GIA Reader: A Conversation Among Friends
I was invited by the incredible Conrhonda Baker to contribute to their guest editor series on arts philanthropy and cultural justice called "Soothing the Itch" on the Grantmakers in the Arts (GIA) Reader.
I had been one of the guest editors for GIA previously and had written something for that. This time, I decided to offer a dialogue with one of my favorite people, Quita Sullivan, on trust-based philanthropy and the power of ensemble thinking, followed by an intention setting meditation.
I hope you can take a listen when you have the chance here.
Photo by Marian Taylor Brown
There’s No Business Like….
The podcast that explores topics and talks with leaders of the professional theatrical touring industry! The "Quad" Producers (Josh, Danielle, Katie, Bryan, and Kevin) discuss a range of performing arts related topics and share an interview with a different industry leader every Wednesday.
I was a guest speaker for Ep. 31: Don’t Be Afraid to Speak Up.
Listen to the full episode here.
National Theater Project Regional Convening 2022
The National Theater Project of the New England Foundation for the Arts presented the 2022 National Theater Project Regional Convening in New England. Regional convenings are part of NTP’s effort towards understanding the theatermaking ecology across the nation. I co-curated the convening and moderated this panel:
Hyphen+Asian Lunchtime Art Share
Western Arts Alliance (WAA)’s Hyphen+Asian hosted their first Lunchtime Art Share in January 2022 — a space for API artists and arts leaders to share their work and perspectives. All were welcome to attend this free, virtual event with API artists and arts leaders Kenny Endo, Brinda Guha, Meena Malik (moderator), and Ova Saopeng. You can watch it here:
CELC Closing Panel: Indigenous Artists Gathering
The Cultural Equity Learning Community (CELC) is an online learning community open to arts and culture leaders committed to building racial equity in the sector. The CELC includes a go-at-your-own pace two-unit course with complimentary wrap-around learning supports. For our closing panel for the 2020-21 cohort, we invited four Indigenous artists to share their thoughts. You can watch it here:
University of North Texas Libraries First Chair Chats – Womxn in Music
Honoring International Women’s Day in March 2021, the invited speakers explored the role of women identifying figures involved in different aspects of the music industry. During this conversation, we discussed how the current scene has changed for women and continues to evolve under the lens of the pandemic. You can watch it here:
Art As Medicine
The COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated racism and xenophobia towards Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. As our national leadership insists on directing the blame for the virus towards Asian countries, reports of hate crimes have soared. In this final #ArtistResource session that took place May 2020, artist leaders shared knowledge, history, and art as a means of building solidarity within AAPI communities, affirming AAPI artists, and holding space for the AAPI community. The conversation featured members of the Center of Asian American Media (CAAM), Consortium of Asian American Theater and Artists (CAATA), and Act to Change facilitated by Susan Chinsen (Engagement Producer and Director of Boston Asian American Film Festival) and Meena Malik (musician, Cultural Organizer, Theater Program Manager at NEFA) and invited artists and activists to examine the past and present as a means of seeding our future. What can we learn from the past and what knowledge can we affirm in ourselves in the wake of this challenging time? What tools, artistic and otherwise, do we have to push back against racism in our current moment? How do we build resilience in ourselves and maintain our commitment to protect one another going forward? You can watch it here:
Beyond Orientalism: The Boston Forum
Beyond Orientalism: The Forum is a national initiative designed to explore the topics of misrepresentation onstage and in the media, diversity and inclusivity in the performing arts as it relates specifically to API (Asian Pacific Islander) issues, and practical action steps to advance racial equity. I was as the principal organizer of the event, which was presented in October 2017 to a sold-out audience of 185 at the Paramount Center in Boston. You can watch it here: