Hi Ching | Creative Director
A multidisciplinary artist with thirty years of experience in artistic direction, he has won prizes for his music composition and writing. He started professional life as a dancer and was an actor before becoming a director. He has also produced heritage projects with a particular interest in lesser known oral histories. He moved to Thurrock in 2016 and is passionate about creating activities of diversity.
Cece Luna | Creative Partner | Community
Cece Luna is a newly formed team of artists based in Thurrock, who provide services in the costume and community arts sector. The team have experience working on several community art projects and enjoy learning new skills, techniques and getting involved in the local community. Most recently Cece Luna provided AAAHA with the costumes for the stilt walkers at Grays Christmas Light Switch On 2019. The team enjoyed the unique challenge of designing and creating costumes on such a large scale, as well as repurposing recycled materials into the costumes.
Jennifer Soen | Partner Consultant | Associate Curator | Asia
Founder Director of Sunjin Galleries, a contemporary art gallery in Singapore set up in the year 2000, Jennifer has established strong credibility. A well-loved name, she represents some of the most sought after artists in the region. With her keen eye for emerging talents, she has actively identified and promoted new and exciting names for discerning art buyers. The Ministry of Culture recognised her efforts in China, and Sunjin Galleries was lauded as one of the “Top 10 most influential galleries” at the 11th Beijing International Art Exhibition in 2008.
Dr Hwee-San Tan | Ethnomusicology Curator
Associate Lecturer in Ethnomusicology at Goldsmiths, University of London and Senior Teaching Fellow and Research Associate at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. She is also Visiting Lecturer at Middlesex University. She has lectured at several other universities in the UK and Ireland since 2001. Her research specialism is Chinese Buddhist ritual and music, Intangible Cultural Heritage Policy in China, and on music among the Chinese diaspora in Southeast Asia.
Beibei Wang | Associate Artist | Music
An international soloist with both Chinese and British music education backgrounds having received double masters degrees from both the Royal Academy of Music, London and the Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing. She has an innate ability in a variety of styles that includes traditional, classical, conceptual and visual music performance. Her repertoire covers a diverse range of classical, contemporary, jazz, and Chinese traditional music. What really sets her apart is her drive for the advancement of her art.
Ganga Thapa | Associate Artist | Music | Nepal
A a dynamic and versatile musician, composer, multi-instrumentalist and promoter from Nepal, he graduated from SOAS, University Of London, in ethnomusicology. He released his debut album ‘Namlo’ in 2017, which merged a unique blend of beautiful melodies and irresistible rhythms inspired by the diverse folk traditions, cultures and landscapes of Nepal. He lived for over ten years in London appearing at many notable concerts. He is an Associated Member of ABRSM (Royal Music of School) and London College of Music Exam; Sounds of the world.
Ketna Patel | Associate Artist | Visual Arts
A highly prolific British-Indian multimedia artist, born in East Africa, educated in UK, and based in South East Asia & India for twenty five years. She uses her training in Design and Architecture to map observations gleaned from her compulsive travels onto an existentialist, yet to be defined new global anthropology that is fast emerging. She describes herself as being deeply tri-cultural; grounded in an evolving human identity beyond the rapidly evaporating boundaries of culture, nationality and geography.
AAAHA | Producer
AAAHA is a diverse Alliance of artists and heritage professionals who support the delivery of arts and heritage projects.
Thurrock Festival 