During this episode of Why Change? co-hosts Madeleine and Jeff discuss their return to work and life after the 6th International Teaching Artists Conference in Oslo, Norway. They discuss Madeleine’s interview with Dr. Chen Alon, a theatre activist, teaching artist, and professor in Israel/Palestine. The discussion contemplates an evolution of Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed, bridging polarized communities, and hope.

During this episode of Why Change? co-hosts Madeleine and Jeff examine the changing of seasons, workloads, and how artists and institutions navigate that change. Madeleine shares her interview with SImon Sharkey, a Scottish theatre-maker and activist, who provides powerful stories and visions for the role of artists and institutions in society. Madeleine and Jeff think about how to apply this change of frame in their work.

During this episode of Why Change? co-hosts, Madeleine and Jeff discuss imagination, creativity, and play. Madeleine shares her interview with Francine Kleimann, an interdisciplinary artist from Brazil who is leading the “School if the Impossible” project. Both the interview and co-host discussion make the case for a broader vision for arts and cultural education to be one of application towards imagination and visioning for new futures.

In this episode of Why Change? you’ll meet the inspiring entrepreneur, Tee Sandifer, and learn about how she grew her arts organization into a social change empire for youth, family and communities. Building upon knowledge of self and her community’s needs, Miss Tee’s studio has taken off in a phase of rapid growth since the pandemic hit in 2020, as she works to re-educate families and community leaders about the integral role the arts can play in everyday life. Co-hosts Ashraf and Jeff reflect on the work of Studio T and the social responsibility of young artists as public servants in their communities.

In this episode of Why Change?, co-hosts Madeline and Jeff reflect on a dynamic conversation with storyteller Fidaa Ataya who shares her art as an “amazing, crazy tool for change.” Based in Palestine, Fidaa shares about the purpose and power of telling stories based on generational and cultural knowledge and how that can be applied to contemporary times as forms of peaceful protest. Together, Madeline and Jeff discuss the social responsibility artists have to use their art to draw attention to the causes they believe in.

During this episode of Why Change? co-hosts Madeleine and Jeff reflect on the place of the arts in creating systemic and policy-based change. Jeff interviews Thanh Bui, live from the World Alliance for Arts Education’s Virtual World Summit, to discuss his work breaking down the barriers of access to arts learning and building an arts education ecosystem in Vietnam. Together, Madeleine and Jeff discuss the scalability and replicability of this work.

During this episode of Why Change? co-hosts Madeleine and Jeff discuss transitions in their seasons and their work. Madeleine interviews Sudebi Thakurata, a creative facilitator and transdisciplinary designer, working in India, South-Asia and South-East Asia, Europe and the US. Madeleine and Jeff discuss how we can leverage our different areas of knowledge to use the arts as a way of understanding people, not just achieving outcomes.