New Earth Theatre Will Host The Uk's First Exhibition Celebrating British East and Southeast Asian Theatre

New Earth Theatre has announced the launch of the company's Living Archive - the UK's first public archive dedicated to celebrating British East and Southeast Asian (BESEA) theatre. A free exhibition, opening on Friday 26 September and running until 11 October 2025 at Shoreditch Town Hall, offers a rare and immersive look into 30 years of BESEA creative heritage through the lens of New Earth Theatre. The full archive will then be made available to the public in Spring 2026.   The Living Archive features a mix of photographs, scripts, programmes, oral history excerpts and new writing, showcasing how BESEA artists have asserted their presence, challenged stereotypes, and transformed the UK theatre landscape.

Project Managers Dr Caleb Lee and Diana Feng said, “This exhibition is not simply a record of the past thirty years - it is a living conversation between generations. It carries with it the labour, imagination, and care of artists who paved the way, while also offering inspiration for those who will carry the work forward. Through this collection of voices, memories, and artefacts, we can trace how our community has taken root, how it has flourished, and how it continues to chart new routes into the future.”   Executive Director Lian Wilkinson added, “The fragility of the New Earth Theatre archive permeated much of our thinking last year: our final founder member Kumiko Mendl stepped down from the role of Artistic Director; we moved to a new office and transported boxes upon boxes of archival material with us; all while we looked toward our 30th anniversary and how we could best celebrate this milestone. Thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund, we are excited that making our archive accessible for the first time not only preserves New Earth's history, but also the legacy of BESEA artists and communities who have all contributed to shaping British theatre.”

Free tickets for the Living Archive are available at:
https://shoreditchtownhall.com/whats-on/new-earth-theatres-living-archive-exhibition.

The Living Archive exhibition is part of New Earth Theatre's 30th Anniversary Season - a historic celebration of BESEA creativity, activism and innovation. The September celebrations begin with New Earth Theatre's inaugural Twisted Roots Festival, showcasing work-in-progress performances created by BESEA artists from the company's year-long Seedfund Artists Incubator programme. The festival runs 3 - 4 September at Bush Theatre, and 9 – 10 September at the Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse at Sheffield Theatres.   The September anniversary season will also include a symposium exploring decolonial approaches to theatre-making, titled ‘Beyond Representation: New Earth, New Strategies'. Showcasing early-stage performance excerpts developed in partnership with Headlong, Fengling Productions and Shakespeare's Globe, the symposium will be held on Friday 12 September at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

The Living Archive project has been made possible with generous support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to money raised by National Lottery players.