We are thrilled to shine the spotlight on Adrian ‘Buddy’ Malbasias, a proud Craigslea State High School 2019 graduate. During his time at Craigslea, Buddy was a standout leader and performer, receiving the Principal’s Award and the Cultural Leader of the Year Award, as well as serving as Vice-Captain and Dance Captain.
Deeply involved in the school community, Buddy contributed to music and performance ensembles, cultural initiatives, and arts events including Craigslea Dance Company, Wind Ensemble, Arts Spectacular, Student Representative Council, Harmony Day and sports carnivals. His passion for dance and drama flourished under the guidance of teachers Jacinta De Bont, Peta Tabuteau and Libby Carrigan. Upon graduation, Buddy earned a prestigious scholarship to study a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance at Queensland University of Technology (QUT).
Since graduating, Buddy has continued to shine as both an artist and a leader. This November, he premieres his latest work, Bahala/o, at Metro Arts’ New Benner Theatre from 19 to 29 November. This deeply personal dance project explores themes of identity and culture, marking Buddy’s first major programmed work with a leading arts organisation in Brisbane. It is an extraordinary achievement just three years after completing his degree.
Reflecting on his time at Craigslea, Buddy credits the school with shaping both his artistry and leadership. “Dance and Drama were not just subjects for me. They were spaces where I learned how to express myself, collaborate and dream bigger than I thought I could,” he said. “Those early leadership experiences gave me the foundational skills that continue to guide my artistic practice today. Craigslea was where I first learned to trust myself, to take risks and to find strength in vulnerability.”
Bahala/o draws inspiration from the Filipino philosophy of bahala na, often translated as “whatever happens, happens.” For Buddy, it embodies both surrender and defiance, a graceful acceptance of uncertainty paired with the courage to keep moving forward. The work explores the Filipino–Australian queer experience, offering a space where identity is fluid, shifting and negotiated between worlds.
“Bahala/o was born out of a deeply personal chapter in my life,” Buddy explains. “After my grandfather passed away, I returned to the Philippines for his funeral. Surrounded by ritual, grief and family, I began to rediscover what truly mattered. That experience became the seed for Bugas, a creative universe in which Bahala/o lives. Each work within it is like a grain of rice, small on its own, but together forming something whole and nourishing.”
The performance is described as part dance, part fever dream and part rice-fuelled ritual. Audiences can expect bold movement, striking imagery, raw storytelling and playful yet tender moments. “Bahala/o is a love letter to contradictions, seriously unserious, tender yet cheeky,” Buddy said. “It is for anyone who has ever felt like they exist between worlds, for those living in diaspora or anyone who has ever questioned where they belong. And yes, you really do get to throw rice at us.”
Working with Metro Arts on this milestone project has been both surreal and affirming for Buddy. “To have my first major programmed full-length work with Metro Arts so early in my career is something I never imagined. It is a testament to what is possible when local voices are truly supported and invested in.”
Buddy’s advice to current Craigslea students pursuing the arts is simple yet profound. “Bahala na. Trust yourself. Be brave enough to take risks, to fail, to learn and to start again. Most importantly, believe that your voice and story matter. Keep creating from a place of honesty and love. That is where the magic happens.”
We are incredibly proud to see Buddy’s journey from Craigslea classrooms and dance studios to the professional stage and look forward to celebrating his achievements with the wider school community.
Read the full Q and A with Buddy below.
Q: How did your experiences at Craigslea, especially in dance, drama and leadership, shape who you are today as an artist?
A: Looking back, it was really where the first seeds of my creative journey were planted. Dance and Drama weren’t just subjects for me; they were spaces where I learned how to express myself, collaborate, and dream a little bigger than I thought I could.
Those classes gave me the courage to explore movement and storytelling in ways that still influence my work today. I truly owe so much to Ms de Bont, Ms Tabuteau, and Ms Carrigan for believing in me before I even believed in myself. They nurtured not only my creativity but also my confidence, helping me discover that what I loved could become something meaningful and real. Dance and Drama were honestly the highlight of my high school years; they were stepping stones for how I integrate movement and theatre into my creative practice.
Those early leadership experiences at Craigslea gave me the foundational skills that continue to guide my artistic practice today. Being an artist is not just about what happens on stage, it is also about everything that unfolds behind the scenes. As an independent artist, so much of the work involves guiding a team with care, problem-solving, and growing collectively through the process. Leadership has become an essential part of my artistry, not separate from the creative process but deeply woven into it. These lessons continue to shape how I create and direct today.
In many ways, Craigslea was where I first learned to trust myself, to take risks, and to find strength in vulnerability. It gave me the tools and the belief that I could pursue a life in the arts, something that still fills me with so much gratitude and joy.
Q: What inspired your new dance work, Bahala/o, and what themes or stories does it explore?
A: At the heart of Bahala/o lies the Filipino philosophy of bahala na, a powerful and paradoxical phrase that has shaped the Filipino psyche for generations. It is often translated as ‘whatever happens, happens’, but for me, it carries much more than resignation. It is an act of faith, both surrender and defiance, a graceful acceptance of uncertainty paired with the courage to keep moving forward.
The work explores this spirit through the Filipino–Australian queer experience, a space where identity is constantly shifting and negotiating between worlds. Rather than offering answers, Bahala/o invites reflection: How do we express ourselves fully in all our multiplicity? How do we honour where we come from while making space for who we are becoming?
For me, bahala na is a quiet kind of rootedness, a faith that allows us to leap and to surrender, knowing something deeper will hold us. At the same time, it carries a subtle melancholy, a small death of the selves we could have been. That tension between holding on and letting go is what fuels the work.
Bahala/o was born out of a deeply personal chapter in my life. After graduating from my university dance degree, I was determined and hungry to create my first full-length work, driven by relentless ambition but also uncertainty. Then my grandfather passed away tragically, and everything stopped. Returning to the Philippines for his funeral, surrounded by ritual, grief and family, I began to rediscover what truly mattered. During that time, the phrase bahala na kept resurfacing, revealing new depth and meaning in something I had once thought was merely playful.
That experience became the seed for Bugas, a growing creative universe that Bahala/o lives within. Bugas, meaning ‘milled rice’ in my mother tongue, Bisaya, explores identity, legacy and reconnection through different lenses. It is a tribute to my late grandfather, Manuel Luminerias Malbasias, and to the stories, laughter and memories that continue to shape us. Each work within it is like a grain of rice, small on its own, but together forming something whole and nourishing.
Ultimately, Bahala/o is about surrendering to life’s uncertainty with faith, humour and heart. It is a love letter to the contradictions that make us human: playful yet tender, deeply Filipino and delightfully queer.
Q: The title Bahala/o suggests a strong connection to identity and culture, how do these ideas influence your creative process?
A: My creative process always begins with the work itself: what it means, who is involved, and the context it lives in. I do not follow a strict formula; things unfold quite organically. For me, creation is a form of surrender, a dance between trust, impulse and curiosity, which really captures the essence of Bahala/o.
Growing up Filipino in Australia meant constantly navigating between cultures, always living in the in-betweens, rooted in heritage yet adapting to new landscapes. Every trip back to the Philippines deepened that tension. My Bisaya might sound more like a “foreigner”, my English sharper. But I have learned that being Filipino is not about fluency, it lives in our gestures, our laughter, our appetite, our stories and the way we connect with others. That cultural expressiveness sits at the heart of how I create. I was often told in dance spaces that I was “too much”, but I have come to realise that “too much” is my inheritance. It is part of who we are as Filipinos, expressive, bold and full of life. That energy continues to shape my work and the way I move through the world.
Bahala/o began as what I thought was a “YOLO” attitude, but it became something deeper, a reflection on trust and identity. There was no blueprint for how it would reach Metro, the process itself was pure bahala na, surrendering to what comes and trusting that the pieces would find their place. Rice became the heart of the work, a symbol of sustenance, offering and memory. Throughout development, I leaned into collaboration and dialogue, working with other Filipino and independent artists to expand the work’s many voices. That process taught me how vital it is to listen, to make space for different versions of self to coexist, each one revealing another layer of identity.
Ultimately, my creative process is about balancing surrender with structure, trusting in instinct while holding onto the foundations that ground me. That is what Bahala/o is all about: creating from a place of truth, embracing contradiction and allowing identity to be fluid, messy and alive.
Q: What has it been like working with Metro Arts for your first major programmed work, and what does this milestone mean to you?
A: This is such a huge milestone, not just for me personally, but for young Filipino and queer independent artists, especially here in Magandjin.
I am only in my third year out of university, and to have my first major programmed full-length work with Metro Arts is something I never imagined would happen so soon. It has been both surreal and deeply affirming to feel that level of trust and support. I messaged Ms de Bont about this, and it really brought tears to my eyes because it felt like the dreams, I had spoken about in high school were finally becoming reality.
As an independent artist, I have learned that creating a full-length work means wearing many hats: directing, choreographing, performing, producing, managing, marketing, and doing all the invisible work that keeps a project alive. It can be a lot, but having an organisation that believes in your vision makes an enormous difference.
I feel incredibly grateful to have this platform and to be part of a space that champions independent artists. Bahala/o stands as a testament to what is possible when local voices are truly supported and invested in.
Q: What can audiences look forward to experiencing when they come to see Bahala/o this November?
A: Audiences can expect an experience that is part dance, part fever dream, and part rice-fuelled ritual. Bahala/o really throws genre out the window. From the art of making rice, to budots, to raw personal storytelling, all woven together through bold movement and striking imagery. At its heart, Bahala/o is my love letter to contradictions, seriously unserious, tender yet cheeky. It is about surrendering to the moment, embracing uncertainty, and celebrating who we are in all our multiplicities.
This work is for anyone who has ever felt like they exist between worlds, for those living in diaspora, or anyone who has ever questioned where they belong. It is for lovers of performance, whether that is dance, theatre, or everything in between.
And honestly, it is also just for anyone who wants to experience something playful, heartfelt, and a little wild. Expect laughter, reflection, and a good dose of joy. And yes, you really do get to throw rice at us.
Q: What advice would you give to current Craigslea students who are passionate about pursuing a career in the arts?
A: I would say, bahala na. Trust yourself. The journey will not always be easy, but that is what makes it meaningful. Pursuing a career in the arts comes with uncertainty, challenges, and moments of doubt, but if it is something that truly ignites your spirit, hold onto that fire and never let it fade.
Be brave enough to take risks, to fail, to learn, and to start again. Every experience, good or bad, will shape your artistry and who you are as a person. Stay curious, stay open, and surround yourself with people who inspire and challenge you.
Most importantly, believe that your voice and story matter. There is space for you in this world, exactly as you are. Keep creating from a place of honesty and love, that is where the magic happens.