ESEA R.A.P Party: In the Mood for Resistance

An evening of poetry, spoken word and music celebrating East and Southeast Asian voices.

Join us for the first ESEA edition of R.A.P Party, the internationally renowned poetry and performance platform created by Inua Ellams.

Produced and co-curated by Tuyet Van Huynh with Mei Mac under the Ohfive / R.A.P Party banner and supported by Arts Council England, this special edition celebrates East and Southeast Asian voices through poetry, spoken word, music and collective gathering.

Inspired by the theme In the Mood for Resistance, the evening explores resistance not only as protest, but as something that can live in memory, language, joy, tenderness, visibility and taking up space.

Expect an intimate evening of powerful writing, storytelling and music, where poets, writers and spoken word artists share original work alongside a soundtrack of artist-selected songs.

Inspired by the original R.A.P Party format, the event feels closer to a living room gathering or house party than a traditional literary reading. Following each performance, the artist's chosen track will be played by the DJ, creating an evolving ESEA mixtape throughout the evening.

The musical inspiration for the project is an evolving ESEA mixtape. Whilst the atmosphere takes cues from the emotional textures of Faye Wong-era Cantopop and Wong Kar-wai cinema, artists draw inspiration from across East and Southeast Asian music and sound cultures, from pop and folk traditions to contemporary artists, club culture and the sounds that shape our lives.

Poets and performers will be announced in July.

Tickets

General Admission: £12

Concession: £8.50

Accessibility

We believe cost should not be a barrier to participation. If you would like to attend but ticket cost presents a financial challenge, please contact tuyet154huynh@gmail.com. A limited number of subsidised and complimentary tickets are available.

Capacity is limited and advance booking is recommended.

Follow @2ahuynhproduces and @oh5events on Instagram for artist announcements and updates.