Kakilang(formerly Chinese Arts Now CAN) has announced the full programme and dates for its unique multi-art form festival which celebrates the work of artists from across the wide spectrum of East and Southeast Asian heritages. Eight extraordinary events platforming theatre, dance, visual arts, live music, cabaret and puppetry will be staged from the 21 February – 23 April 2023 in a selection of London’s leading arts venues including the Barbican, Omnibus Theatre, Rich Mix, Shoreditch Town Hall, Two Temple Place and The Yard.

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Chinese Arts Now(CAN) today unveils an exciting new name and bold new visual identity:

Kakilang (自己人)

– ‘one of us’ in the Hokkien dialect, evoking kinship and affinity – widely used amongst East and Southeast Asian diasporic groups, is the company’s new name.

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A racialised term coined over a century ago, the impact of the term ‘Yellow Peril’ has been a damaging one; English novelist Sax Rohmer’s creation of villain Dr Fu Manchu in the 20th century further playing into the fear of the supposed existential threat imposed by East Asian nations on the West – this perpetuating harmful stereotypes. Exploring this further within her short film Casting Fu Manchu, a digital commission supported by organisation Chinese Arts Now; artist and filmmaker Eelyn Lee tells us more about deconstructing the fictional character – highlighting the inequalities faced by actors of East and Southeast Asian heritage, working with casting director Nicci Topping to cast the film and the process of socially distanced filming.

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Within the arts, as well as on a larger scale, we’re beginning to witness conversations on representation and race take centre stage – addressing the fact that for far too long, many stories reflective of our day to day lives have been marginalised and even prevented from making it onto our main stages. An advocate of East Asian stories taking centre stage, playwright Daniel York Loh presents Invisible Harmony, a part spoken word/part dance piece/part film dismantling the many myths we’ve built up here in the West about the East  brining untold stories to the fore.

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We all know that our forefathers and their forefathers before have been in a constant game of revenge since the first two men on earth took vengeance on each other to defend their own beliefs. Fathers at war with themselves and others is what has driven countries and communities apart for far too long.

Courtesy of Helen Murray.

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