ABOUT US
Rising Waves is committed to elevating British East and Southeast Asian (BESEA) voices across the arts and media industries. Through our mentorship programs, workshops, and collaborative events, we provide vital support for both emerging and mid-career professionals, ensuring that BESEA talent thrives at every level.
Despite some progress for other minority groups, BESEA creatives remain one of the most underrepresented in arts and media. According to the latest Diamond Report, East Asian representation in TV has declined to just 0.6% for off-screen roles and only 1.5% on-screen. This severe underrepresentation extends into film and theatre, highlighting a systemic failure that must be addressed.
We envision a world where BESEA creatives are fully represented in all areas of the arts and media, from leading roles on stage and screen to key positions behind the scenes. By building a sustainable pipeline of talent and demanding industry accountability, we aim to drive lasting change and progress for the next generation.
Meet the Team!
Jeremy Ang Jones
Jeremy is an actor working across television and film, theatre, radio, animation and games. Most notably, Hijack (Apple TV); original cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (West End); and the voice Hermes and Fandaniel in Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix).
Jeremy is passionate about the representation of East and South East Asians in Western media and believes that the unity and empowerment of our community, by supporting those beginning or even considering a career in the industry, can make a real impact and change for the better. Helping each other navigate the space, creating a positive culture and skill sharing with one another, is a start to nurturing talents that will help us be seen and allow our stories to be heard.
Leo Wan
Leo is an actor, working predominantly in theatre. His theatre credits include: The Great Wave (National Theatre); The Mirror and the Light, As You Like It, Taming of the Shrew (Royal Shakespeare Company); Chariots of Fire, Rock/Paper/Scissors, The Good Person of Szechwan (Sheffield Theatres); Macbeth (English Touring Theatre); and Miss Julie, Forgotten, Tamburlaine (New Earth Theatre). For television, he has appeared in Bridgerton (Netflix) and Crashing (Channel 4). He has appeared in over 20 BBC radio productions and was a member of the BBC Radio Drama Company, as well as a winner of the Norman Beaton Fellowship.
Leo has been a Trustee of New Earth Theatre since 2023. He formerly served on the boards of Northern Broadsides and Inc Arts, as well as the advisory committees of Brixton House and the Anti-Racism Touring Rider. He was elected and served a term on Equity’s Race Equality Committee (2021-23).
He has been an active arts campaigner, having previously lobbied with Freelancers Make Theatre Work, the Freelance Task Force and the Public Campaign for the Arts.
Mei Mac
Mei (she/her) is an Olivier Award nominated actor, the first BESEA nominee for Best Actress in a Play for her portrayal of Mei Kusakabe in the critically acclaimed stage adaption of Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbour Totoro (Royal Shakespeare Company). She has 13 years’ worth of professional experience working across theatre, screen, video games and audio books, and has previously lobbied with Public Campaign for the Arts.
Mei has spent her career championing and nurturing the BESEA community and is deeply passionate about empowering our voice across the sector and beyond.
Gillian Tan
Gillian is a multi-disciplinary designer, working across lighting and video for various theatrical, immersive and interactive experiences.
Selected credits include: Mind Mangler (Apollo Theatre, New World Stages – New York, Virgin Cruises, UK Tour); Elephant, A Playlist for the Revolution (Bush Theatre); South Pacific (Chichester Festival Theatre, Sadlers Wells & UK Tour); The Body Remembers (Fuel), Aisha and Abhaya (Royal Ballet/Rambert); 4.48 Psychosis (revival. Lyric Hammersmith/Royal Opera House); Coraline (Barbican Theatre/Royal Opera House)
She was a recipient of the Unreal Engine Storytelling Fellowship of Spring 2022, and former Head of Video at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Georgie Yukiko Donovan
A British-Japanese filmmaker with a flare for telling human stories, captured with sweeping cinematics and intimate portraits. She is passionate about bridging intersections and re-centering marginalised voices, particularly within the East Asian community. This is focused through her work as Director of Rising Waves, an organization dedicated to amplifying British East and South East Asian (BESEA) voices across the arts and media industries. As a result, Georgie was an inaugural recipient of the Film + TV Charity’s Reel Impact Fund.
Georgie has directed an award-winning body of work across series, films, and podcasts for outlets such as Netflix, Channel News Asia, and the BBC. Her work explores the intersections of human interest and socio-political issues, tackling complex subjects such as racial identity in Japan, rising anti-feminism in South Korea, hostage negotiations with Boko Haram, and trauma recovery in war veterans.
In 2023, Georgie was recognised as a promising industry leader by FILM LONDON’s Breaking Glass Ceiling cohort and received the Frame Focus Fund from WDM Entertainment. In 2024, she was selected for Ones to Watch by the TV Foundation and as a 2024 Breakthrough Leader by the TV Collective. Most recently, she was named a 2025 Film London Lodestar, receiving the Crew & Industry award, and has just been announced as part of the 2025/2026 BAFTA Elevate cohort.