Culture
Jiang Li
Chinese Composer
Culture. Music.
Jiang Li is a Chinese composer based in the UK whose music includes traditional Chinese, contemporary and East meets West styles. Of particular interest is his innovatory internet collaboration created to compose signature tunes for the BBC World Service.
This innovation was born out of difficulties arising from the lack of an established Chinese orchestra in the UK, therefore necessitating the introduction of technology to create online music collaboration. This method was used again in an East Meets West project to compose new music for Chinese New Year’s day 2002.
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Juanita Hamblin
RetailerArts. Business. Culture.
‘Elements of the East’ is the first complete Fengshui and Oriental Art retailer of its kind in the West Midlands. It owner, Junita Hamblin, studied and researched ancient Chinese art and fengshui for 11 years before setting up the business.
It was awarded ‘Retailer of the year 2003’, to recognise achievement in bringing interest and understanding of Chinese culture to the British public, and bringing different communities together.
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David Tan
Chinese Liaison Officer (Westminster Council)Community. Culture. Education.
David Tan is Westminster Council’s Chinese Liaison Officer and has been working with the council and the community in Chinatown and elsewhere in Westminster since 1990.
In the 1980s, whilst teaching in a secondary school, David Tan became involved with youth and community developments, and spearheaded various projects. Furthering the educational needs of the Chinese community is something that he is especially passionate about.
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David Tse Ka-Shing
Artistic DirectorArts. Culture. Education. Entertainment. Film, TV & Radio. Theatre.
David read Law at Southampton University (1983-86) before training at Rose Bruford College (1986-89) as an actor. In 1996, he was the first British Chinese to receive an Arts Council bursary to train as a director at the Leicester Haymarket Theatre. He has worked extensively as an actor and writer, and became Artistic Director of Yellow Earth Theatre in 1995 where he has directed for twelve years.
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Wang Haijun
Taiji Competitor and InstructorCulture. Sports.
Wang Haijun had an impressive record as a Taiji competitor, having won gold medals three times in the Chinese National Martial Arts competition. He is also a grade one coach, having gained his qualification in the Wuhan Sports Academy in China. Since coming to the UK he has worked tirelessly to increase the standard of Taiji practice in this country and he is currently mentoring groups throughout the UK, Ireland and the USA.
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Kwong Loke
ActorArts. Culture. Theatre.
It was a hot, sultry day; the 9th day of the Ninth Moon - the Festival of the Ninth God, incense smoke mingled with roasted meat, temple prayers with the deep resonance of brass gongs; I was five or six, my hand in my grandmother's. The sound of 'cheng, cheng, cheng-cheng' beating out from the stage orchestra; the beautifully painted faces with their glinting costume, high head-dress shimmering with red and gold ; singing that sounded like nothing I had heard before; these other-worldly creatures floating around on that raised area; my eyes transfixed, my fascination transported me into their world of colour, sounds and story from another time and another place - "What is going on?"
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Veronica Needa
ActressArts. Culture. Education. Theatre.
Veronica Needa was born and grew up in Hong Kong of Eurasian parents (England, Hong Kong, Japan, and Syria) and is bilingual - English/Cantonese. She trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School (1983-5) and is a graduate of the School of Playback Theatre (NY, USA). Now based in London, she has wide-ranging experience in the performing arts as performer, producer and teacher, with a particular commitment to community theatre & cross-cultural bridging; and maintains close professional and personal links to Asia.
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Kumiko Mendl
ActressArts. Culture. Education. Entertainment. Film, TV & Radio. Theatre.
Kumiko was born in Watford to a Japanese mother and a Jewish-German father. She trained at the Jacques Lecoq International Theatre school in Paris. Since then she has worked as an actress in theatre, for radio,TV, role-playing and for a traveling circus, as well as a teacher and director. ( She has also been movement director for a number of productions including the award winning Magic Fundoshi where she first met YET's Artistic Director, David Tse.) As one of the founding members of Yellow Earth Theatre, Kumiko has performed in Blue Remembered Hills (dir David Glass), Play to Win (dir David Tse) and co-directed Rashomon. She has been involved in Typhoon as script selector, director and actress.
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