Meditations On

In this episode, our guest is Rita Ezenwa-Okoro, a creative culturist, performance activist, communications expert, and founder of the Street Project Foundation. Based in Nigeria, she believes in the creative arts' ability to foster self-esteem, empathy, and cross-cultural understanding through play and performance. Rita is also the new Executive Director of the Global Play Brigade, an international movement using play and performance to bridge divides across the globe. She discusses global issues and advocates for the performing arts to lead development. She encourages listeners to use the performing arts for social change and human development and to join her in creating global centers for artistic activism and intercultural dialogue.

In this episode of Toks Dada, we explore the innovative approach of London's South Bank Center's classical music head, the UK's youngest senior curator. The conversation centers on attracting younger audiences to classical music through strategic program curation, similar to fashion and technology. Leadership and fresh perspectives are stressed. Curating with intention, considering audience preferences, and using partnerships to grow and diversify are key themes. The episode shows how digital channels complement physical experiences to introduce classical music to new audiences. The conversation also emphasizes the importance of effective communication and rethinking physical venues.

In this episode, we host Reem Allam, the new Associate Director of Artistic Planning at the Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi and former executive manager and artistic programmer of the Downtown Contemporary Arts Festival in Egypt. Reem passionately advocates for the transformative potential of festivals in fostering collective consciousness, cultural shifts, and economic growth and firmly believes in the role of the arts and creativity as political instruments to safeOnguard artists' freedom of expression. Furthermore, Reem discusses the challenges and dynamics of the arts sector in Egypt, particularly the lack of local support structures. Finally, she touches on her new role at NYU Abu Dhabi and how she aims to leverage the larger resources there to continue supporting and connecting the artistic community.

The Afghanistan National Institute of Music has been a source of national pride and a symbol of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan's renewed dedication to arts, culture and education. But what has the return of the Taliban meant for ANIM and music education in Afghanistan as a whole? How did the organization navigate the chaotic and rapid fall of the previous government? And what are its plans for the future? In December of 2021, Meditations On host Ilter Ibrahimof discussed these issues with ANIM founder and director Dr. Ahmad Sarmast at his and the school's new home of Lisbon, Portugal.

Diana Teresa Gutierrez, CEO of Embodying Reconciliation based in Colombia, and Juan Philippe Miranda Medina, a lecturer in Peru at the Universidad Catolica San Pablo, lead movement and embodiment workshops designed to promote empathy, meaningful reconciliation, and individual and collective well-being. Their programs are aimed toward marginalized communities and are designed to help communities from different social backgrounds and ethnicities expand their capacity to manage stress and express emotions in a common space. Diana and Juan spoke with Meditations On host Ilter Ibrahim in November of 2021 and discussed how arts leaders need to first understand themselves to begin building sustainable relationships and mutual respect for one another.

Muriel Miguel of the Kuniyala and Rappahannock nations is the founder and Artistic Director of Spiderwoman Theatre, the longest running Indigenous feminist theater in the Americas. She facilitates Storyweaving Workshops - a signature Indigenous performance methodology that she pioneered - in universities and communities across the US, Canada and Europe.

As we all feel under pressure to vastly expand our organization's digital footprint and use technology to innovate the way we connect with our audience, how can we make sure we don't neglect accessibility? In this episode we discuss this topic with three distinguished colleagues from three different perspectives: artist Debbie Patterson (Sick + Twisted Theatre, Canada), consultant Maria Vlachou (Acesso Cultura, Portugal), and presenter Anna Gallagher-Ross (Fusebox Festival, USA).Host: Ilter Ibrahimof (Fall for Dance North, Canada)Provocateurs: Anna Gallagher-Ross (Fusebox Festival, USA), Debbie Patterson (Sick + Twisted Theatre, Canada), Maria Vlachou (Acesso Cultura, Portugal)Producer, Sound Designer, Composer: Johnny SpenceEPISODE TRANSCRIPTDownload the Season 1, Episode 3, transcript at this link: https://bit.ly/2T7pottLEARN ABOUT ISPAWebsite: https://www.ispa.org

Darren Walker is the visionary President of the Ford Foundation, an independent non-profit 13 billion dollar international social justice institution. A true catalyst for positive change, in this episode Walker sat down with us for a feature interview. He discussed his personal journey, the future of arts leadership, and how social justice, empathy, and radical thinking must guide the way.Host: Ilter Ibrahimof (Fall for Dance North, Canada)Provocateur: Darren Walker (The Ford Foundation, United States)Producer, Sound Designer, Composer: Johnny SpenceEPISODE TRANSCRIPTDownload Season 1, Episode 2, transcript at this link: https://bit.ly/3dnaoi2LEARN ABOUT ISPAWebsite: https://www.ispa.org

In this episode, hear from Berlin-based artist musician Nahum as he guides you into an unsettling journey and engages in a critical dialogue about the politics of existence, diversity, and space exploration. Navigating between the real and the imaginary, Nahum’s work focuses on creating unconventional perspectives of human experience by using outer space technology, illusionism, and hypnosis.Host: Ilter Ibrahimof (Fall for Dance North, Canada)Provocateur: Nahum (Artist, Mexico)Producer, Sound Designer, Composer: Johnny SpenceAdditional music for this episode: Nahum and Orchestra Elastique EPISODE TRANSCRIPTDownload  Season 1, Episode 1, transcript at this link: https://bit.ly/3qE2ExlLEARN ABOUT ISPAWebsite: https://www.ispa.org