VaChina Monologues

organised by Jiemei 姐妹

DOORS 7PM  TICKETS FREE (BOOKING ESSENTIAL CLICK HERE)

Screening of short documentary VaChina Monologues (2013) by the Chinese director Fan Popo + discussion with Whiskey Chow 

Fan Popo's 2013 short documentary explores how 'The Vagina Monologues' (1996), the iconic yet controversial play by Eve Ensler, has become an empowering tool for feminist and women’s groups all over China. The first theatrical performance in the PRC was translated and directed by Professor Ai Xiaoming of Sun Yat-sen University (Guangzhou) in 2003; since then enactments of 'The Vagina Monologues' (in Chinese ‘来自阴道’ lit. ‘from the vagina’), at times banned and partly censored, have taken over university campuses, theatres, cafes, villages, streets and public transport.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Whiskey Chow, an activist and performance artist who took part in 'For Vaginas' Sake' which is featured in this documentary.

Whiskey Chow is an artist living and working in London. Prior moving to the UK, Whiskey has been involved in feminist and LGBTQ activism in China, worked closely with local queer communities in Guangzhou and contributed as actor, co-playwright and sound designer in the production of ‘For Vaginas’ Sake’. Whiskey has also taught gender education in community theatres in south China and has participated in a number of queer cultural events, including curating China’s first LGBTQ music festival  (爱人同志音乐会 Lover Comrades Concert) in Guangzhou in 2013.

Tessa Qiu is about to complete her BA in Music and Chinese at SOAS, University of London. She is a committee member of the Queer Asia 2017 conference, and presenter of SOAS Radio’s “Bang Bang Bang De Qiao Men Sheng,” a show about contemporary Chinese music. Tessa is co-founder of feminist collective Jiemei.

Jiemei 姐妹 (the Chinese for 'sisters') is a group of feminist activists / artists / academics / curators from around the world. They work together to open up a creative, positive and inclusive platform to encourage a trans-cultural dialogue on feminist activism and art. They are currently working on collaborative projects with members from China's "Feminist Five", feminist art collective Bald Girls and other Chinese artists and activists. Facebook @jiemeisisters Twitter @JIEMEI_sisters