Rosa Fong, Senior Lecturer in Film at Liverpool John Moores University, leads a panel discussion featuring East and Southeast Asian artists and creatives, including actor and playwright David Yip, to explore British East and Southeast Asian stories in cinema.

This free event precedes a Cinema in the City screening of Leong Po Chih’s 1986 mystery-comedy Ping Pong (1986) at Pagoda Arts on Henry Street. Over four nights, we'll be showcasing iconic Chinese and Vietnamese films, ranging from dramas and documentaries to the re-release of a vintage classic. A selection of the screenings will be accompanied by live musical performances, Q&A sessions, and panel discussions.

This talk features David Yip, a lead actor in Ping Pong, alongside other creatives. We're excited to be working on this panel event in collaboration with Moongate Mix North, a UK-based production company committed to raising the profile of East Asian talent in theatre and on screen, whilst actively challenging stereotypes.

Speaker Biographies

ROSA FONG

Rosa Fong is an award-winning filmmaker, academic and activist whose primary area of interest is British East Asian representation. Her immersive exhibition Dragons of the Pool (2018), on the forced repatriation of Liverpool Chinese sailors in 1946, helped bring this historical injustice to international attention. She is developing her research on the repatriations into a feature length film. Rosa is also a Senior Lecturer in Film at Liverpool John Moores University, Screen School. She is passionate about decolonising teaching and learning, which she champions in her role as the Equality and Diversity lead. She is also a founding member of BEATS, a leading advocacy organisation for British East and Southeast Asian (BESEA) creatives seeking to humanise the representation of BESEA in arts and culture. She is a staunch advocate for supporting and enabling underrepresented voices in the film and television industry.

DAVID YIP

David Yip is a British actor and playwright. He gained prominence through his role in the BBC series The Chinese Detective (1981–1982) as the first East Asian lead on British television. His films include A View to a Kill (1985), Ping Pong (1986), and Break (2020). Yip wrote and starred in the play Gold Mountain. On television, he appeared in the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside (1989–1990), the CBBC series Spirit Warriors (2010), and the Sky Atlantic thriller Fortitude (2017–2018). He is also known for his voice work. Yip has given talks and presented documentaries on the Chinese community in his hometown of Liverpool. In 2022, he was awarded honorary doctorates by the University of Essex and Edge Hill University.

EMILY BESWICK

Emily Beswick is an AHRC-funded collaborative PhD student at the University of Liverpool and Tate Liverpool. Her research investigates forms of looking and engagement with photographs of the Chinese community in Liverpool, through newspaper, documentary and family photograph archives, and using autobiographical, creative and participatory approaches. Emily is an organiser with the Liverpool East and South East Asian Network and trustee of Kakilang, a UK charity which platforms East and South East Asian artists.

NADIA ANIM

Nadia Anim is a Performer and Theatre Maker based in Liverpool. Nadia was a member of the Young Everyman Playhouse (YEP) which led to being a member of the Liverpool Everyman Repertory Company in 2018. Nadia has a keen interest in diversity, intersectionality and its representation on stage. Her passion is within people and human dynamics, especially women friendships and the role they occupy in society bleeding into their self-identity and self-cultivated spaces. As a Theatre Maker she prioritises local projects, working with communities and regional theatres which include The Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse, The Unity and Manchester Royal Exchange Theatre.

SUFEA MOHAMAD NOOR

Sufea Mohamed Noor is an artist-curator interested in social history and materiality. Her practice uses words, textiles and food to tell untold stories, explore personal memories and bring people together. She was the recipient of Liverpool Biennial x Sevenstore bursary in 2023 and Liverpool Independents Biennial residency in 2021. Previous commissions include FACT, Bluecoat, and Culture Liverpool. Mohamad Noor graduated from University of Leeds with a masters degree in Art Gallery and Museum Studies. She is the founder of Liverpool East and South East Asian Network and is a studio member at The Royal Standard.