This week I caught up with media personality Annete Shun Wah. She has been in movies such as Floating Life and The Home Song Stories, and numerous television and radio shows. Annette also shared with us a part of her life in Growing Up Asian in Australia. Her family has been in Australia since the late 1800s and you can read more about the history of the Shun Wahs here.
Who are you?
An optimistic woman with a short attention span.
What do you do?
I'm a writer, broadcaster, actor and sometime theatre producer based in Sydney.
I'm involved in a variety of projects, currently ranging from programming and hosting a music show called “Global Beat” on Qantas inflight radio, to MC at big events such as WOMADelaide, Sydney Writers’Festival and OzAsia Festival which is coming up in Adelaide in September. I'm also writing and researching a project with the Powerhouse Museum and dLux Media Arts.
I also run Performance 4a, a non-profit organisation dedicated to inspiring Asian-Australian performance, and am developing a festival of performance for Sydney early in 2011.
I serve on the board of the Sydney Writers’ Festival and on the Performing Arts and Arts Management Committee of Asialink.
What made you go on this path?
Given my short attention span, I don’t really travel one “path” but many. A “profusion” one might say, or a “diffusion”, or more accurately, a “confusion”. My love of music scored me a job in radio before I'd even finished my Uni degree, and led to a career in the media (commercial radio, Triple J, SBS-TV, ABC-TV). My work has usually been about media, arts and identity.
Political/social issues: just the usual – equality, justice, freedom.
I guess the thing I'm most vocal about is a recognition and embrace of Australia's culturally diverse society. I think we all have much to gain by being more curious and open to difference, rather than fearing it. A more inclusive society will be fairer, more harmonious, more imaginative and.. produce much more entertaining TV, music and film!
What's your background?
I talked about my family's story as part of the Centenary of Federation Ceremony in Sydney's Centennial park. My paternal great-grandfather came to Darwin from Canton, China in 1878, and set up a bakery. His daughter, my grandma, was born in Darwin, married and moved to central Queensland where my father was born, the second youngest of 7. The family went to China in 1932, and my father grew up there, marrying my mother and having my eldest brother, before returning to Australia in 1950. My second brother and I were born in Cairns, north Qld. I grew up just north of Brisbane on a chook farm!
What makes you laugh?
My puppy. My partner. My friends. Ahn Do. Jon Stewart. Simon Pegg. Stephen Fry. Bill Bailey. Spinal Tap. And Barnaby Joyce.
What’s one thing you couldn’t live without?
Memories.
What was the last book/movie that you read/saw?
Last books: The Master by Colm Toibin and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. Both highly recommended and better than any movie I’ve seen in ages.
What’s one thing about yourself most people wouldn’t know?
I am NOT, and never have been, Lee Lin Chin. Stop confusing us, people!
I read some of your comments regarding The Legend of Billy Sing casting controversy, can you restate what you wrote?
I was very angry that this could happen in this day and age. Here was a great opportunity to tell the story of an Australian war figure, who happened to be half-Chinese and half-English, yet the director chose to cast non-Chinese actors in the lead (the director’s son, by the by) and as the father, who was in fact, Shanghainese. This lazy casting is a betrayal of history, eliminates the extraordinary circumstances that make this such an interesting and complex story, dishonours Billy Sing and his family, and whitewashes the telling of Australian stories. Again.
What would you say to someone who told you that there are a lack of Asian or talented Asian actors in Australia?
That they are mistaken. There are currently 73 Asian-Australian actors on the Performance 4a directory alone. There are many others who have not yet signed to the directory. Acting institutions churn out a new batch every year.
Who do you think perpetuates this myth? Are we partly to blame?
What are the issues/obstacles facing Asian actors?
Let me answer these two questions as one.
Actors of Asian ethnicity are not given the casting opportunities afforded other actors. They are called only when a character is specifically described by ethnicity. Otherwise, when casting the majority of roles that might call for “a mother” or “a lawyer” or “a neighbour”, Asian-Australian actors aren't offered the opportunity to audition.
Because they so rarely get the parts, their work is not seen (hence the assumption that there is a lack of talent ) and they do not get the same opportunities to develop their craft. Many end up working overseas.
If you think about it, few Asian-Australian roles means few Asian-Australian stories, or perspectives, in our canon. So it’s not just the actors who are excluded, but our stories, our experiences, and our points of view. That’s the real concern.
Who is to blame? Anyone who doesn’t see how important this is.
What’s the solution? Devise your own work. Let’s stop relying on others.
Do you think the response from our community was adequate? How could we be more organised?
Do you mean the response to the Billy Sing casting? I don’t want to give it any more oxygen. I would think it’ll never see the light of day. But if it does, we should watch it – so as to be informed - then give ‘em hell! This deserves as much attention as the Hey Hey black face incident, and is in many ways far worse. Networks such as blogs, Facebook pages and groups such as Performance 4a should spread the word and organise high profile artists, writers, etc to voice well-conceived arguments.
Who’s one of your favourite Asian Australians and why?
So many – it’s hard to choose – especially those who are my personal friends. Historically, Quong Tart achieved so much for both Chinese and Australians in his day. A just and honourable man. I also admire filmmaker Khoa Do – incredibly talented, inspiring, smart, funny and generous of spirit.
What’s your favourite memory about growing up Asian in Australia?
My parents and older brothers spending half a day in the kitchen making our very own spring rolls, as a way of persuading me that they’d be better than store-bought Chiko rolls! I was too little to help with the cooking (but not the eating). Feeding us something special was the closest my parents ever came to expressing affection.
What advice would you give to young Asian Australians thinking of entering the media/acting industry?
Go for it! We need your talent and your passion. But be prepared for a tough time, and most importantly, look after yourself by making sure you have an alternative way of earning a living, so you’re never in a position where you’re forced to do something you’re not comfortable with.
Thanks for your time Annette and thanks for speaking up! The OZAsia festival is looking really good this year. You can find out more on Performance 4a here and some of those in the directory include Chris Pang and Andy Minh Trieu (both in Tomorrow, When the War Began, which comes out next month)
Click here to read other interviews in the Know Your Asian Australians series
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