>\n

Shows by Sanjay Lago\u00a0(Love me Like a Chai Tea Latte and Dance Ihayami (Dansa Rickshaw) also won awards for Highly Commended performances. Sanjay and the members of Dance Ihayami are from the Scottish Indian community, and Sanjay is from Glasgow (\u201cIbrox, don\u2019t judge me\u201d he says).<\/p>\n

Hahaha-Hamlet from Hong Kong, playing at the Paradise Green venue on George IV Bridge until Saturday, won the award for Outstanding Show. The award reviewers simply loved this \u201ccaptivating reimagining of Shakespeare\u2019s classic tale, blending original musical with dark humour, intertwining the struggles of contemporary Hong Kongers with Hamlet\u2019s timeless tale\u201d. Energetic, inventive and incredibly moving with some reviewers moved to tears as the tales of Hamlet and Hong Kong coincided at the end. The whole cast were in attendance to receive the award and they were delighted.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Chelsea Zhou trustee of Asian Art Fund Scotland and the cast of Hahaha Hamlet<\/p>\n

Mayuri Bhandari of the Anti \u201cYogi\u201d\u00a0 (playing until Sunday) won the award for Outstanding Female while Jeremy Rafal won Outstanding Male for\u00a0The Boy from Bantay \u201ca heartwarming journey of growth and self-discovery\u201d. <\/p>\n

Mayuri was in attendance with her renowned percussionist Neel Agrawal while Jeremy sent a video message to the audience. Both shows were hugely popular. At the Anti \u201cYogi\u201d the audience were invited to \u201cJoin Mayuri Bhandari and Kali, the Goddess of Death every day as they navigate the absurdities of Western Yoga culture. Liberation, not Lululemon!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Anti Yogi<\/p>\n

The Outstanding Youth Performance was won by the show \u201cLandscape of the Other Shore\u201d from Shenzhen University\u00a0 which was also inspired by a European classic: G\u00e9ricault\u2019s painting and Georg Kaiser\u2019s play The Raft of the Medusa.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Shenzhen University<\/p>\n

The Asian Arts Special Award was shared between GENDAI TOKYO and Up-cycle Music\u00a0 by Creative Art of Korea. Gendai Tokyo have a simply incredible laser show playing at WU Asia Pacific until Sunday while Up-cycle Music is a \u201cresponse to climate change from a uniquely artistic perspective. They use waste to make music \u2013 cellos from abandoned equipment from rural areas, stringed instruments of thrown away plastic toys \u2013 and compose piano songs based on the\u00a0characteristics of endangered animals, to ask vital questions about the climate crisis\u201d. Their run has ended.<\/p>\n

\"\"All the winners Photo credit: Matt Sime<\/p>\n

\"\"Jim Orr organiser of Asian Art Fund Scotland<\/p>\n