As the final event of the year, CloudJoi Look Out marked a fitting conclusion to the 2024 CloudJoi calendar. While the event has officially wrapped up, the journey of exploring fresh ideas from industry practitioners is far from over.
CloudJoi Look Out is a unique "pitching event" that prioritises networking and collaboration over competition. Without prizes, the event creates a space for participants to share their ideas with a panel of industry experts and a diverse public audience. Attendees play an active role by voting for their favorite ideas at the end of the event, with the ballot paper also serving as a direct link between supporters and presenters through email exchanges.
The season of CloudJoi Look Out showcased four distinct project ideas:
1. Abdul Muhaimin received the highest votes with his pitch for Crossroad, a musical production exploring the journey of two individuals navigating life through their cultural differences and personal growth.
2. Farah Rani from Perempuan Productions presented Bebenang (working title), a workshop performance centered around storytelling and creative exploration.
3. Alee Isa pitched Temu Janji & Broken Promises, an immersive theatre project set in a site-specific environment to deepen audience engagement.
4. Asyraf Syahir from ejklsseni introduced Sex, Death, and the End of the World: A Trilogy of Unconventional Self Explorations (working title), a series of semi-devised theatrical productions exploring existential themes.
We had a total of five panelists attending CloudJoi Look Out to provide reflections and suggestions on the participants' proposals. The esteemed panelists included:
- Joan Tan, Think City
- Lim Ying Xian, GMBB
- Lawrence Selvaraj, Supergrass (Playhouse Theatre @ The Campus, KL)
- Putri Shahda Azza, Istana Budaya
- Dennis Lee, CloudJoi
The event began with a presentation by Soh Chong Hong, CloudJoi's Community Manager, who provided a comprehensive overview of the 2024 industry performances. This included the latest sales figures, the number of shows hosted, and an analysis of both the successes and areas for improvement. Chong Hong also outlined CloudJoi's key focuses for 2025, with a promise of more insights to be unveiled during JoiUp, CloudJoi’s annual gathering scheduled for February 17th.
Following the introductory presentation, each participant took the stage to pitch their ideas. The panelists offered valuable feedback, sharing tips on effective pitching techniques, suggesting additional resources, and providing constructive advice to refine the proposals. Their insights were instrumental in helping participants shape their concepts into more robust and compelling projects.
Looking ahead to 2025, we remain committed to empowering industry practitioners and providing platforms for innovation and growth. CloudJoi Look Out is just the beginning of what we hope will be a continuous journey of inspiration and collaboration. We can’t wait to see you all at JoiUp in February, where we’ll share even more exciting updates and plans. Together, let’s keep the spirit of creativity alive and thriving!
