What are the lasting effects of discrimination in film for people of colour? And more specifically, women of colour? Listen in as we explore this question by talking to female filmmakers of colour and get their take on representation in the entertainment industry and the history behind the lack of representation within film. This episode is a product of the Ignite Change Fellowship: a partnership between the Cross-Cutting Initiative on Inequality, the NYU Production Lab, and the Wasserman Center for Career Development.

Ghazi Faisal Al-Muliafi’s journey began with one statement from his grandfather, who was once a Kuwaiti pearl diving shipmaster: “All the men died at sea”. Now an ethnomusicologist at NYU Abu Dhabi, Ghazi has spent his career researching Kuwaiti pearl diving music and the lives of the pearl divers in order to connect with his ancestral past. In the process, however, he may have uncovered long lost narratives that have larger implications on how we think about cultural appropriation, tradition, and national identity. This episode is a product of the Ignite Change Fellowship: a partnership between the Cross-Cutting Initiative on Inequality, the NYU Production Lab, and the Wasserman Center for Career Development.

How do we keep our democracy healthy? Especially when politics and policies keep people from participating? As the consequential elections of 2020 approached, NYU professors Erica Foldy and John Gershman began asking these questions—and the VOTE 2020 Fellowship was their answer. “By the People, For the People” tells the story of this experimental initiative, and examines what happens when everyday people, like Erica, John, and their students at NYU, take ownership of their democracy. This episode was created through the Ignite Change Fellowship: a partnership of the Cross-Cutting Initiative on Inequality, the NYU Production Lab, and the Wasserman Center for Career Development.

In this episode, we talk with Pulitzer Prize winner, Michael R. Jackon, about art, politics, and queer identity.

In this episode, we talk with Joshua Pierce, CEO and founder of The Diversity Org, about launching a creative start-up and giving back to the community.

In this episode, we talk with The Florida Man Chronicles podcast creators, Esteban Bailey and Justice, on their work as writing partners in the NYU Production Lab Summer Podcast Incubator.

In this episode, we talk with Win the Wedding podcast creator, Caroline Casey, changing her plans in the NYU Production Lab Summer Podcast Incubator.

In this episode, we talk with The Vacationeers podcast creator, Maya Millett, on her work bringing history to the present in the NYU Production Lab Summer Podcast Incubator.

In this episode, we talk with The City Below podcast creator, Celine Snippe , on her work producing a podcast for the first time in the NYU Production Lab Summer Podcast Incubator.

In this episode, we talk with The Kids Are Not Alright podcast creator, Elizabeth Chatelain, on her work documenting her family's story in the NYU Production Lab Summer Podcast Incubator.

In this episode, we talk with Silicon City author and podcast creator, Cary McClelland, on his work exploring Silicon Valley through voices and stories in the NYU Production Lab Summer Podcast Incubator.

Charles Siebert, author of three critically acclaimed memoirs and Professor of Practice of Literature and Creative Writing, and NYU student Zoe Patterson share their experiences with Letters From Afar: Travel Writing Abroad.

Michael Allen Harris, current MFA Dramatic Writing student at Tisch and winner of Lorraine Hansberry (Best Writing of a Play) Award at the 2018 Black Theatre Alliance Awards, shares a first time read through of his new pilot.

NYU graduate and documentarian, TJ Parsell, shares his experience creating his latest documentary film, Invisible, which sheds light on the discrimination of gay or queer artists in the country music industry.

NYU graduate student, Nou Moua, shares her experience starting as a new podcaster and developing her own podcast, Hmongumentary.

Playwright Joey Merlo shares his experience developing a pilot with the NYU Production Lab that blends his personal experience with his family's connection to Tennessee Williams.

NYU MFA candidate Sonia Feigelson talks creative writing and reads an excerpt from her novel No One Still Here is Not in Love about gender, sexuality, and surveillance through the lens of a reality television show not unlike the Bachelor.

Thinking about starting your own podcast? We hosted a live event where we learned from producer pros Michael Garofalo from Kickstarter and Megan Tan from Millennial about what it takes to produce a story.

Thinking about starting your own podcast? We hosted a live event and learned from producer pros Kerrianne Thomas from Gimlet Creative and Ike Sriskandarajah from The Daily about what it takes to produce a story.

Since half the battle is showing up, this episode is all about commitment.