Dear all,
I hope everyone has had a great Chinese New Year so far, and that the "harvesting" has been good so far. It's my first year giving red packets, so it's a new experience for me!
EOY 2009 had some hits and some misses. Some people enjoyed themselves, some didn't, and from the general feedback that we have gathered... space was the main issue.
In EOY 2009, we pitched EOY as an arts event, and moved it out from Expo to the Drama Centre. We wanted to give the event a larger stage, better sound, better effects and although it may not seem like it, the venue was about 20% bigger.
Unfortunately and fortunately, EOY 2009's turnout was a lot larger than 2008, and as such, the new venue couldn't hold the entire crowd well, and ran into some over-crowding issues. Around 10 am on EOY 09, I was shocked at the amount of people coming in, because I have never seen an EOY with so many people in the morning.
The number of guests for EOY was significantly larger than 2008, and as a result, there were crowd issues and it caused some unhappiness with some people. For that, I really want to apologize, as it was totally unanticipated on our end as well.
I also received some hearsay that the venue was booked just for Yui Makino, but I wish to clarify that Drama Centre was first booked, before we decided to invite Yui to EOY. Our local community will always take precedence; foreign artistes and commercial entities will always be secondary. Yui was invited because she is a talented pianist and singer, which lies in the same direction we are heading for EOY.
The main reason why we decided to move to such a location is that I wish to upscale the entire EOY cosplay community, and let everyone have a better place, a bigger stage, as well as the opportunity to showcase their talents. It was never our intention to make money, nor exploit any of the performers. My payroll for EOY 2009 is $0.
We're looking into the refinement of EOY 2010, and we're currently looking for a new venue, and probably some changes to our program. Nothing has been finalized yet at the moment, but I can promise you that the new location will be larger than Drama Centre, and we will be definitely moving out from the library.
Perhaps you may have heard me mention this before; I see the entire EOY like a collective community, as opposed to being customers. I've always believed in pursuing our talents and dreams, even when it seems difficult or impossible. From young, I have always pursued actively what I love... and that is the reason why I decided to run EOY and Black Alice; simply because I love it and the community that it holds. In the same way, I hope you guys will also actively pursue what you love, may it be cosplay, music, singing or dancing.
I was watching K-On! a couple of months back, and it just strike me that many of us, have always wanted to perform on stage, perhaps as a band. K-On! speaks of a group of girls who pursued what they love but yet, studying hard for their exams. In the same way, I think it speaks to many of us here.
Some people think that we're crazy to do an event in such a location, but we do it because I see cosplay as a form of art. It may not be fine arts, but it's a form of pop art. The general public may not think much of it at the moment, but I envision the day where cosplay will be largely accepted as a form of art, and that the talents of these people will be put to good use... and eventually they'll find jobs related to their passion.
I don't know if you've heard of O-school, but it's a dance school in Singapore that was first started a few years ago. These people love dancing, and they built a school just for that. Hip-hop, in those days was just picking up. There were no such things as job opportunities for dancers.
The president is an acquaintance of mine, and they did it simply because they love dancing. These days, they are like one of the most famous dance schools in Singapore, and they not only train students, but also provide jobs for them.
I was invited to a party for *Scape Mall a few months back, which is an upcoming mall to take a look at some of the retail units there. Dancers from O-school were invited to do up a performance, and they were paid for it. I managed to speak to 3 of the dances just the other day. Their passion is really inspiring.
Moving people from the belief that cosplay is a form of art might seem like a distant dream, but I really believe it can happen. The talents that I see at EOY are simply amazing. In 2009, I traveled to Malaysia for Animangaki, GACC, Comic Fiesta, as well as various events in Singapore. I am really amazed by the talents that we saw during EOY. It is one of the best in this region that I have ever seen.
Prior in the earlier years when I was not the organizer, EOY has always been an event that I love, and that I look forward every year. Since 2005, it has always held a special place in my heart. There's always something magical about this place. That magical feeling is something that is contributed by every EOY participate here.
Till now, it still is something that I look forward to every year.
I hope you will make EOY your house of talents too, and continue to contribute magical feelings to this place by continuing to cosplay, showcase your talents and build relationships with one another.
We're not perfect people, and on behalf on the entire team, I would like to thank everyone for believing in us, and seeing EOY 2009 come to past. It has been a great honor and joy working throughout the year. Thank you for giving me a chance to lead the team through EOY 2009.
I'll see you guys again in EOY 2010.
Love,
Tim
Organizer, EOY
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