Asia HouseCultural ProgrammeFebruary-March 2014

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This spring’s activities offer new themes and introduce an exciting new series for 2014.

Throughout the year our Arts and Learning programme will explore the theme of transnationalism through an ambitious series of talks, screenings and residencies.

The Asia House Pan-Asia Film Festival is back in February to showcase the best in Asian independent film, including renowned directors alongside bold new voices and reflecting the changing nature of Asia in a globalised world.

Our new ARTiculations series will provide riveting discussion and insight from art practitioners and we have our first Artists in Residence series, starting with a project by contemporary artist Eiko Soga.

Our Literature and Dialogue events will feature Amy Chua, author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, as well as Rana Dasgupta discussing his new book on modern Delhi. Our Literature Festival preview offers a glimpse into this year’s fantastic festival and acclaimed authors Tash Aw and Yiyun Li will kick off our first pre-Festival event.

This programme covers our events focused on arts and culture. For full details of our business and policy programme and corporate membership please see our website.

Welcome to Asia HouseCover Image from the film The Tale of Iya

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Image from the film The Tale of Iya Image credit: Charlize YuTing Cheng

Open Your Eyes to Asian Languages p13

Yin Yang Collective – A Sheaf of New Year Music p7

Pan-Asia Film Festival p9-11

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Arts and Culture Date PageEiko Soga 24-28 Feb 5Sophie Fiennes – Half Street 25 Feb 4Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld – The Triple Package 28 Feb 6Rana Dasgupta – Capital: A Portrait of Twenty-First Century Delhi 12 Mar 6 Performance Yin Yang Collective – A Sheaf of New Year Music 6 Feb 7 Pan-Asia Film Festival Pan-Asia Film Festival 26 Feb-9 Mar 9-11 Open Your Eyes to Asian LanguagesFar East Asia 1 Feb 13South East Asia 22 Feb 13Near East Asia 15 Mar 13

Asia House

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About the Director

Sophie Fiennes is widely acclaimed for her unique observational eye and strong sense of cinematic form. Her award-winning works include Over your Cities, Grass Will Grow and The Late Michael Clark. Most recently her film The Pervert’s Guide to Cinema (2012) premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.

A new series of ‘In-conversations’, will take place between Pamela Kember, Head of Arts and Learning, at Asia House, and invited practitioners across all art forms.

Sophie Fiennes – Liu Xiaodong: Half StreetFilm screening and discussion

Tuesday 25 February 18.45 – 20.30

Sophie Fiennes’ exploration of the creative processes behind artist Liu Xiaodong’s figurative work is the subject of Liu Xiaodong: Half Street, her 40-minute study of the Beijing-based painter and a leading figure within China’s contemporary art scene. The film follows Liu as he produced art on the streets of London, which culminated in a new body of eight large-scale acrylic paintings capturing residents of Polish, Tibetan, French, West Indian and Arab descent.

Admission Free but advance booking required

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Asia House

ARTiculations

Image Credit: Liu Xiaodong, Egyptian Restaurant 8, 2013. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery, London

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We are launching a new Artists in Residence programme, which champions young and emerging artists working in the fields of visual art, performance and the written word, and whose practices bridge Asia House’s vision to promote the rich diversity of transnational cultures from Asia here in the UK. An emphasis will be placed on traditional art forms combined with modern and contemporary influences.

Residencies will offer an opportunity for creative practitioners whose approach is both experimental and explorative to engage with audiences here at Asia House. Visitors will experience and exchange ideas with them on their working process – either in person, via an online dialogue or through talks and related events.

Exhibition Project by Eiko Soga24 – 28 February

Eiko Soga’s interest lies in the relationship between space and the mind to explore the intangible world. Her site specific work and photographs are drawings that exist somewhere between reality and imagination. For her residency she will explore the relationship between language and communication.

Born in Japan, Eiko Soga studied at UAL’s Chelsea College of Art and Design. She is currently at the Slade School of Art, UCL, London.

The artist will present her work in situ at Asia House’s Studio.

Admission Free

Admission Free but advance booking required

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Asia House

Artists in Residence

For both events:Tickets £15Concession £12 AH Friends £10

Tickets £10Concession £8AH Friends £6

Lunch and LiteratureThe Triple PackageAmy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld

Friday 28 February12.30 Lunch13.00 Talk

Exploring the conventional wisdom of success, The Triple Package is an eye-opening examination of how three cultural traits enable Asian groups to outperform others.

Amy Chua is the author of the internationally acclaimed Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. She is the John M Duff Professor of Law at Yale University Law School and one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World.

Jed Rubenfeld is the Robert R. Slaughter Professor of Law at Yale and author of the bestselling The Interpretation of Murder and The Death of Instinct.

Rana Dasgupta – Capital: A Portrait of Twenty-First Century DelhiWednesday 12 March18.45 – 20.00

Through a series of conversations and encounters with billionaires, bureaucrats, entrepreneurs, drug dealers, slum dwellers and psychoanalysts, Capital tells the story of Delhi’s journey from Walled City to World City through the eyes of its people. It is a story of extreme wealth and power, of land grabs and a city physically changed almost beyond recognition. Capital is significant not only for its portrait of Delhi and India, but for what it means for the West’s - and everybody’s - future.

Rana Dasgupta won the 2010 Commonwealth Prize for Best Book for his debut novel, Solo. Capital is his first work of non-fiction.

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Literature and Dialogue

Image credit Nina Subin

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To celebrate the Chinese Year of the Horse in 2014, London’s East-West fusion band Yin Yang Collective will perform a transnational celebratory sheaf of New Year music from China, UK, Japan, France and Greece.

Featured East Asian instruments will be the erhu, guzheng, yangqin, xiao, koto, shamisen, taegum and changgo alongside

28–30 March Jewellery

TextilesFurniture

ArtBooks

OrnamentsClothes

Handicrafts

the European piano and cello. Devoted to developing the understanding of Eastern and Western traditions, the Yin Yang Collective performs traditional music forms as well as collaborative pieces including an ever-expanding Folk Song Suite forging links between East and West folk traditions.

Tickets £10 I Concession £8 I AH Friends £6

Yin Yang Collective – A Sheaf of New Year Music Thursday 6 February18.45 – 20.00

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Hold your celebrations at

ASIA HOUSE

Find out more about our fabulous venue for hirevenuehire@asiahouse.co.uk

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Pan-Asia Film Festival26 February – 9 March 2014

Asia House

Festival Sponsor

Hold your celebrations at

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Closing Night Gala

The Tale of IyaDir. Tetsuichiro Tsuta, 2013, Japan, 169 mins UK PremiereA tunnel to be built in Iya threatens to disrupt the secluded lifestyle of an elderly man and his granddaughter in this ambitious film depicting the nobility of coexisting with nature. Shot on 35mm film by its young, second-time director in the mountains of Tokushima, this is a dreamlike visual poem that offers a truly cinematic experience.

The Missing PictureDir. Rithy Panh, France/Cambodia, 2013, 96 mins

This film, based on Panh’s own book, won the Un Certain Regard top prize at Cannes 2013. It narrates Panh’s childhood memories of the horrific Pol Pot regime during the 1970s. The film is also a powerful meditation on the possibility of finding truth in the aftermath of a violent past. Exploring the scars left behind by the Cambodian Genocide, Panh uses a variety of storytelling techniques, including stop motion animation, to create perhaps the most powerful film to date on twentieth century Cambodian history.

Join us at Asia House for a special presentation of this award-winning film, followed by a panel discussion.

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The Pan-Asia Film Festival returns for a sixth year with its most ambitious selection of films to date. The Festival presents the most dynamic independent cinema from across Asia, focusing on the most powerful new films from established and young directors and reflecting the changing nature of Asia in a globalised world. Apart from film screenings, there are also director Q&As and events, giving the audience an unrivalled chance to explore and understand Asian culture.The 2014 Festival will see screenings take place across London, as well as in Leeds, Glasgow and Brighton.

Here is a taster of the film programme:

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36Dir. Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, 2012, Thailand, 68 minsLondon PremiereOn the site of a derelict building, location scout Sai meets art director Oom, and they begin working together. Sai records everything on her digital camera, until her computer crashes and the images are lost. Consisting of 36 shots, 36 is a delicate contemplation on the nature of memories in the digital age.

Mary Is Happy, Mary Is HappyDir. Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, 2013, Thailand, 127 mins UK PremiereMary is at high school. With graduation a few months away, she is faced with crises in life, love, and friendship. Meanwhile, strange random things keep happening to her. An inventive narrative of an uncontrollable life, the film is an adaptation of a Twitter stream of 410 real Tweets from an anonymous girl. A take on the contemporary Asian teenager, it is also an intriguing companion to 36.

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The full programme will be announced in January 2014 on the Asia House website.

#PAFF14

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We want to encourage young people to think about how Asian languages will impact on their education and their careers and help them prepare for a future in which Asian countries play a significant role. In February and March 2014, we are inviting young people who are finishing school, studying at university, or starting their careers to spend a Saturday afternoon in our free workshops ‘Open Your Eyes to Asian Languages’ to get a flavour of the very basics of some of the world’s most important languages. Created by Asia House and the British Council, each workshop offers the participants an opportunity to try out three Asian languages from one region of Asia.

#LearnALanguage

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Delivered with the support of:

Far East Asia Saturday 1 FebruaryChineseJapaneseKorean

South East AsiaSaturday 22 FebruaryBahasa IndonesiaThaiVietnamese

Near East AsiaSaturday 15 March ArabicFarsiTurkish

Workshops are free and run from 14.00-16.30. Advance registration required. See online for more details: www.asiahouse.org

Designed especially for 18-24 year olds, Open Your Eyes to Asian Languages workshops will be held as follows:

#LearnALanguage

Whether entering an established market or looking to enter one of Asia’s emerging economies, learning the culture and customs as well as the business and policy landscapes is essential. The Navigating Asian Markets guides are designed to offer British businesses thinking about entering Asian markets insight into the business environments of each country.

Navigating Asian Markets

Pick up a free copy at Asia House or download online

Volume 1 includes:

Singapore

South Korea

Thailand

Vietnam

China

India

Indonesia

Japan

Volume 2 includes:

Myanmar (Burma)

Pakistan

The Philippines

Turkey

Azerbajian

Kazakhstan

Malaysia

Mongolia

Supported by

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Business and Policy Highlights

The Asia House Business & Policy programme presents private briefings, events and public conferences throughout the year. Asia House takes a lead in highlighting Asian countries and regions of commercial and political interest that are currently under-represented in the UK.

Coming up in 2014:

Focus on ASEAN – Our series of events targeting South East Asia continues as we emphasise the need for UK businesses to have a better understanding of the ASEAN Secretariat and its 10 member states.

Central Asia & the Caspian Corridor – Considering the Caucasus nations of Central Asia, we provide a platform to explore the relevance and importance of Central Asia to the UK.

Asia Risk Outlook – Join our yearly conference on the key financial market and political risks shaping the pan-Asian region in 2014.

Asia House collaborates with our corporate members to ensure that our programme reflects the most relevant themes and geographic areas. Corporate members of Asia House gain exclusive access to business intelligence and events to widen their network of contacts. If you wish to learn more about our corporate offering, please contact charlie.humphreys@asiahouse.co.uk

Volume 1 includes:

Volume 2 includes:

Asia House Bagri Foundation Literature FestivalFestival Preview

Wednesday 2 April 18.45 – 20.00Changing ChinaYiyun Li – Kinder than SolitudeTash Aw – Five Star BillionaireYiyun Li launches her latest novel, a tale of attempted murder, deception, honour and the power of the digital technology to shape the present and future. Tash Aw’s Man Booker long-listed novel charts the overlapping lives of migrant Malaysian workers in Shanghai, counterpointing their adventures with the old life they left behind.Book now online www.asiahouse.org

Tickets £15 I Concession £12 I AH Friends £10

Pre FestivalThursday 10 AprilPartitions with Korean, South Asian and Singaporean WritersIn partnership with British Council and London Book Fair

Wednesday 23 April Burma – A Work in Progress with Peter Popham

Wednesday 30 April India: Election and Democracy Mukulika Banerjee – Why India VotesPatrick French – India - A Portrait And others with Salil Tripathi

Asia House Bagri Foundation Literature Festival

Tuesday 6 May Opening Night Hanif Kureishi in conversation with Razia Iqbal

Wednesday 7 MayNorth Korea – Threat or Bluster? with John Sweeney, Paul French, James Scanlon and others

Thursday 8 May Kamila Shamsie A God in Every Stone

Friday 9 May Lunch and Literature Packing Up – Further Adventures of a Trailing Spouse with Brigid KeenanEvening: British Asian Humour with Sathnam Sanghera, Saurabh Kakkar and others

Saturday 10 May Family Events: to be confirmed

Saturday 10–11 May The Shroud (at Rich Mix) with Siddhartha Bose and Avaes Mohammad. In partnership with Penned in the Margins

Monday 12 May China 25 Years After Tiananmen with Jonathan Mirsky, Yuwen Wu and others

FestivalWednesday 14 May Midnight’s Descendants with John Keay

Thursday 15 May Freedom of Expression and Digital Technology with speakers from China, Thailand, India and Vietnam. In partnership with English PEN

Friday 16 MayLunchtime Cookery: The Vietnamese Market Cookbook with Van Tran & Anh Vu

Saturday 17 May Asian Reading Jungle – family events tbc

Monday 19 May Changing Sexual Mores Across Asia with Shereen el Feki, Sally Howard and others

Tuesday 20 May New and Notable Fiction with Romesh Gunesekera, Xiaolu Guo and others

Wednesday 21 May Closing Night A very special guest!

Full programme will be available online in March

REaDEFINE ASIAAsian Global Impact (AGI)

Pan-Asian Business and Lifestyle Magazine Subscribe on www.agimag.co.uk/subscriptions

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To find out more about memberships contact Sidney Wang 0207 307 5454

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Asia House is a centre of expertise on Asia. Our mission is to bring the UK and Asia closer through our pioneering events on business, policy and culture. We are the leading pan-Asian organisation in the UK, having built our reputation on our extensive network, our objectivity and our independence. We aim to deepen understanding of the cultural contexts in which we live, work and do business while preparing the next generation for greater engagement between Asia and the West.

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