Kakilang was first established in 2005 as the Chinatowns Arts Space and became Kakilang in 2022. In November 2022, John Ellerman Foundation awarded £90,000 over three years for core costs to Kakilang.
Kakilang aims to provide a home and platform for artists of East and South-East Asian communities, bringing their diverse and nuanced stories to wider audiences.
With a small team of seven, they produce original and high-quality work that tours extensively. This is primarily performing arts-based, but also includes other art forms like visual art, music, live art, film and eclectic immersive experiences involving digital production, audio drama and music. In 2019 they launched their Festival, which has presented over 150 leading East and South-East Asian artists since its inception, and includes Kakilang productions of Citizens of Nowhere?, Overheard, Bats and Beats, and Augmented Chinatown 2.0 (which combines drama, tour guide and augmented reality, and is permanently available on App Store and Google Play).
This grant was a strong match with our Arts criteria. It presented an opportunity to support an organisation working with East and South-East Asian diaspora communities with an excellent executive and creative team, as they expand their national significance and reach.
On their experience of applying to us, An-Ting Chang, Artistic Director and Chief Executive (until April 2023) of Kakilang said: “We are tremendously grateful for the support provided by John Ellerman Foundation. This funding has allowed us to significantly elevate our artistic ambitions and extend our reach to broader audiences throughout the UK, including the highly successful premiere of HOME X at the prestigious Barbican, as well as at Theatre Royal York and Cambridge Junction. Our application experience was incredibly positive. We had meaningful dialogue with staff and a Trustee and the level of engagement we received made it clear that the Foundation is not only interested in supporting artistic endeavours but is also invested in building meaningful relationships with its grant-holders.”