Located in the vibrant Northern Quarter of Manchester, Esea Contemporary is a unique non-profit cultural center in the UK, entirely dedicated to contemporary art produced by artists of East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) origin. Born in 1986 as a local festival, today it is a space recognized for its commitment to cultural inclusion and inter-diasporic artistic practices.

Housed in an award-winning modern design building, the center offers site-specific exhibitions, audiovisual installations, and original performances that explore themes such as migration, identity, and collective memory. Among the recent exhibitions are Shadow and Void: Buddha¹⁰ and Slavs and Tatars: The Contest of the Fruits, both examples of international collaborations curated by Esea Contemporary.

The offerings include residencies, research, publications, talks, workshops, and public activities designed to stimulate cultural dialogue and build participatory artistic communities. The academy also boasts a library and a specialized archive accessible to the public.