Proudly Asian Theatre delivers contemporary performance works driven by Asian artists in Aotearoa.

Our works are heart-fuelled and stereotype-shattering, with collaboration, innovation and whānau at the fore of their creation. 

Mission 

We aim to connect and empower Asian talent to produce original and contemporary theatre works, which  represents, entertains and breaks down barriers of acceptance and visibility in Aotearoa. 

Our Story

PAT was formed by actors Chye-Ling Huang and James Roque in 2013 as a reaction to the lack of Asian representation in Aotearoa New Zealand. 

Founded as Pretty Asian Theatre - a name reflective of a shaky sense of diaspora Asian identity - as we made work, connected with our community and realised the impact our stories could have, we staged our first original show in 2016, becoming Proudly Asian Theatre. 

Our focus shifted to our community, audience and others like us. We pioneer theatre that explodes the idea of what Asian stories are - works that challenge, re-invent and entertain. 

Kaupapa

Collaboration

The artist is the driver of their story - we provide the vehicle. We aim to uplift and support the creation of individual and nuanced works - the most exciting kind. 

Mentorship and Upskilling 

We share what we have - with each project, PAT folds in emerging practitioners for low-risk, high-reward mentoring. We aim to grow our community of skilled Asian practitioners and build our longevity and resilience. 

Challenge 

We challenge others to be more inclusive - we invite education, korero and collaboration. We challenge our organisation to continue evolving, taking accountability and pushing forward creatively. We challenge the singular narrative of Asian stories and identities. We challenge our community to push their creative boundaries beyond what they thought was possible. 

Whānau 

We honour our experiences, our communities, cultures and ways of working. We work to listen, learn from, celebrate and respect those who work with us and our audiences.

TEAM

Associate / Affiliate Producers