Summer is prime and ready, so now we can enjoy rain but it’s WARM. As the sun comes out so do the events and activities in ESEA Britain, join the rest of the community as we enjoy the better weather.
This month’s Photoshop Pop Culture Moment™️ is FURIOSA! If you have any suggestions for next month’s Photoshop Pop Culture Moment™️, please reply to this email or DM either of us at @kukadoodles or @connor_wan!
We also want to give a quick shoutout to friend of the newsletter Emily Beswick
will be organising an event in Sheffield next month that explores Chinese diasporic heritage and culture. Check it out here;
Finally, the vastly smarter half of the Tea Readings duo Connor has started Four Winds first international chapter in Toronto. If anyone knows anyone who’s looking for a wholesome community mahjong club, send them to @fourwindstoronto
May News
Comediasians - the UK's premier pan-Asian improv group bringing laughs from the diasporASIA
June is hotting up with plenty of gigs:
Sun, 16th Jun - Blanche Improv. Come over to West London for our debut at Blanche's Besties at Earl's Court! Also on the night: Snack Time and The Dish. Tickets here.
Tue, 18th Jun - Hoopla Mixer. We're part of a great night of improv at The Miller with Hoopla. Free tickets here.
Sat, 29th Jun - Comediasians & Friends. Our monthly show is at Hoopla at The Miller. Join us for improv, stand-up guests and an audience jam. Tickets here.
All details available on our Linktree. Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up with our latest news and follow us @comediasians on Instagram and Facebook.
Watch clips from our last show here!
Four Winds Mahjong Club - the London based mahjong club
CRAZY RICH ASIANS!
Keep up to date with all our channels as on the 29th of June we are holding our annual Four Winds Summer Fundraiser! Being held at Centre 151 come play mahjong, eat great food and dress up to the 9s (heavenly gates). Cultural dress strongly encouraged!
Meet your match at our Mahjong Single's Night. With a raffle dinner and tantalising trivia questions for you to ask the other singles! All profits will be donated to Hackney Chinese Community Centre.
The regular club continues to run on Saturdays at Hackney Chinese Community Centre and at Camden Chinese Community Centre, dates below.
Hackney Chinese Community Services | 10am - 12pm
1st, 8th, 15th and 22nd
Camden Chinese Community Centre | 1:30pm - 3:30pm
15th, 22nd
To book your spot or join the Mahjong Club mailing list, all forms are linked here and don’t forget to follow on Insta at @fourwindsmahjong!
Centre 151 - Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia supporting the community
Saigon Superfly! at Centre 151 - Sunday 23 June, 4-10pm
Inspired by retro Vietnamese music, Saigon Superfly! brings together Vietnamese musicians with a broader line-up of live DJs and artists, melding styles such as free improvisation, jazz, contemporary new music and more. We invite all to come dressed up in a “Vietnam 1960-70’s” inspired style to dance and dive in an immersive evening of performances.
Drinks and homemade Vietnamese food will be available to purchase and our garden will become the ideal spot for some downtime.
Free Entry
This is a family friendly event. https://www.centre151.com/news/saigon-superfly/
Kakilang - Produces world-class art and pioneers multi-disciplinary art forms from a wide spectrum of Southeast and East Asian voices
The Dao of Unrepresentative British Chinese Experience
Written by Daniel York Loh
Music by An-Ting 安婷
19 Jun – 13 Jul
A psychedelic punk rock riff on what path you choose
The ‘British Chinese’
So often regarded as a ‘model minority’
Quiet, high-achieving, polite, invisible…
But when someone who is ‘British Chinese’ spends their life taking drugs, getting thrown out of school, claiming benefits, being chased in stolen cars, getting locked up, then rehabilitating onto the stage, where do they fit in?
Oh, and they’re not quite ‘Chinese’ enough anyway.
Semi-autobiographical, free-form and explosive, Daniel York Loh’s psychedelic gig-theatrical punk pop rap rock riff on what path to choose, which identity politics to embrace or whether it’s just easier to follow the ‘Dao’ of ancient Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi and dream you’re a butterfly. Or, be a butterfly dreaming of being ‘Chinese’….
Produced by Kakilang, supported by John Ellerman Foundation, Arts Council England, Battersea Arts Centre and Cockayne – Grants for the Arts: a donor advised fund held at The London Community Foundation.
Other Friends To Know About!
Due East - Hiking & outdoors group for those of East/Southeast Asian heritage.
ESEA Hub - An online community hub for ESEA individuals and communities in the UK
Moongate Mix - Raising the profile of ESEA talent whilst challenging stereotypes
Hackney Chinese Community Services - Serving the local East and South East Asian community
Asian Leadership Collective - Amplifying ESEA leadership
Asian Tones - Celebrating Asian diaspora in the music industry