Culture
There are 31 profiles in this category :
Yang-May Ooi
Writer, specialising in cross-cultural matters and social media
Arts. Culture. Information Technology.
Yang-May Ooi is a writer, specialising in cross-cultural matters and social media based in London. She has a background in law and has published two legal thrillers The Flame Tree and Mindgame, which have been described as "Amy Tan meets John Grisham".
Her cross-cultural blog Fusion View has around 10,000 unique visitors a month and has been featured on the BBC. She has also worked with businesses and professionals to maximise social media as part of their communications strategy.
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Chinese contemporary and classic music
Sun Zhuo
PhD in Ethnomusicology at School of Oriental and African Studies University of LondonCulture. Music.
Sun Zhuo - zheng (Chinese zither) performer, top graduate from the Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing, where she gained her BA and MA from, both was majoring in zheng performance. She is now continuing her PhD studies in London. She is in high demand as a guzheng player both in China and abroad, most recently working on new compositions and contemporary styles.
Sun was born and brought up in Xi'an, the ancient walled capital of Imperial China. Started from the age of 5, taught by her mother Qu Yun, a well-known zheng master with deep understanding of the core and essence the zheng. From there, and after winning a string of prizes and accolades and appearing on the cover of Music Life and Music Weekly, she embarked upon a distinguished career as a zither soloist.
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Photo courtesy of Dr. Kimho Ip
Dr. Kimho Ip
Composer, creative producer, conductorCommunity. Culture. Music.
Kimho Ip works in the UK as composer, director, producer and Yangchin performer. He studied in Germany and Scotland and received his PhD in 2004 at the University of Edinburgh with the support of the Composers & Authors Society of Hong Kong, Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund and Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst.
His orchestral and chamber music works have been performed at the Gaudeamus International Music Week, Amsterdam (2006) and ISCM World New Music Days (2002/ 2007), by ensembles such as the Paragon ensemble, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Sinfonietta and Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra.
Commissioned by Cinema China 2007, he composed a soundtrack plus live music performance for the historical Chinese silent film, “The Goddess”. In April 2008 he will compose and perform “Song of the Fishermen” in the Five Circles series at ROH2, London.
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Florence Qiu
Founder, Sino-Anglo Cultural Exchange AssociationArts. Community. Culture.
Florence has been instrumental in pioneering Chinese arts and culture in the Chinese community, and to a wider mainstream audience in the North East of England. She founded the Sino-Anglo Cultural Exchange Association and her work and dedication has enhanced the quality of life for many of Newcastle’s members of the Chinese community, providing access and education to both the young and the old.
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Jiang Li
Chinese ComposerCulture. 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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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
Artistic DirectorArts. Culture. Theatre.
Born in Malaysia, Kwong’s passion for the theatre led him to train as an actor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. A founder member of the company, he obtained a master degree in Theatre Studies and went to Bali over several years to study Balinese mask traditions. Kwong worked as actor and latterly as director with Yellow Earth.
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Veronica Needa
ActressArts. Culture. Education. Theatre.
Veronica 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). She has a particular commitment to community arts & cross-cultural bridging; and maintains close professional and personal links to Asia. She travels extensively as an international trainer in Playback Theatre - an original form of improvisational theatre which re-enacts real stories from the audience - see www.playbacknet.org and www.playbackcentre.org.
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