Annette Shun Wah facts for kids
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Annette Shun Wah (born 26 March 1958) is an Australian writer, director, actress, and broadcaster. She has worked a lot in Australian TV, film, and theatre. Since 2013, she has been a main producer for Contemporary Asian Australian Performance at Carriageworks in Sydney.
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Early Life
Annette Shun Wah is a fourth-generation Chinese Australian. This means her family has lived in Australia for many generations. She was born in Cairns, Queensland. She is very interested in the history of Chinese Australians. Her family's story is even part of a special collection called Family Journeys at the National Archives of Australia.
Her Career in Arts
Annette Shun Wah has had a long and exciting career. She has worked in many different areas of the arts.
TV and Film Work
Early in her career, Annette worked on many TV shows for ABC and SBS. She helped make and present shows like The Noise, Eat Carpet, and The Movie Show.
She has also acted in films, including documentaries. In 1996, she was in a film called Floating Life. She played a Chinese wife living in Germany. For this role, she was nominated for an AFI Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Annette also helped create China Heart. This was a special mobile phone application and website. It told a love and mystery story while teaching about the history of Sydney's Chinatown.
Leading Asian Australian Arts
Since 2013, Annette Shun Wah has been the Executive Producer for CAAP. CAAP stands for Contemporary Asian Australian Performance. This is an arts company that helps Asian Australians in the performing arts. CAAP is based at the Carriageworks arts centre in Sydney.
CAAP used to be called Performance 4A. It was started in 1997. This company is special because it creates chances for Asian Australians to develop their skills and get support in theatre and other performing arts. Annette was a key part of CAAP's team for many years before becoming its main producer.
Speaking Up for Diversity
Annette Shun Wah often speaks about the importance of diversity in Australia's entertainment world. Diversity means having people from many different backgrounds and cultures involved. She has given speeches at many events and conferences. She encourages more people from different backgrounds to be seen and heard in TV, film, and theatre.
Directing the OzAsia Festival
In May 2020, Annette Shun Wah was chosen to be the director of the OzAsia festival in Adelaide. This is a big festival that celebrates Asian arts and culture. The festival in November 2020 was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. So, her first full festival as director was in 2021.
Awards and Appointments
Annette Shun Wah has held many important roles and received recognition for her work:
- Executive Producer for Contemporary Asian Australian Performance (CAAP) (since 2013)
- Board member for the Sydney Theatre Company (since 2018)
- Artistic Director for the National Theatre of Parramatta (2015-2017)
- Nominated for an AFI Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for Floating Life (1996)
