The Year, Starting Here: January 2026 Highlights
- AICREATIVV
- 21 hours ago
- 4 min read
January at AICREATIVV began the way most meaningful work does — with learning, conversations, and a steady return to rhythm. From speaking engagements and on-site productions to welcoming new interns and restarting our internal bootcamps, the month set a clear tone for the year ahead. It was less about dramatic resets and more about showing up, building momentum, and easing back into the kind of work that reminds us why we do this in the first place.
Stepping Into New Rooms
January kicked off with a proud milestone for the team. Our Business Developer, Nuur Batrisyia Ali, took the stage as a panel speaker at The Cultural Creators Lab by Kitani Kreatif, held at Brunei Innovation Lab.
On Day 1, Nuur Batrisyia Ali joined Dr Rozan Yunos, with Joshua Belayan as the discussant, for Development Clinic #1: Researching Bruneian History and Using It as a Resource. It marked her first speaking engagement — and a meaningful one at that.
Watching our own step confidently into regional cultural conversations reminded us why representation, preparation, and courage matter.
We’re incredibly proud, Nuur Batrisyia Ali. This is only the beginning.
Back on Campus
Not long after, Imamull Qhaeer returned to familiar ground — this time on the other side of the room. Invited once again by Miss Q (A’qilah Muzani), he spoke to UBD’s U-Beyond students on Entrepreneurship in the Digital Age, alongside Haziyah Azalmey, Ampuan Hafiz, and media intern Farah Yasmin, who handled coverage for the session.
The following day, Imamull Qhaeer came back as one of the judges for the students’ pitch presentations, joined by two other panelists — with Nuur Batrisyia Ali also on the judging panel. Two days of conversations, critiques, and shared learning that reminded us how important it is to keep giving back to spaces that once shaped us.
Welcoming a New Batch
January also meant new faces around the office.
We welcomed our third batch of interns from IBTE, who’ll be with us until July 2026:
Syed Inayatt — Creative Intern (supervised by Iman Shamsuddin)
Hariisah Halwa — Copywriter Intern (supervised by Amal Osmera)
Farah Yasmin — Media Intern (supervised by Rusydinul Aiman)
New energy, new questions, and a whole lot of curiosity — exactly how we like to start the year.
Safety First (Literally)
The first week of January started… with medical checks.
Some of the media crew experienced blood grouping for the first time (yes, they were nervous), before heading to BFI Safety Park in Sungai Liang for safety induction.
From safety videos to being questioned by the HSSE office to ensure we fully understood the procedures it was a grounding reminder that behind every shoot is responsibility — to ourselves, to our team, and to the environments we work in.
Lunch Break Rituals
As always, January wasn’t all work.
We continued our quiet tradition of trying new lunch spots together:
Mamita’s, on Elroy Ramantan’s recommendation — where we shared beef tapsilog, sisig, cajun shrimp, flan for dessert, and even met The Mamita herself (an absolute sweetheart).
Sections (formerly Tasconi’s), where the Pickled Chilli Beef Burger quickly earned its place as the everything burger.
Small meals, big morale boosts.
Moving Together
WCC (Wednesday Cardio Circuit) is officially back, coached by none other than Nuur Batrisyia Ali. Focused on cardio, core, and lower body strength, it’s become a regular after-work reset. Sweaty, grounding, and oddly therapeutic.
New Work, New Showreel
After nearly two years, we finally debuted our new AICREATIVV showreel, crafted by Dhiyaurrahman Suhaimi.
Featuring our latest portfolio pieces and case studies, it now lives proudly on our website homepage — a reflection of how far the work (and the team behind it) has come.
Turning the Camera Inward
January also marked the start of something more internal.
The media team began work on our latest internal project, a ‘2025 Wrap Up’ video, directed by Aaqilull Qhaeer and Alimin Affendi. It’s a reflective piece that captures the highs, the lows, the in-betweens, and the very human moments that shape us beyond client work.
Because sometimes, the story worth telling is our own.
Brunei Art Scene: Rashidah Yusof’s The Art of Imperfections
We were honoured to attend Rashidah Yusof’s debut solo exhibition, The Art of Imperfections, held in conjunction with the opening of her gallery and studio, Arteliery Studio. Known for her intricate, detail-driven works, Rashidah Yusof’s exhibition offered an intimate look into her artistic journey — reminding us that in Brunei’s growing contemporary art scene, process, experimentation, and imperfection are just as meaningful as the final outcome.
Early Morning On-Site Shoot at Brunei Fertiliser Industries (BFI)
On a separate weekday, the media team clocked in as early as 5am for an on-site production shoot at Brunei Fertiliser Industries. The day began with filming a bus scene before moving into office sequences at the SPARK Centre. With careful planning and strong coordination on set, the team managed to wrap earlier than expected, continuing the remaining scenes the following week.
The Return of Bootcamps
To round things off, business bootcamps are officially back.
Facilitated by Imamull Qhaaer and Elroy Ramantan, the sessions now run weekly on Fridays, with the team split into four groups. The focus? Communication, collaboration, critical thinking — and challenging the assumptions we place on others.
One reminder stayed with us:
“If something is true, then it reasons that the opposite cannot be true.”
A strong way to start the year.
January didn’t shout. It moved with intention.
And if this is how the year begins, we’re more than ready for what comes next.
