Eventide Conversations: Identity, Practice and Community

Tue 23 Nov 2021

In partnership with Hong Kong Arts Administrators Association, the fourth and final of our Eventide Conversations takes place on Tue 23 November.

Two virtuosic contemporary artists Pui Yan Li and Raghav Handa share how their heritage, traditional principles and forms inform their journeys of exploring identity across locations and communities; how their practices embody the multitudes of translation and contextualise new meanings. They discuss the dialogues and solidarity they share with their communities and audiences, and what is considered meaningful collaboration. Their conversation is facilitated by Joanne Kee (Executive Producer, Riverside’s National Theatre of Parramatta).

Curated by independent director and producer Ching Ching Ho and Executive Director of the Hong Kong Ballet Heidi Lee, this program provides opportunities for engagement and knowledge exchange between arts and cultural leaders in Hong Kong and Australia.

The project is supported by the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations.

Scroll down to see the video recording of the conversation.

    MEET THE PANELLISTS

    Raghav Handa
    Raghav Handa is an Australian choreographer and performer of Indian heritage with training in modern and Indigenous contemporary dance. Inspired by his birthright, his works combine traditional Kathak principles and contemporary movement to create multifaceted and engaging explorations of modern Australian cultural identity. He has worked in a variety of roles including choreographer, performer, dance lecturer, and mentor. His works TUKRE (Pieces in Hindi 2014-15), MENS REA (2016) and FOLLY & TIME (2018-19) have been performed across Australia and internationally to strong critical acclaim. In 2020, his work CULT OF THE TITANS was performed by Sydney Dance Company as part their New Breed platform, DAWN featured in the Sydney Opera House’s digital season of Unwrapped, and he appeared in the Sydney Festival premiere of DOUBLE DELICIOUS, an immersive theatre work by the Contemporary Asian Australian Performance and Asia TOPA. In 2021, he premiered TWO, a collaboration with Australian Tabla maestro, Maharshi Raval, at the Riverside theatres in Sydney, with a further season at the 2021 OzAsia Festival. Critics have described his work as innovative, robust, complex and hypnotic.

    Pui Yan Li
    Born in New York from a family of Cantonese opera heritage and a graduate from Wellesley College, Li has been taught by numerous famed Cantonese opera performers. Since her debut as principal actress in Floral Princess (Youth Edition)《帝女花》(青年版) in 2007, she has performed for the Hong Kong Arts Festival, Chinese Opera Festival, Macau Arts Festival as well as the benefit inaugural performance at Asia Society Hong Kong’s Miller Theatre. Her repertoire ranges from classics including Sworn in Grotto《打洞結拜》, June Snow《六月雪》, Rejuvenation of Lady Plum Blossom 《再世紅梅記》, etc. to new productions such as Deling and the Empress Dowager Ci Xi 《德齡與慈禧》and Arrant Revenge 《王子復仇記》, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Recently, through working with artists from other disciplines, such as Ming Wong and Mariko Mori, she is inspired to further explore the cross-disciplinary potential of this traditional art form. Aside from performing, Li is devoted to the English translation of Cantonese opera librettos and has served on the Cantonese Opera Advisory Committee in Hong Kong for three terms.

    Joanne Kee – Host
    Executive Producer of Riverside’s National Theatre of Parramatta, responsible for Artistic Direction including commissioning, presenting, touring, producing and capacity building including developing and supporting new works and new ways of creating theatre.  Joanne is committed to inclusivity and producing work that resonates with contemporary Australia and reflects our place in the world.