‘Preserve, Promote and Prosper – Gold Threads Incentivises Rekindled Artforms’
Yayasan Hasanah (“Hasanah”), a foundation of Khazanah Nasional Berhad is delighted to announce the inauguration of the Hasanah Gold Threads Awards – a celebration of Malaysian textile excellence bringing together skill and mastery of the many heritage textile artforms practised in this country. In tribute to Malaysian textile traditions and heritage, the Hasanah Gold Threads Awards is calling for entries with a combined prize pot of RM 360,000, with specialised categories now open! (HOME | Hasanah Gold Threads)
The Hasanah Gold Threads Awards aims to catalyse efforts to sustain, regenerate and allow heritage textiles in Malaysia to flourish. These awards will be held to the highest standards of craftsmanship, while simultaneously enhancing their prestige and increasing appreciation amongst the wider community. This initiative offers exposure to all textile artisans while validating the quality and innovation of their work by creating unique and stunning heritage textiles that capture the essence of Malaysia’s culture, nationwide.
This further paves the way forward towards a sustainable platform for textile producers from across the country to share their inspiring pieces while highlighting the diversity and mastery of Malaysia's textile traditions. The Awards will empower local producers to showcase their talent and gain wider recognition, as well as motivate them to refine their skills, take on new challenges, and strive for excellence in their work.
"Yayasan Hasanah is very excited to launch The Hasanah Gold Threads Awards to support our mission to preserve, celebrate and promote our Intangible Cultural Heritage of traditional textiles. I believe that Prize Philanthropy has a great role to play in advancing innovation, increasing demand and standards, and simultaneously enabling preservation, knowledge, and sustainability of our traditional textiles into the future. As this is our inaugural initiative, I look forward to the support from all stakeholders. With the support from artisans, public and private agencies, and craftspeople, the awards will mark an exciting milestone for the heritage textile industry in Malaysia,” said Dato’ Shahira Ahmed Bazari, Trustee & Managing Director of Yayasan Hasanah.
“I would also like to thank our Partner and Awards Producer, Jacqueline Fong and the entire team at Tanoti Sdn. Bhd. for their ideas and dedicated service to this industry. I am eagerly anticipating the exceptional standards that participants will produce, the exciting submissions, and also look forward to seeing The Hasanah Gold Threads Awards grow in prestige and impact over the long term, and achieve its intended mission,” continued Dato’ Shahira.
"Our artisans and crafts people are under-funded and I am very excited to work with Yayasan Hasanah to produce The Hasanah Gold Threads Awards, which is a testament to the passion and dedication of our local textile producers," said Jacqueline Fong, Co-Founder of Tanoti Sdn Bhd and Awards Producer. "There is an abundance of local artisans in Malaysia alone, each a master at their own craft. Through these awards, we hope to provide a platform for our producers to showcase their talent and inspire a new generation of artisans and other players in this highly niche ecosystem. We are very excited to see the entries that will be coming through."
The Hasanah Gold Threads Awards will draw submissions from across the country and is open to Malaysian citizens aged 18 and above, as well as companies and organisations that are registered in Malaysia. Participants may enter their best textile pieces in any of the Awards’ six categories - Supplementary Weft, Ikat, Drawing and Stamping, Embroidery and Embellishment, Plaiting, and Beadwork. Each category carries two awards - Best Traditional and Best Innovative, with a cash prize of RM25,000 each. The Best Traditional Award is for textiles produced in their traditional form and for their traditional use and via traditional production techniques, while the Best Innovative Award is for textiles produced demonstrating innovation in design, use and/or production, but still produced by hand and containing traditional elements of the production process.
In addition to the two main awards, there will be a Special Mention Award in each category, with a cash prize of RM10,000 for submissions that present a commendable effort. The Hasanah Gold Threads Awards will judge submissions based on their excellence, authenticity, marketability, and innovation. The judging panel will comprise leading experts and veterans in the heritage textile industry.
The Hasanah Gold Threads Awards will receive submissions from 8th May to 20th August. Winners will be announced on 14th September 2023.
