The Consortium of Asian American Theatres and Artists (CAATA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Soriya K. Chum as its first-ever executive director. Mr. Chum will oversee operations of the nationwide arts service organization. He assumes his new post in January 2020.
Mr. Chum has nine years of programs management, fundraising, and community engagement experience in the arts and culture sector. Currently, he manages public programs for the flagship branch of the New York Public Library in Bryant Park. At the Library, Soriya plans and develops a robust season of 100+ talks, readings, and symposiums a year. In the past, he has served as the Manager of Public Programs with the Asian American Arts Alliance; Manager of Humanities and Studio Programs with Theatre for a New Audience; and Curatorial Team Member with the Martin E. Segal Theatre Center. Soriya is a graduate of Columbia University.
Outgoing board president Victor Malana Maog said, “This is a milestone for CAATA and our field. With Soriya K. Chum’s holistic and strategic approach and experience to community building, organizing and art making, he was the unanimous choice for this inaugural role. Under Soriya’s leadership in partnership with the Board of Directors, our family of artists, organizations and allies will be better poised to create a network of increased support and resources, radical inclusivity and innovation, social justice and a forever home.”
In a statement, Mr. Chum said, “This is an exciting moment. I’m thrilled for the opportunity to lead CAATA in its efforts to strengthen its infrastructure and carry out its vision. I look forward to working collaboratively with the board of directors and CAATA’s members to discover the best pathways to help amplify the voices of the Asian American theater community.”
CAATA works to advance the field of Asian American theater through a national network of organizations and artists. It collaborates to inspire learning and sharing of knowledge, and resources to promote a healthy, sustainable artistic ecology. In 2003, six Asian American theater companies began discussions to hold the first National Asian American Theater Conference. As a result of these conversations, the first National Asian American Theater Festival took place June 2007 in New York City, and CAATA came into formation. Conferences and Festivals have since been hosted in Minneapolis, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Ashland, and Chicago. The next combined Conference and Festival (ConFest) will be held in Hawai’i from August 7 -16, 2020. www.caata.net
Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers, musicians and corporations. Lia has appeared in the filmsWolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman. She stars in and served as Executive Producer for the short independent films Hide and Seek, Balancing Act, Rom-Com Gone Wrong, Belongingness and When the World was Young. She is profiled in Jade Magazine and Playbill.com. She is profiled in Jade Magazine and Playbill.com.
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