VACT Announces Karmila Sediego as Inaugural Winner
Kamila Sediego
Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre (VACT) has announced the inaugural Joyce Lam Award recipient: Kamila Sediego, with her project Engkanto! Created in honour of vAct’s founder, Joyce Lam, this award intends to support the work of a mid-career/senior Asian Canadian writer with a $5,000 cash prize.
Joyce Lam founded Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre (vAct) in 2001. She was compelled to create a space that centered and celebrated the voices of those deeply embedded in the fabric of Vancouver yet were underrepresented and underserved in the city’s arts and culture scene. Deeply proud of her Chinese heritage, Joyce was driven to dispel misconceptions and change the narrative of what it meant to be Asian Canadian. During her 15-year tenure as Artistic Director of vAct, Joyce oversaw 45 productions. She put her whole heart into building a community where Asian Canadian actors, writers, creatives, and theatre-goers could stand tall in their authenticity and feel a sense of belonging.
Kamila Sediego (she/her) is a daughter of immigrants, sister, auntie, partner, playwright, and dramaturg grateful to live on the stolen territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples. Her ancestral roots stretch across the Pacific, and are embedded in the lands of Iloilo, Cebu, and Manila, Philippines. Kamila was a Playwrights Theatre Centre Associate (2021-2024), and is a Resident Dramaturg of Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre’s Creation Lab. Her play Homecoming (Urban Ink) premiered at The Cultch and The Evergreen Arts Centre in 2024. With the care and support of many, she is developing a new play, Engkanto.
In Kamila’s words: “Engkanto tells of a child whose elderly father has been haunted by engkantos (human-like malevolent spirits), and whose long lost sister is trapped in another realm. It explores trauma’s connection to folklore, legacy, and spiritual safety. This play is an offering, an attempt to create a hybrid folktale for the Filipinx diaspora. My world view, connection to ancestors and spirituality, understanding of my family history, and creation and writing process has changed since developing Engkanto.
“In all ways, I know I am no longer alone. Public sharing, community input, and celebration are integral points of joy in the process. Shrine building, offerings to ancestors and other spirits, and protection talismans for audiences and collaborators are parts of the ritual of sitting down to write, and any performance. I’m privileged to have had a transformative development and creation process thus far, and am excited to see what unfolds next.”
Joyce Lam
Writing was one of Joyce’s many passions and the Lam and Wong families are proud to establish this award in her name in hopes it can play some small part in the legacy Joyce leaves behind, to inspire and support Asian Canadians in the performing and creative arts. Joyce managed lifelong health conditions, but never allowed them to slow her down. She didn’t waste a single day and dedicated much of her time to her friends and family. Joyce is forever cherished and fiercely loved by her family. She is lovingly remembered for her tenacity, steadfast loyalty, witty sense of humour, boundless generosity, and insatiable love for having fun.
The purposes of the Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre are:
- To stage Asian Canadian productions.
- To provide opportunities for Asian Canadians in artistically significant roles.
- To advance the public’s appreciation of the arts by producing and presenting theatrical performances with Asian Canadian cultural themes in a contemporary setting;
- To advance public knowledge and understanding of Asian culture by featuring Asian stories in contemporary theatrical productions; and
- To improve the acting, directing and script writing skills of Asian Canadian theatre artists by providing workshops and theatrical performance opportunities
VACT Announces
VACT Announces
VACT Announces
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