To mark East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) Heritage Month, the University of Westminster collaborated with EAST2046, a cross-disciplinary festival co-created by ESEA communities worldwide, to host its Heritage and Technology event. The day built upon this year’s theme of Reframing Resilience and invited communities to reflect on shared strength, resistance, vulnerability and interconnectedness.
Held at the University’s Little Titchfield Street site on 24 September, the event was organised by the University’s Hub on Migration, Exile, Languages and Spaces (HOMELandS) Research Centre in collaboration with EAST 2046.
Titled ESEA Heritage Making and Community Building via Arts and Technology, the day combined academic discussion, community practice and embodied experience. It began with welcoming remarks from Professor Dibyesh Anand, Deputy Vice–Chancellor of Global Engagement and Employability and Co-chair of the University's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee. Professor Anand set the tone for the day by highlighting the importance of supporting colleagues and students from diverse backgrounds and working with migrant communities to build an inclusive university and society.
Professor Cangbai Wang, Co-director of HOMELandS, introduced the impact-led and interdisciplinary research on migration and diaspora being undertaken at the University. The work is driven by the mission to bridge segregated research on migrant groups and start conversations between academics and wider communities, including activists, practitioners and policy makers.
This was followed by a panel discussion chaired by Dr Lois Liao, Co-founder and Festival Director of the UK’s first large-scale ESEA Tech, Art and Community platform. The panelists included researchers, artists and community leaders who discussed how to explore Asian cultural identity and future development through participatory formats such as workshops, hackathons and community exhibitions, transforming audiences into co-creators of cultural content.
Throughout the day a series of speakers highlighted innovative ways communities are using art, culture and new technologies to connect and thrive. Maryam Safe, a Trustee of Intercultural Roots, shared how the organisation brings together artists, practitioners and communities from different cultural backgrounds through performative practices that support wellbeing, cultural exchange and social change. Dam Van Huynh, Director of Centre 151 in Hackney, outlined how the Vietnamese-led centre serves communities from Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and beyond, offering space for people to get together and celebrate their cultures. Litong Zhou, lead organiser of the 706 Youth Community, presented case studies of Decentralised Autonomous Organisation (DAO)-based Asian communities, highlighting how these digital, community-driven groups can encourage collective decision-making.
At the event participants also had the chance to explore ways to build trust and community through embodied art. Using a DAO-inspired approach, they worked together to create and share short group pieces. This process encouraged reflection on how technology can support more inclusive and resilient cultural practices and community building.
ESEA Heritage Month takes place every September across the UK to celebrate the histories, cultures and contributions of ESEA communities. It provides a platform for visibility and recognition, showcasing everything from food and film to art, music and community organisation. The month highlights the diversity within ESEA identities while creating a shared space for reflection, solidarity and future-making. This event contributes to the month by focusing on how diasporic heritage is not only remembered but actively lived, through movement, creativity and collective practice.
HOMELandS is a university-wide research centre that engages with cutting-edge interdisciplinary research into migration and diaspora in diverse geographic, social and cultural contexts across a wide range of topics.
This event was sponsored by the Westminster programme for Enhancing Inclusion, Belonging and Sustainable Development, which is the main Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) programme of the University.
About the event Professor Anand said: “As a global university with students and colleagues from diverse backgrounds, we are both mindful of the complexity of identities and celebratory of belonging for all. In a world where differences sometimes lead to unfairness or conflicts, we want to be a place where differences are accepted and used as a basis to imagine a better, more inclusive community. This event is part of our effort to challenge prejudices and celebrate diversities.”
Professor Wang added: “We hope the event can improve public understanding of ESEA experiences and heritage and enhance our research, knowledge exchange and public engagement with diverse migrant communities, contributing to the building of a vibrant and inclusive research culture.”
This event directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 4: Quality Education, 10: Reduced Inequalities and 17: Partnerships for the Goals. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Discover more projects led by HOMELandS.
To find out how to collaborate with the University and support students, contact Westminster’s Development Team.
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