When is a time you felt like you were doing something wrong just by being you?

This episode of Intermission Conversations features two New York based artists Maya Ciarrocchi and Kris Grey as they survey their 8 year collaboration as Gender/Power: a transgender and feminist led workshop series and teaching methodology offering intersectional, transformational tools that explore systems of power and their effects on our bodies. This episode unpacks the development of their creative curriculum, and the ultimate decision to close the project at this timely moment in our country’s extreme antagonism towards LGBTQ and other marginalized communities. We explore the inherent tension between evocative DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging) initiatives + our risk averse society, the cognitive and physical benefits of an embodied learning process, and the ongoing transience of the human experience for all.

Recommended reading, free + downloadable PDF: “From Safe Spaces to Brave Spaces” by Brian Arao and Krista Clemens

This trailer features an excerpt from our conversation with multimedia artist and educator Bayeté Ross Smith during Episode 1: Artful DEI Reaching the Core of What Moves Us.

Why is it that traditional DEI programs are so painstakingly ineffective, and often harmful to employees? Join us for this week’s episode of Intermission Conversations as we speak with artist Bayeté Ross Smith about his unique approach to DEI through multimedia storytelling that creates nuanced conversations about identity and its impact on our lived experiences.