As our Senior Product Manager you will contribute to further development and growth of Zalando's Connected Retail business unit. The Connected Retail service gives physical retailers a chance to connect to the Zalando platform and sell products directly to our growing customer base. More than 1,800 brick-and-mortar stores in Germany and the Netherlands have already become part of the program, and generate relevant shares of their revenue through it. In April, participating brick-and-mortar retailers shipped almost 350,000 items to Zalando customers.

As a result of the increased demand of shops to digitize their assortment, and to access online customers, Zalando will also offer its successful Connected Retail program to brick-and-mortar retailers in Spain, Sweden, and Poland in the third quarter of 2020.

In this role you will have the chance to make a real impact to the customer experience and participate in the fashion ecosystem by building something completely new that is tangible and significant for our customers.

You will provide excellent quality product solutions for the partners, aligned with the high standards of Zalando platform. You will be working with a talented team of designers and engineers to discover, define, design and deliver seamless convenience to the consumer with unmatched customer experience, leading to high satisfaction results. WHERE YOUR EXPERTISE IS NEEDED

Teams at our Helsinki Tech Hub work on many of the cornerstones of our Fashion Store, including personalization and social fashion influencing components. Through full stack engineering and research, we turn visionary ideas into new emerging businesses with real potential. By tackling the most challenging problems for the fashion industry, we drive the personal digital experience and underlying knowledge models to create the most inspirational fashion experience for our customers

Originally posted here:
Senior Product Manager - Connected Retail job with Zalando | 147579 - The Business of Fashion

Chelsea could benefit from their clever use of a Premier League rule that sees a number of their players on loan at fellow English top-division clubs.

Ruben Loftus-Cheeks deadline day move to Fulham has made him the fifth Chelsea player to go out on loan to another Premier League team for this season, after Ethan Ampadu (Sheffield United), Ross Barkley (Aston Villa), Michy Batshuayi (Crystal Palace), and Conor Gallagher (West Brom).

Fierce competition at Chelsea, particularly after Frank Lampards summer spending spree, has forced players to seek temporary moves to gain a better chance of regular game time.

Personal development of those players aside, the loans may also work in Chelseas favour in another way.

At the weekend, Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson admitted the Eagles would have had better attacking options during the 4-0 loss to Chelsea if Batshuayi had been available.

He told Palaces official website: Of course well have Michy Batshuayi to add to our fighting power up front but he wasnt able to play today because hes a Chelsea loanee.

Since the Premier League forbids on-loan players from playing against their parent club, this will be a theme for a good chunk of Chelseas league fixtures this season.

Ross Barkleys brilliant debut in Aston Villas remarkable 7-2 win over Liverpool also illustrates how these loans could indirectly help Chelsea gain an edge over direct competitors.

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Opinion: Chelsea can gain edge over rivals thanks to clever use of loan rule - The Chelsea Chronicle

Steam Early Access wasnt built for RPGs. The games that have thrived on Valves platform are mostly roguelikes and survival sims - experiences designed to be started and restarted. When these games are updated, theres no downside: the loop begins again, punctuated with new surprises.

RPGs, by contrast, tend to be long and persistent. Players agonise over their choices, knowing their ramifications could last well beyond what's currently on their screen. They carefully kit out their characters with complementary skills, laying the foundations for 100 hour marathons. In that context, a reset button is a nuclear event; the save game wipes that tend to plague Early Access anathema to the genre.

Or so I had always felt. Then Larian changed the dominant paradigm in RPGs - replacing the chat-and-fight formula of Mass Effect with something more experimental. Drawing on Ultima and the immersive sims of the 90s, the Belgian studio built volatile simulations in which any given situation could go a number of ways - depending on whether you engaged a guard in conversation, slipped the key from his belt, or coated him in oil and set fire to the whole joint.

The potential for systemic play is what makes Baldurs Gate 3 a vital game, even now in Early Access.

This potential for systemic play is what makes Baldurs Gate 3 a vital game, even now in Early Access. Its new public build may not be the most polished way to experience the first chapter of its story - but repeated runs of a reduced game encourage a more playful, exploratory approach to a genre in which players tend to just pick a path and stick to it.

Think of Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes, or the episodic release of Hitmans levels. Though some players initially balked at their short length, many found that focusing on a single location made each game richer over time. The sensation of gradually mastering a space makes it one worth staying in - just as, if you stare at one patch of the night sky for long enough, it slowly reveals ever-more complex and marvellous networks of stars.

Baldurs Gate 3s Early Access build could hardly be called short - its 25 hours would be a respectable length for a finished RPG - but it settles on an unnamed stretch of the Sword Coast and leaves the Underdark-delving sprawl for Acts 2 and 3, which are at least a year away. As with Ground Zeroes and Hitmans Sapienza, the narrower space pushes you to go deep rather than broad. Larian rewards the attention with a knotted, layered environment.

My first bumpy landing on the beach - amid the wreckage of a Nautiloid, best imagined as a cross between a spaceship and a conch shell - fires me into the path of Shadowheart, a cleric who instantly challenges me to open a large wooden door set into the cliffside. Im a rogue, and so I do, making short work of the lock and leading our new party of two inside.

Im scarcely aware of having made a choice at all - until, hours of dungeon-crawling later, I happen back across the beach from a new vantage point, and realise Ive cut out first encounters with three other potential party members. In terms of navigation, Baldurs Gate 3 reminds me most of Dark Souls: a tangle of routes that curl back on themselves, like twisting vines (be wary of those - they do 1D6 piercing damage per turn).

An open world might not sound particularly groundbreaking, no matter how cleverly its threaded together. But your angle of approach can have a profound impact on combat and its outcome. When I emerged from the crypt Shadowheart had led me into, I looked up into the faces of four dug-in bandits. A dash across exposed ground ensued, followed by a desperate battle to even the odds.

If Id instead scaled the hill from the beach, I could have taken the crucial high ground, shoved the groups archer from his perch, and crushed two fighters beneath a falling rock - all practically simultaneously, thanks to the ability to trigger turn-based mode before a skirmish begins.

The fighting feels a tad more grounded than its Divinity: Original Sin equivalent. Though Dungeons & Dragons hasnt left Larian short on spells, and there are still many opportunities to combine the elements, the battlefield less regularly devolves into a boiling pool of electrified blood. Instead theres more focus on tactile pugilism - the hurled objects and desperate pushes with both hands that put distance between you and a marauding enemy.

Sneaking plays a surprisingly central role, too, since it unlocks more options for all-important positioning as hostilities open. With the addition of a mouse indicator that highlights whether youre about to move into light or shadow, plus illusions that pull the attention of enemies away from their usual patrol routes, Larian has the makings of a full-featured stealth engine on its hands. It seems feasible to avoid some encounters altogether, though I was loath to pass up the chance for elaborate backstabs, not to mention more XP. In D&D, for all its flexibility, personal development is still synonymous with killing.

Said killing often highlighted the bugs in the build I was playing, however. At the point of death, some enemies would warp horribly like John Carpenter monsters, their features unfolding across the terrain. One halflings hand merged with a nearby ladder, becoming a strange extra appendage for climbers to hold onto. Later, I saw a goblin thwack an archer so hard that he flattened into canvas, his body stretching like a tarpaulin that would have shielded the battlefield had it started raining.

These werent isolated cases: missing sound effects and jumpy animations abounded, and at one point a duplicate Shadowheart appeared just behind my companion; not unheard of in the Forgotten Realms, but in this case, not intentional.

Todays public build is already improved on the one I played yesterday, and Larian has been upfront about the number of bugs players can expect to face in Early Access. But its worth emphasising: though Baldurs Gate 3 might already have as much dialogue and as many distractions as a finished game, it certainly isnt one.

There will be some for whom the idea of an Early Access RPG feels intrinsically wrong - like racing the Nrburgring while its still being paved, or reading a series of epic fantasy novels before knowing whether the author will live to write the last one. Theres no arguing with the fact that, by playing Baldurs Gate 3 now, youre embarking on a journey you cant yet finish.

Yet theres something positive in that: the limited scope is an invitation to play - really play, to muck about and test the possibilities - rather than simply push to complete yet another RPG. This ones worth hanging around in.

Find some modern classics to keep you going while you wait for Baldur's Gate 3 in our list of thebest RPG games. And if you want to try the game that started it all, here's how to play D&D online.

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Baldur's Gate 3 Early Access preview: A perfect playground to push Larian's RPG to its narrative limits - GamesRadar+

HYDERABAD, India, Oct. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) and India's Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) are proud to announce a new partnership to reach hundreds of thousands of young women and men over the next three years by leveraging Gap Inc.'s P.A.C.E. (Personal Advancement & Career Enhancement) program. The collaboration represents a culmination of efforts across both organizations to provide greater opportunity to youth in rural communities across India.

P.A.C.E. was founded in 2007 on the belief that all women deserve the opportunity to reach their full potential. Operating now in 17 countries, P.A.C.E. provides education and life skills learning including communication skills, problem-solving & decision-making, time & stress management, financial literacy, general health & hygiene, negotiation and people skills. Originally designed for women working in the Gap Inc. contracted manufacturing factories in India, it has expanded to include rural community settings, academic and vocational institutions, and emergency relief centers.

In 2019, two thousand youth participated in a P.A.C.E. pilot program in two Indian states - Kerala and Chhattisgarh - in partnership with MoRD and the State Rural Livelihood Mission (SRLM). The program was evaluated by Tata Institute of Social Sciences Mumbai (TISS), and demonstrated an increase in knowledge, attitude and skills (especially for topics related to gender, financial literacy, health and stress management) for those who participated in P.A.C.E., compared to a control group. Based on the results of the successful pilot and evaluation, MoRD and Gap Inc. agreed to broaden the partnership across the country.

"P.A.C.E. taught us (about) the equality of women in society and the rights we have. This school of thought has changed and enhanced my outlook on my life and career. I am now more confident in applying and getting a job and growing my career," said Anu CB, a recent graduate of the program.

"In P.A.C.E. training, I learned to interact with people with good communication skills," said Kiran Banjare, a program participant who is now working as a sales executive in Reliance Raipur as a result of participating in the MoRD and P.A.C.E. pilot. "I am very careful about my financial management that I have learned through this training. I am now better able to handle stress and able to manage time. I also learned to maintain hygiene and it's helpful in this crucial situation."

"We are proud to support MoRD and the Indian Government's vision to empower poor and rural youth to be an economically independent and globally relevant workforce. Since 2007 we have been implementing P.A.C.E. in India, where we have seen the impact of the program, especially amongst youth who are entering the job market.P.A.C.E. provides a setting and framework to learn and apply foundational soft skills that we know are critical for positive behavior change in young people. We also see clear linkages to increases in retention and productivity in the workplace as a result of participating in the program," said Elvis Francis, Director of P.A.C.E., Gap Foundation.

Almost half of the over 500,000 women and girls who have participated in P.A.C.E. programs to date live in India, and as such, the program has gained recognition across the country, including with India's federal government. MoRD runs an initiative, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), the program through which P.A.C.E. will be deployed in partnership with MoRD. It focuses on skill development and job placement for poor rural youth ages 18-35. It is the largest program of its kind in India, and likely one of the biggest in the world, spreading across all 28 states and Union Territories, in partnership with over 650 local implementing organizations. Youth take part in skill development courses for a period of 3-12 months, with the goal of finding job placements in industries specific to their skillset. Youth also receive training across both technical and soft skills (like communication, financial literacy, job readiness, etc.), in addition to English and computer literacy.

S. Harikishore IAS, Executive Director, Kudumbashree Mission, Govt. of Kerala, said, "The integration of the P.A.C.E. curriculum with DDUGKY soft skills will bring forth greater possibilities of change for the rural aspirants joining the program, looking for a brighter future across the country. They will attain necessary technical skills and personal development which is essential for success."

With the partnership between Gap Inc. and MoRD, P.A.C.E. will augment the current soft skills curriculum delivered through DDU-GKY, providing 80 hours of life skills content contextualized to meet the young peoples' needs. This full-scale roll-out will kick off this fall, with the goal of certifying around 150 P.A.C.E. Master Trainers across multiple regions in India, who in turn will be responsible for training a larger base of around 1,700 P.A.C.E. trainers, with the potential to reach over 100,000 youth annually going forward.

For more information about this partnership, please email Mark Snyder, Communications Manager, at [emailprotected].

For more information about Gap Inc. P.A.C.E. please visit: https://www.gapincsustainability.com/people

About Gap Inc.

Gap Inc. is a leading global retailer offering clothing, accessories, and personal care products for men, women, and children under the Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, Athleta, Intermix, Janie and Jack, and Hill City brands. Fiscal year 2019 net sales were $16.4 billion. Gap Inc. products are available for purchase worldwide through company-operated stores, franchise stores, and e-commerce sites.

For more information, please visit http://www.gapinc.com

SOURCE Gap Inc.

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Gap Inc. and India's Ministry of Rural Development Partner to Create Opportunities for Rural Youth - PR Newswire India

CBS Survivor: Cagayan Luzon tribe

There is a section of the vast Survivor fandom that feels strongly about how twisty the show has become in recent years. They say it makes the game needlessly complicated and features too many gimmicks. But it isnt just fans saying that. Two-time Survivor castaway Spencer Bledsoe is firmly in the lets get back to basics camp. In fact, he has a really interesting idea for how the show can be radically re-invented.

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New month, same offer FREE MEDITATION class with me every day. New month, NEW format Instagram Live! Starting this Wednesday, July 1, Ill be live each morning at 7am PST / 10am eastern, guiding you through a series of 12 meditations. Well start at square one, with a simple 10-minute mindfulness practice, and build from there. After each meditation, Ill stick around for at least 5 minutes to answer your questions and be a resource. By July 12, youll have a lay of the (meditative) land, and youll know how to meditate. This is for anyone looking for more concentration, or for less anxiety. This is for anyone whos been meaning to try meditating, but just hasnt gotten around to it. This is for anyone ready to take the plunge and give it a shot! Im looking forward to sharing the practice that has brought such peace into my life with YOU! See you Wednesday

A post shared by Reiman (Spencer) Bledsoe (@reimanbledsoe) on Jun 29, 2020 at 8:25am PDT

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Bledsoe says he thinks the show should take a beat and slow things down, including putting off the first vote for at least a week.

Survivor needs to be radically re-invented, said Bledsoe. It can be so much more than the hodge-podge of advantages that it devolved into during seasons 34-39 To overcome this long dark age, though, its going to take a lot: Im talking about taking all advantages out, taking all manufactured drama and twist-y-ness out, and refocusing on characters, personalities, and journeys. Im talking about a season where there is no voting for the first few weeks, or where tribes have to actually create their own structures and/or mechanisms for voting, elect leaders and form worlds.

He added that if he ever played the game again, he would blaze the trails for a new non-strategic paradigm on the show.

The show started as a social experiment dropping strangers from different walks of life on an island and forcing them to create a new world together. How amazing is that? he said, adding, The chaotic sea of fifty thousand different advantages and people whispering s*** you cant even hear at Tribal has been fun, I guess, but come on. Lets not worry about what silly twist will retain one hundred thousand more viewers for S41, and remember why this show captured the attention of hundreds of millions of viewers in the first place.

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The Redeeming Disorder podcast is COMING BACK! Dusting off the mental health cobwebs, this weeks episode features an inspiring, genuine friend of mine @_erikadelacruz. Wait, who the hell is this Reiman guy? Reiman (pronounced like Simon with an R) was my middle name, and is now my first name! But onto more important things Since it may be a long time until I can wish you a happy #Survivor Wednesday: Every Thursday for the foreseeable future, Ill be wishing you happier mental health and releasing a vulnerable, personal and real interview on Redeeming Disorder. You can find the podcast on my LinkTree, iTunes, or your favorite listening app. Ive conducted these interviews across 16 states between 2018-2020, talking in-person with individuals who were brave enough to share their stories and allow them to be included in the book Im working on, Disorder. Now about this weeks interviewee, Erika De La Cruz: Shes the bestselling author of the personal development book Passionistas, shes a television personality and shes the CEO of Passion to Paycheck a sold-out annual conference & online community that champions the destigmatization of mental health in mainstream media. Enjoy the vulnerable conversations coming your way, and please support your own mental health during these challenging times of change. So much love to you all.

A post shared by Reiman (Spencer) Bledsoe (@reimanbledsoe) on Oct 1, 2020 at 10:12am PDT

Bledsoe said that returning to the real world after filming the show was incredibly hard and he does have some regrets about appearing on the show.

I felt the same stuff nearly everyone feels [when they get back] trust issues, weird neuroses around food, and fear of the rain. Also shocking to be reacquainted within American culture: consumerism, mirrors (I mean literal mirrors this time), and our obsession with our own appearances, said Bledsoe.

He continued, There have been countless times when thoughts of regret have come and gone. Survivor produced neuroses, fears, parasites, stretch marks, and sadness. Being popular on a TV show at 21 years old did a number on my ego. Watching myself on the show made me addicted to the smartphone-induced dopamine rushes of strangers on the internet liking me (or liking their idea of me, rather). Theres also no doubt that I did some serious psychological harm to myself in Cambodia by living and breathing distrust and manipulation for 39 days.

Yet, Survivor was also my first step toward reevaluating life and ultimately toward happiness a real happiness its doubtful I ever would have known otherwise. Survivorfundamentally altered the trajectory of my life, and I wouldnt have the perspective I have today without it, so I can never truly regret it. It shifted my course so dramatically that it doesnt even make sense to me to talk about some version of myself who never got on the show.

If youre curious about what he meant by that, Bledsoe also said that since going on the show, he got into studying mental health. He now has a podcast called Redeeming Disorder that aims to dive into real stories of mental disorder to overcome stigma, redeem perceptions, and start a conversation. He has also taken up meditation and strives to keep learning about himself.

Survivor hopes to film season 41 in the spring of 2021 for a fall 2021 premiere.

READ NEXT: An Update on Survivor Jonathan Penner and His Wife Stacy

Originally posted here:
Survivor's Spencer Bledsoe: The Twists Are Getting Old - Heavy.com

Dominico Zapata/Stuff

Rotoruas famous Lakefront, which is currently in the midst of a multi-million dollar revamp.

In the lead up to the 2020 election, Stuff is keeping voters up to date with whats happening in their electorate, through Neighbourly. Heres what you need to know about the candidates in the running to be Rotoruas MP.

At the October 17 election, New Zealanders have the opportunity to choose their regional spokesperson.

Through the Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) voting system, those enrolled can vote for the party they want as well as a local representative.

The person elected will be the voice for your region in Parliament. If youre having trouble getting entitlements or dealing with Government departments, they can help. If your community needs funding for certain projects or activities, or there isnt enough healthcare in the area, the elected MP can step in and help.

To be elected, the candidate needs to secure the most votes.

The electorate covers suburbs including Springfield, Western Heights, Selwyn Heights, Owhata, Ngapuna and Rotorua Central.

He was first elected to Parliament in 2008 after winning the Rotorua seat from the Labour Government with a majority of more than 5,000 votes. Since then he has been re-elected in 2011, 2014 and 2017.

McClay was appointed Minister in the fourth and fifth National governments and has held the portfolios of Minister of Trade, State Owned Enterprises, and Revenue. He has also been the Associate Minister of Health, Tourism, Trade, and Foreign Affairs.

Claire Mahon is an internationally award-winning former human rights lawyer who worked for the United Nations and Amnesty International, who returned to live in Rotorua permanently in 2018. Working out of Digital Basecamp co-working space, shes been active in the community, appointed to the boards of Kai Rotorua and Visions for a Helping Hand. She is one of the founders of Evolve Rotorua, the advocacy group launched in 2019 which focuses on shaping the future of Rotorua.

Deputy Leader of New Zealand First, Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Under Secretary for Disarmament and Arms Control, and Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development, Deputy Chairperson of the Finance Select Committee.

Fletcher Tabuteau has been a member of New Zealand First since its inception. He believes that New Zealand First represents common sense and has always had a forthright and clear direction for New Zealands future encapsulated in the partys name.

Prior to relocating to Rotorua, Alan served as a physical training instructor in the Royal NZ Air Force and has travelled to more than 40 countries.

Devoting 20 years to working in leadership and personal development, he found success as a regional and national award-winning sales and marketing consultant. This taught him valuable business skills and after the crash of 2009 he saw an opportunity to help local business recover.

Sparke is standing as the Green Party candidate for Rotorua to increase the Green Party Vote.

Having experienced some of the inequities in our society at a young age, she realised that politics affects everyone, whether we like it or not. After noticing how our "house of representatives" looks more like a "house of economics degrees and business suits", she thought it might be time to shake things up and get involved.

Inspired by the likes of Angela Davis, she is passionate about social issues and the need for transformational change.

Kirkwood teaches financial, relationship, and mental health skills that empower people to create the lives they wish to have and maximise their personal freedom, and has a wide range of experience including managing a multimillion dollar finance company, in sales, as well as owning small businesses.

He is standing for ACT because New Zealand needs leadership that values the freedom of its individual citizens.

As a teacher educator, Vercoe knows education can be used to harm or heal a nation. She will be committed to initiatives that adequately prepare our children for the real stuff needed to achieve an academic, economic and social success.

She believes ONE Party will provide an avenue to reset the governance over our land, and together, we will make our nation great again.

Vercoe had the skills to work across government departments, and within communities to collectively address issues to do with homelessness-poverty, oranga tamariki, mental health, suicide, educational disparities, and drug addictions, presently crippling our people and nation.

Ward lives in a home of four generations, helping to care for her kuia and her three children. Mana whine and being mm are two of Kiris most important roles.

Her passions include demonstrating what can be achieved when women step into our unique power as whine, promoting holistic health and maintaining hauora to enable all individuals to thrive, a belief that healthy individuals will positively affect the family unit, our communities, regional areas and cities, and therefore our country as a whole.

This story is produced from publicly available content via the electoral office or party websites. If the information is incomplete, please contact social@stuff.co.nz with details.

Stuff

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Election 2020: Who are the candidates for the Rotorua electorate? - Stuff.co.nz

Onward Homes is one of the largest registered providers of social housing in the North West, with 35,000 properties across the region.

Our in-house repairs team aims to deliver a high quality service that is convenient for our customers and keeps our homes safe and in excellent condition. We complete day to day repairs to customers homes and also empty properties to bring them up to the required Onward standard. We also service and repair gas boilers throughout the Lancashire region.

At Onward were working towards creating positive spaces, which extends to not only to the communities we serve but to our workplaces being positive spaces that are open, diverse and inclusive. Onward is committed to being a diverse and inclusive organisation in every aspect of our work.

We are looking for aSenior Infrastructure Analyst (1 post)to join our ICT team.

Reporting to the Infrastructure and Security Manager you will provide advice, support and guidance to Onward colleagues for a broad range of ICT technologies, devices and applications and be responsible for the installation, configuration and maintenance of ICT technologies.

You will ensure that systems are delivering against the business objectives of Onward and manage the security of systems and user accounts, analysing potential breaches. You will support in the development and maintenance of new and existing solutions and you will provide support to the day to day operations of ICT Infrastructure systems. You will provide guidance and support to team members sharing technical knowledge and skills.

It is essential you have experience of working in a service desk environment with ITIL methodologies, delivering high levels of customer services within a SLA environment. Providing a professional service to our customers, you will have experience of installing, configuring and supporting a wide range of desktop hardware, software and security systems including implementing Microsoft technologies. You will have an understanding of the practices and environments of the housing sector.

It is essential to be educated to A level standard/have equivalent qualification or experience and Prince 2 Foundation/have equivalent qualification or experience. The successful candidate will alsobe able to demonstratehaving a detailed knowledge and show operational support of Microsoft Azure, Teams and O365 environments.

All posts are recruited to the recruitment salary and movement to the confirmed salary is based on successful completion of a 6 month probation. As well as a competitive salary and a generous annual leave entitlement, we offer a range of benefits for a rewarding career including a health cash plan, pension scheme and personal development.

The base location for this role is Liverpool. However please note that due to Covid-19, we have adapted our working arrangements under government guidelines and Safe Systems of Work. Discussions around the current working arrangements and Safe Systems of Work specific to the role will take place during the interview process. If candidates have any concerns / questions in relation to Covid-19 and the role at any stage of the recruitment and selection process they can contact the HR team on HumanResourcesTeam@onward.co.uk and a member of the HR Team will be in touch.

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Senior Infrastructure Analyst job with Onward Homes | 4642970 - Inside Housing

Last month, the Artists of Colour Initiative (AOC) launched a scholarship competition designed to provide financial assistance and industry support to six exceptionally talented theatre performers based in Australia that identify as Bla(c)k, Indigenous or as People of Colour (POC).

The initiative was born from the recognition of underrepresentation of these communities in the Australian theatre Industry. The aim of the scholarship is to ensure greater participation within the field of musical theatre amongst these marginalised communities.

With over 60 performers applying for the 2020 Artists of Colour Initiative the Top 30 semi-finalists have been chosen. They are:

Aadhya Wijegoonawardena, Abu Kebe, Aiden Wang, Akansha Hugenahally, Angelina Thomson, Ava Madon, Daniella Delfin, Deirdre Khoo, Dindi Huckle-Moran, Ellie Chan, Gabriella Barbagallo, Giorgia Kennedy, Grace Driscoll, Guillaume Gentil, Jade Delmiguez, Jarrod Draper, Jerome Javier, Joshua Sanerive, Juan Gomez, Kara Sims, Karis Oka, Kristie Nguy, Lauren Cheok, Martha Berhane, Milo Hartill-Batsietswe, Naarah Barnes, Nicole Rammesh, Raphael Wong, Shannon Cheong and Yashith Fernando.

AOC Initiative founder Tarik Frimpong shared his excitement about the finalists:

These artists are the future. These artists are changing the game. I watched a young man Krump to a musical theatre track and you best believe I was yelling at my computer screen ready to jump in and join the cypher. Watching Bla(c)k, Indigenous and People of Colour artists perform works as well as embody and reinvent characters historically played by white performers; it really does something for the soul. I am so proud to be an artist of colour and these applicants have inspired me to continue to show up.

The semi-finalists represent 21 different cultural backgrounds including Sri Lankan, West African (Sierra Leone, Nigeria), East African (Eritrea, Mauritius), Chinese, Japanese, Hawaiian, Colombian, Caribbean (Trinidad and Tobago), Polynesian, Aboriginal, Indian, Singaporean, Malaysian, Filipino, Parsis, Vietnamese, Fijian, Samoan and Botswana.

The impact of the AOC Initiative goes beyond this competition; it mobilises and empowers so many Bla(c)k, Indigenous and People of Colour who are at entirely different stages of their careers or involved in different aspects of the musical theatre industry. Despite the pandemic, despite recent events in the industry and despite larger systemic issues, these artists have shown up and put on a show, says Frimpong.

In the first round of the competition, each applicant was asked to submit one video of themselves singing or rapping any song from a musical; one video of themselves dancing or moving to any song from a musical; an introductory video and a response to how they would spend $5,000 to further their training and career aspirations.

AOC Initiative panelist Fiona Choi commented on the entrants:

I have been moved to tears watching these submissions. The raw talent is humbling in itself, but more powerful is the heart, poise and tenacity of self-expression that shines through. I dont remember having anywhere near this much grace and self-assurance as a younger performer, or such a beautiful sense of community: it is clear that the AOC Initiative is not just a competition to these candidates, but serves a much higher purpose an opportunity to lift each other up. With humans like these rising through the ranks, the future of Australian musical theatre looks bright indeed.

The latest AOC Initiative GoFundMe campaign has raised over $26,000 with a new target goal now set to $40,000. 100% of the funds raised will be awarded to the six finalists with the winner receiving 50% of the funds, the runner up receiving 20% of the funds and the final four receiving 7.5% each of the funds.

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The Artists of Colour Initiative Top 30 semi-finalists announced | News - Aussie Theatre

By day, Sabrina Ooi helps brands in the APAC region optimize their digital customer experience as a customer success manager. In the evenings and on weekends, shes a professional DJ by night. Shes also the co-founder of Calm Collective Asia, an online community for good mental health, where she has helped build a space to share practical and actionable strategies for better mental well-being through free virtual talks and normalising the conversation on mental health.

Community members can ask Sabrina questions here.

The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

KrASIA (Kr): At what point did you realize there was something missing in Singaporesor Asiassupport structures for mental health?

Sabrina Ooi (SO): We started Calm Collective Asia during the circuit breaker period, or the lockdown in Singapore. This was back in April. The trigger was the fact that mental health services were considered non-essential during that time, so if you had to see a therapist or psychiatrist and get medication, that was considered non-essential.

I was upset, because Ive gone through my own mental health journey. It got me thinking about the people who really need that help, especially since its such a stressful time for all of us right now.

We started with the idea of a virtual summit at the start of May, where speakers share strategies to help people cope better, mentally, with distress related to the pandemic. It was supposed to be a one-off summit. But we got a really good response, and my co-founders and I were motivated to continue hosting talks for people.

Kr: How would you describe the way people perceive mental health in Asia? Is there any stigma around it?

SO: We call ourselves Calm Collective Asia because we wanted to address the stigma that exists in this part of the world.

In Singapore, theres still major stigma, because people dont have the understanding or education about what mental health or mental illness is. Therefore, when someone has a mental illness, people are like: Oh, that person is crazy, lets not talk to them.

That amplifies the isolation that people going through these challenges feel. For me, back when I had major depression, I had the privilege of knowing a friend whod told me that he had gotten professional help for depression, and with the help of medication he started getting better. But its so expensive, so theres a high barrier to entry. When I reached out to my parents, my dad told me to just sleep it off. And Im like: No, Ive been asleep all day, and the thoughts are still there with me.

My mom was trying to problem-solve and pinpoint the factors. I had a friend whod passed away around that time and I was sad, but to the point that I couldnt function, I couldnt get out of bed, I had no motivation for anything. It just didnt make sense. I really needed support to get treatment. And she brought me to a bomoh, which is a traditional witch doctor, and she was praying into lime leaves and water. It didnt work.

One of my friends gave me a really good perspective on mental illness. He basically said: Your brain is an organ, and just like any other organ, it can fall sick.

After a few weeks, I saw that the medication did work. I was able to accept that what I was experiencing was in fact some sort of illness, something biological, and it can get better with the help of whatever my body is lacking.

Kr: How did you start the dialogue about mental health?

SO: It was really hard for me. Back then, I felt really bad and reached out for help, but its honestly difficult to support someone with depression if you dont have that awareness. If youve never been through it and come out of it in a better state, its really, really difficult to empathize with someone going through depression, anxiety, or any other mental health condition.

Back then, I didnt successfully communicate or open up the conversation. I actually wanted to kill myself. The depression got so bad that I wanted to give up. I just couldnt find any other way out because its biological. What could I have done?

I was arrested for attempted suicideluckily, I was doing that in a public enough space, and some people saw me and called the police. Going through that whole experience, the fact that the police had come, and I was jailed and sent to the Institute of Mental Health, having them call my dad. . . It was really sad for me, realizing that it took all of that for my parents to finally understand that I needed help. There is a stigma, there is a lack of understanding. And thats why a lot of people, I think, just give up.

Kr: How should we support someone who is dealing with mental health issues?

SO: When were talking or having regular conversations, we often listen to answer or solve a problem, but we dont just sit with whatever the person has said. One of the key things would be to listen attentively without judging what your depressed, sad, or anxious friend is going through. You dont have to problem-solve, its really about listening.

Its important to project emotional stability. You cant give when your glass is empty. When were encountering a lot of stress, we just dont have the headspace, and thats okay. Whenever you are spending time with your friend or loved one, you have to be in a good space and show that you can be their rockfor that moment, at least.

On the flip side, if youre not in that headspace, its important that you say you cant be there for them right now, but you care for and want to support them, maybe you will get back to them tomorrow. This gives them something to look forward to and reassures them that you care, as opposed to not replying.

Kr: If you could talk to a younger version of yourself, what would you tell her?

SO: I would sit down and say everything will be fine, things get better. Therell be bad days. but things will get better overall. Its an upward trajectory.

I would say: You really need to take care of yourself, these are the ways you can take care of yourself. I would teach her the signs of depression, anxiety, how to get help. I would basically teach her Mental Health 101. I would tell her that her brain is just an organ, it does fall sick, and thats okay, you can get help for that.

Beyond the medication or science behind it, its also a lot about personal development. I learned how to take care of myself and appreciate myself. The idea of cultivating self-love has been a big theme for me in the past few years.

Depression and anxiety are triggered from stress, and that stress builds up when youre trying to live up to someones or your own expectations. But when you let go of all that, you can come home to yourself, and have the self-love and self-confidence that will shield you from that kind of stress.

Kr: What developments would you like to see in Asia in terms of mental health care in the next five to ten years?

SO: In an ideal world, we would be able to talk about mental health openly and get the help that we need. The vision that we have for Calm Collective is aligned with that. We host talks to normalize the conversation around mental health, so that we give people the confidence to seek the help that they need. We believe that there are a lot of people who are probably suffering, to some extent, because theyre either undiagnosed or not reaching out through the right channels.

I hope that schools in Asia embrace mental health by formally introducing these ideas within the school system. I hope that kids in the future will understand this, and that our generation and older generations will embrace these concepts.

Theres another thing about the Asian male stereotype, and how he has to be this straight and strong breadwinner, and he shouldnt be showing his feelings or any vulnerability. I hope for a world where men, too, can be emotional and show their hearts on their sleeves.

Read this article:
[Tuning In] Sabrina Ooi on destigmatizing mental illness: Your brain is an organ, and it can fall sick - KrASIA

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