ISPAstreams Podcast
Meditations On
The ISPA Podcast
Deep conversations with performing arts leaders from around the world, exploring the ideas, challenges, and breakthroughs shaping our field.
About the Podcast
Meditations On
Meditations On is an ISPA podcast that dives into the pressing leadership challenges and opportunities facing the arts today. Host Ilter Ibrahimof interviews a range of global industry leaders and experts, with
each episode addressing a specific topic.
Meditations On brings ISPA's renowned congress provocations into the digital world — exploring the ideas that shape the global performing arts community.
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Episode 1
Meditations On Arts Leadership: Reem Allam
Reem Allam
Associate Director, Artistic Planning
NYU Abu Dhabi · UAE
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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 safeguard artists'
freedom of expression.
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Episode 2
Meditations On Arts Leadership: Toks Dada
Toks Dada
Head of Classical Music
Southbank Centre · United Kingdom
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In this episode, we explore the innovative approach of London's South Bank Centre's classical music head, and the UK's youngest senior curator, Toks Dada. The conversation centers on attracting younger audiences to classical music through
strategic program curation. Curating with intention, considering audience preferences, and using partnerships to grow and diversify are key themes.
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Episode 3
Meditations On Arts Leadership: Rita Ezenwa-Okoro
Rita Ezenwa-Okoro
Executive Director
Global Play Brigade · Nigeria
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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. She advocates for the performing arts to lead development and encourages listeners to use the arts for social change.
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Episode 1
Meditations On Transforming Lives Through Music
Ahmad Sarmast
Founder and Director
Afghanistan National Institute of Music · Afghanistan
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The Afghanistan National Institute of Music has been a source of national pride and a symbol 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? In December of 2021, host Ilter Ibrahimof discussed these issues with ANIM founder Dr. Ahmad Sarmast at his and the school's new home of Lisbon, Portugal.
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Episode 2
Meditations On Embodying Empathy and Reconciliation Through the Arts
Diana Gutiérrez
Embodying Reconciliation · Colombia
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Juan Miranda
Universidad Católica San Pablo · Peru
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Diana Teresa Gutierrez and Juan Philippe Miranda Medina 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.
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Episode 3
Meditations On the Art of Listening
Muriel Miguel
Artistic Director
Spiderwoman Theater · United States
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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. A multi-talented actor, choreographer, playwright and
visionary, Muriel spoke about the importance of story, what it means to really listen to one another, and what inclusion does and doesn't look like.
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Episode 1
Meditations On Art in Outer Space
Nahum
Artist
Nahum Studios & KOSMICA Institute · Mexico
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Berlin-based artist musician Nahum 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.
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Episode 2
Meditations On Arts Leadership
Darren Walker
President
Ford Foundation · United States
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Darren Walker is the visionary president of the Ford Foundation, an independent non-profit 13 billion dollar international social justice institution. Walker discusses his personal journey, the future of arts leadership, and how social
justice, empathy, and radical thinking must guide the way.
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Episode 3
Meditations On Digital Accessibility
Anna Gallagher-Ross
Fusebox · United States
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Debbie Patterson
Sick + Twisted Theatre · Canada
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Maria Vlachou
Acesso Cultura · Portugal
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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: presenter Anna Gallagher-Ross, artist Debbie Patterson, and consultant Maria Vlachou.
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