Remember back to January when China Town was deserted because of the reports coming out of Wuhan of a strange virus? Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic there has been an increase in hate crime attacks on the East Asian and South East Asian communities. To counter that Moongate Productions, founded by Daniel York Loh and Jennifer Lim, are putting Asian stories centre stage in a live-streamed digital arts event that uses film, poetry, song and dance to explore race, identity and representation through the eyes of the communities who have been targeted and attacked. The writers include Amber Hsu, Oladipo Agboluaje, Lucy Sheen, Will Harris and more.

About WeRNotVirus

A collective of leading actors, writers, directors and creatives of East and South East Asian heritage from the UK’s performing arts industry will be joining forces online next month to present a new digital arts event titled WeRNotVirus. This urgent artistic response aims to shine a light on the surge in hate crime directed towards the community during the Covid-19 crisis. Supported by the Arts Council Emergency Fund, WeRNotVirus features 10 newly commissioned stories delivered using a variety of art forms including film, poetry, dance and song. The themes explore race, identity, representation, perspective and economics through the lens of East and South East Asian artists and their communities. A panel discussion with leading academics and activists will round off the performances each day and audiences will be invited to participate. The performance will take place via Zoom, the invite link will be sent to you an hour before if you have booked a spot. Spaces are limited so book now to secure your place. Age Recommendation: 14+