Women in Red: Gender, Identity, and Cross-Cultural Performance

You are cordially invited to a special event co-hosted by Asian Cultural Research Hub and the Gender, Sexuality and Culture Seminar Series.

Language: English

Speaker: Yan Chi Lai, Mo (賴恩慈)

Moderator: Prof. Fran Martin

About the Event

This event presents a special introduction to Women in Red -- the Melbourne Fringe premiere of Hong Kong artist Mo Lai Yan Chi's acclaimed solo theatre work -- presented in collaboration with Curatorial Ensemble, followed by a panel discussion. In its new English-language adaptation, Women in Red interweaves intergenerational narratives of womanhood to probe questions of gender identity, cultural translation, and diasporic memory.

Through dialogue between artist and scholars, the panel will consider how theatre operates as a critical site for negotiating cross-cultural identity, articulating women's voices, and staging the complexities of Hong Kong's cultural landscape for international audiences. The event offers an opportunity to reflect on the intersections of performance, gender studies, and cultural exchange, while fostering conversation between Hong Kong and Australian contexts.

About the Speakers

Yan Chi Lai, Mo (賴恩慈) is an acclaimed theatre and film director, scriptwriter, actor, and educator. As a multidisciplinary artist, she has performed internationally, with her celebrated solo piece Women in Red staged at Hong Kong's Queen Elizabeth Stadium and at festivals in the Netherlands, the US, and India. She is also the recipient of the 2025 Asian Cultural Council Fellowship for an artistic residency in Japan. Her latest feature film BAND FOUR received four nominations at the 42nd Hong Kong Film Awards, winning Best Original Film Score, and has been distributed internationally.

Curatorial Ensemble is an artist-led, on-profit organisation based in Naarm/Melbourne. It champions Asian Australian artists and facilitates meaningful cross-boundary knowledge exchange. Its core mission is to nurture and promote Asian and Australian artistic talent while fostering dynamic knowledge sharing.