I have done talks & panels about my artwork and experiences of being adopted. It has been mainly for care workers, parents that have or thinking about adopting looking for an insight into an adult (transracial) adoptee. I also have done a few talks about my work in a creative context.
Below is a small cross section of talks I’ve done. Also see [Key Works CV] for list of more talks.
Thai Adoption UK (TAUK) Adult Adoptee Seminar (2011)
- Group Panel Speaker
- Wimbledon, London
The TAUK adoptee panel was made up of 3 Thai adoptees, 1 domestic adoptee and me a Vietnamese/Hong Kong adoptee and we were all a range of ages. It was held in the stunning Buddhapadipa Temple. It was a 3hr intensive and candid Q&A by parents that had adopted from Thailand. I found it insightful and great to given the chance to be welcomed into the Thai adoption community.
Midland Post Adoption Support Group (2010)
- Artist talk and Q&A
- Mullingar, Ireland
I did an intimate art talk followed by a Q&A with a group of parents that had adopted both domestically and international and social workers in Ireland. We had a very good q&A session.
1st Hong Kong Adoption Festival – Mother’s Choice (2008)
- Group Panel Speaker
- Hong Kong, China
I did quite a lot of talks in connection with adoption in 2008, however my involvement in the 1st Hong Kong Adoption Festival was a very defining moment for me personally. Throughout the intensive week I was a part of a small panel of Chinese adoptees talking with many kinds of groups from parents, social/community organisations and notably with pregnant teens. I also co-lead a couple of workshops as part of the festival which you can see on the [Workshops] page.
You can read more about my trip on my blog pages [HONG KONG PART 1 – A personal revisiting] & [HONG KONG PART 2 – 1st HK Adoption Festival] & [Hong Kong – Photos].
NOISE Festival Launch (2008)
- Artist representative
- 11 Downing street, London
I was asked to be a NOISE representative at the NOISE 2008 launch having won the My Life in the News NOISE film section in 2006.
Irish-Chinese Contact Group (ICCG) & Global Girls Ireland Tour (2008)
- Group panel Speaker
- National venus across Ireland
I was asked to temporally join Chinese Adoptee Links (CAL) on the Ireland leg of their international tour. I was part of a panel made up 2 adult and 5 teen Chinese adoptees. It was an intensive week long tour of Ireland with panels every day hosted by Irish-Chinese Contact Group (ICCG). It was a very enlightening trip and I was so pleased to have meet everyone that I did.
VietIrishSupport (2008)
- Guest Speaker
- Cork, Ireland
I did a talk & Q&A about my experiences of being adopted to a large group of parents that had mainly adopted from Vietname to Irland. You can see a full account of my to on my [Viet Irish Support Seminar] blog page.
Self Portrait UK Refugee Launch (2006)
- Guess Speaker
- Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens & The Arc, Stockton-on-Tees
I was asked to speek about my artwork and involvement with as one of the Self-Portrait UK (2003) winners at two launch events for Media19’s Self Portrait UK Refugee (2006).
