Banana Forum celebrates NZ Chinese talent

Banana Forum celebrates NZ Chinese talent

Kiwi Chinese who are contributing to a shift in this country's cultural-creative life will be a highlight of this year's Going Bananas: Multiple Identities Forum.

Taking place on Saturday 12 August at AUT University, the talent on display ranges from film-makers and architects to visual artists, fashion designers and musicians.

The Forum will connect New Zealanders with a contemporary face of Asia-NZ and international urban influences that most New Zealanders have previously not associated with Asian creative practitioners or Asian communities in New Zealand.

It will open up conversations around the impact that burgeoning Generation C Kiwi Chinese voices are having on New Zealand popular culture, offer fresh insights into the opportunities that lie ahead for those working within the creative industries, and forge new pathways for better engagement between Chinese and wider communities as well as the Asia region and New Zealand.

Those cultural creatives participating in the Forum include:

• Ant Sang – illustrator, comic artist, bro’Town designer
• Tze Ming Mok – writer, blogger, and first Chinese editor of Landfall
• Ted Chen – architect, Founder of Cultural Signals www.culturalsignals.org.nz
• Kelvin Soh – graphic designer from The Wilderness
• Alex Lee – filmmaker and film festival organiser
• Sylvia Yang – producer of Sunshine Beyond the Rain
• Vikki Cheng and Helen Luo - “The Rice Girls”
• Beki Li - Fashion designer
• David Tsai – socially conscious MC/hip hop artist

EDITORS

Selected talent are available for media interviews. Please talk to Alistair Kwun Communications to arrange (details below).

BACKGROUND TO FORUM

The Going Bananas: Multiple Identities Forum 2006 is organised by the New Zealand Chinese Association (Auckland Branch) Inc.

Going Bananas: Multiple Identities Forum continues the work of the New Zealand Chinese Association (Auckland Branch) Inc. to draw together this country's diverse communities and promote strength in diversity.

The thrust of the gathering will throw a spotlight on the evolving identity of Chinese New Zealanders, the country's changing cultural-ethnic demographics and challenges all New Zealanders face in grappling with a new national identity.

Interested attendees are encouraged to register without delay.

DATE: Saturday 12 August, 2006

VENUE: AUT University, Lecture Theatre WA220
55 Wellesley Street, Auckland CBD

REGISTRATION: see online for fees

URL: www.goingbananas.org.nz

The Forum sponsors are the Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust, The New Zealand Herald, MessageMedia, RED_i, The Office of Ethnic Affairs, Auckland City, The University of Auckland, Cultural Signals, Public Address and AUT University

Ends

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