Sesame: Mentorship to Momentum for the ESEA community

ESEA Music is a community-led, non-profit, established in September 2021 by and for East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) professionals and artists in the UK music industry. The group was founded by artist managers, Tiger Hagino Reid and Hiroki Shirasuka in the wake of and in response to the ‘Black Lives Matter’ and ‘Stop Asian Hate’ movements.

From an initial meet up consisting of 10 attendees, the group now boasts an impressive 500+ members across the UK and the diaspora.

Our mission is to advance greater representation for ESEA professionals across the UK music industry and uplift British ESEA talent. This has included providing opportunities for collaboration at writing camps, partnering with organisations to host bi-annual meetups, as well as advocating for representation on industry boards such as the MMF, The Brits and FAC.  We have also successfully lobbied bodies such as UK Music, resulting in the creation of two new ESEA categories in their Workforce Diversity Survey in 2024. Historically, the ‘Asian’ category in the UK mainly represented the South Asian community. 

Having worked within the UK Music Industry for over 15 years and as a DJ for many years before that, the number of ESEA faces I’ve worked with is few and far between, with none of those being in leadership roles.

Our mentorship programme, Sesame, looks to address that. 

Launched in 2023, Sesame is aimed at both artists and industry professionals, and is managed by myself, Aileen De La Cruz (songwriter/vocalist) and Lucinda Tse-Hall (BMG). “Sesame aims to facilitate support systems within the music industry that promote communication and positivity, leading to better mental and creative health, and to further equality within the industry, protecting paths to sustainable careers for under-represented groups”

June 2025 also saw the first ever Sesame Workshop in association with Beatport’s Diversity and Parity Fund, which was held at pointblank Music School in London. The day consisted of masterclasses, discussions and panels led by industry leaders in each field including Nookie aka Gavin Cheung, Cherif Hashizume, Calista Kazuko Georget, Dennis Lee, Hidehiko Whone, Nisa Kelly and Mandi Salerno

Sesame also received the DEI Initiative award at the 2025 Music Week – Women In Music Awards, to add to the DEI Champion award that ESEA Music received at the AIM Independent Music Awards last month!

How Sesame works

During the application process, potential mentees are asked why they want to take part, what their goals are and what they hope to achieve. After which, we attempt to pair mentees with mentors based on experience, goals and aspirations.

We’ve just completed the seventh round, each round consisting of three pairs and spanning a three-month period, where we ask the participants to dedicate at least two hours per month. After completing a getting to know you form, the mentorship kicks off. Halfway through there is a check in, and then feedback is gathered at the end to help continuously improve the scheme.

Mentors come from across the music industry. We have managers, sound engineers, booking agents, producers, executives, songwriters, artists and more. Notable alumni include Matt Tong (Algiers, Wet Market, ex-Bloc Party), Stacey Tang (Co-President, RCA Records UK) and our very own, Emma Cordell (Director of Media and Partnerships, Downtown).  Many are doing this for the first time, so we also provide coaching material and guidance throughout the process.

What We’ve Learned

Sesame is a key initiative of ESEA Music and helps people feel seen, supported, and part of something that is working to improve representation. It may seem obvious, but the importance of connecting with someone from the same cultural background, with similar lived experiences, and who has learnt through the scars of overcoming adversity in this industry is invaluable and something that we hear often.

New friendships have been made, doors opened and opportunities unlocked such that mentees have since released their first EP, performed their first headline gig and even set up their own marketing consultancy.

Whilst the mentorship is led by the mentee’s goals and objectives, the process is very much collaborative where mentors listen, offer honest feedback and support the mentee in their journey. And it goes both ways, mentors have fed back that they have learnt a lot from their mentees too. Such as how to navigate the changing landscape of social media, and which artists are making moves in new scenes.

I’d like to shout out an amazing artist and mentee, Justin Peng, who is now managed by his mentor, Hide Whone at Theory Management. Justin has gone on to headline his own shows, play stages at The Mighty Hoopla, SXSW London, Pride at Trafalgar Square, has recently been touring China and is serving on the FAC Artist Council. Those are the kinds of introductions we’re super proud of and trying to make more of over time.

What’s Next for Sesame

Alongside continuing future rounds of the mentorship and workshops for the community, we’re currently in early conversations with The Ronnie Scott’s Charitable Foundation, the BRIT School and pointblank Music School about future partnerships.

Sesame is just one small step to improving ESEA representation. We can help enable pathways, create safe spaces and cultivate relationships, but without well defined systems in place to provide the necessary support and structure, increased visibility risks being tokenistic or just a tickbox checking exercise.

The long term vision is to build a legacy of leaders. This includes developing new artists as well as industry executives, mentors and change-makers who will ensure ESEA voices not only exist within the arts and media but actively shape its future.

Ultimately, we want the people in the rooms that decide budgets, rosters, lineups, panels and policies to reflect the diverse ESEA cultures that make up UK society. This is where mentorship and community-driven programs become vital, offering tangible support and fostering long-term development to bridge this gap.