A series of plays and monologues will highlight the racism that east and south-east Asian communities in the UK are undergoing during the Covid-19 pandemic, with the producers hoping it will help expose the “hidden problem”.
WeRNotVirus will be broadcast on Zoom and the project’s producers, Jennifer Lim and Daniel York Loh, said they felt a “real urgency to respond to the racism” after a 21% rise in reported hate crimes against east and south-east Asian communities since the pandemic began.
“It’s about making a statement,” said York Loh. “You can’t let this kind of thing happen and there be a gaping silence. Representation is so important because if you’re not visible in the media or culture the easier it is to dehumanise you.”
Lim said members of her company who were working in south London before the lockdown was enforced experienced racial abuse while walking from the tube station to the theatre on three consecutive days. “We felt there was a real urgency to respond to the racism,” Lim said. “Theatre often takes a long time to respond to live issues and by the time they do the moment is gone.”
The series will feature film, poetry, dance and song and will be directed by Jennifer Tang and Anthony Lau. Tang said WeRNotVirus was a chance for east and south-east Asian talent to speak out about racism related to Covid-19.
“The reason it felt like this was such an important thing to do was that historically, traditionally – rightfully or wrongly – one thing the Chinese have been accused of is that we take everything and just keep our heads down,” said Tang.
“This felt like a real opportunity to speak up and make known what it is we are going through at the moment and throw off this representation for being quiet and meek. This is a real opportunity to have our voices heard.”
After the works have been broadcast there will be a panel discussion with east and south-east Asian academics, journalists and playwrights. The series will also feature work by the British-Nigerian playwright Oladipo Agboluaje about the experiences of Africans in China, where there has been a rise in coronavirus-related racism aimed at them.
The project, which was awarded money from the Arts Council Emergency Fund, will be shown on Zoom over 13-14 June.
