Hello! We’re besea.n - Britain’s East and South East Asian Network.
We are a community focused, volunteer-led organisation with a mission to empower, educate and embrace East and South East Asian people - and their allies! - in the UK.
Our advocacy spotlights ESEA experiences through our online platforms, research and community events - providing a safe space for sharing knowledge, creating joy and fostering connections.
Our vision is one where our communities are seen and supported in all spaces. That’s why we’ve launched ESEA Heritage Month, celebrated every year in the month of September. It’s a jam packed programme of events to celebrate, acknowledge and learn about the incredible ways in which our communities have helped to shape the UK.
We are a small but perfectly formed team of volunteers and we rely on your support. Stick around to find out more about our work, how to donate to our cause and sign up for our newsletter. Also, don’t forget to follow us on social media and continue spreading #ESEAJoy!
Filmed and edited by Ray Roberts
Highlights from the website this week:
Free Lunar New Year Resource Packs!
Happy Lunar New Year!
Celebrate this Lunar New Year with our FREE to download 2024 resource packs, available now!
This resource pack has been created with education experts with a combined 43 years of experience in the education sector. It was designed for ease of use for all practitioners irrespective of their level of confidence and knowledge of East and South East Asian (ESEA) cultures. Through the use of this pack, we hope that educators will feel empowered to teach young people in the UK the topic of Lunar New Year.
Download the resource pack below!
Author chats: The Not-So-Uniform Life of Holly-Mei
Friend of besea.n and avid reader Alice joined Christina Matula to talk about the fantastic book series about Holly-Mei, a young girl whose adventures in Hong Kong, where she has just moved with her family, is so relatable for anyone growing up cross-culturally. Friends, school, family and food collide in this story about growing up and discovering who we are.
“I’m feeling a little bit braver about writing myself into my stories” - An interview with Marie Lu, 14-time bestselling author of new book ‘Stars and Smoke’
One of our cofounders, Isabelle, attended the Waterstones x Penguin House of YA (Young Adult) LitFest earlier this month, and got the chance to interview Marie Lu - 14-time New York Times bestselling writer, and author of the new YA novel ‘Stars and Smoke’ out now.
Isabelle and Marie had a wonderful conversation about all things Stars and Smoke: on the joy of YA (Young Adult) literature, BTS and K-pop, Asian representation in her new book, mental health and trauma, and Marie's relationship to London, which is one of the settings in the book.
An interview with Jess Henwick, director of BAFTA-nominated ‘Bus Girl’
Ahead of the BAFTA awards ceremony on Feb 19, we spoke with actor, writer and director Jessica Yu-Li Henwick, of Bus Girl which has been nominated for Best British Short Film. Bus Girl tells the story of an aspiring young female chef as she navigates the cutthroat world of high end cooking. Marking Jessica’s directorial debut, Bus Girl has moved fans and critics alike for the kernel of hope it represents to those pursuing a dream, and for its rich Wong Kar-Wai inspired aesthetics achieved by filming entirely on a Xiaomi Mi11 phone.
Parliamentary debate to highlight anti-ESEA racism
Sarah Owen MP held a debate in Parliament on October 13th 2020 to discuss the racism happening towards East and South East Asian people in the UK, heightened by the pandemic. As work continues to pressure the UK Government to make concrete plans and take action to address our various concerns, you can make your voice heard by writing to your MP and requesting they stand by the ESEA community and support policies that bring greater equality. We’ve linked the full video and transcript of the debate below, along with the opening speech.
Our collaborations & features:
