Ep #97: OUTCRY Project: How Collective Scream Sessions Create Radical Empathy and Healing with Whitney Bradshaw
Thank you for listening to noseyAF! So happy to have your ears!
This conversation was recorded live at Lumpen Radio on Saturday, December 13, 2025
Summary of the episode
What does it look like to be out loud together? In this powerful episode, artist and activist Whitney Bradshaw shares the story behind OUTCRY—her groundbreaking social practice project that brings women, non-binary, and genderqueer people together for collective scream sessions centered on healing, resistance, and radical empathy.
Born from the intersection of the MeToo movement and the 2016 election,OUTCRY creates intentionally intersectional spaces where participants practice speaking up and out for themselves, release trauma held in their bodies, and build unexpected community with strangers. Over seven years, Whitney has facilitated nearly 80 sessions in 14 states, photographing more than 530 participants in moments of raw emotional power.
We get the skinny on what actually happens during these two-hour sessions, the science behind why screaming makes us 7% stronger, and how radical empathy can transform both personal healing and collective action. Plus, we talk about the new documentary film OUTCRY: Alchemists of Rage, somatic therapy, scream boxes, and why our culture desperately needs more spaces for collective grieving.
Key Takeaways:
- The OUTCRY project serves as a transformative platform for collective healing and empowerment, particularly for marginalized communities
- Screaming is not merely an act of expression; it serves as a therapeutic mechanism that fosters resilience, emotional release, and literally makes you 7% stronger
- Whitney Bradshaw's work emphasizes the importance of radical empathy, encouraging participants to engage deeply with diverse experiences across intersectional identities
- The sessions facilitate a unique environment where individuals can practice voicing their truths in front of strangers, contributing to personal and communal growth and often forming lasting friendships and activist networks
Resources & Links:
- The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
- 21C Museum Hotel Louisville (current exhibition through end of December 2025)
Chapters
- 00:09 - Introduction to Motivation and Self-Reflection
- 01:38 - Introducing OUTCRY: A Collective Healing Experience
- 17:14 - Voices Unleashed: The Power of Sharing Stories
- 22:50 - The Importance of Expressing Anger
- 27:11 - Introduction to Radical Empathy
- 41:41 - The Evolution of OUTCRY
- 51:10 - The Evolution of OUTCRY: A Journey of Healing and Art
- 55:57 - Exploring Artistic Identity and New Projects
All about Whitney
You're gonna love Whitney she's a powerhouse artist, activist, and the kind of person who invites neighbors over to scream in her living room (and bakes banana bread for the occasion).
Whitney Bradshaw is an artist, activist, educator, curator, former social worker, and documentary film producer whose practice is dedicated to healing and empowerment while boldly confronting the social systems that marginalize and oppress. She is the creator of OUTCRY, an ongoing social practice project that has been exhibited widely across the United States, with solo shows at Atlanta Contemporary, the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, the DePaul Art Museum, Villanova University Art Gallery, Moreau Galleries at St. Mary's College, the 21c Museum Hotel Louisville, and Wave Pool Contemporary Art Fulfillment Center.
Her photographs are held in prominent collections including the Museum of Contemporary Photography, the DePaul Art Museum, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, the Hall Art and Technology Foundation, and the Sara M. and Michelle Vance Waddell Collection and have been featured in Ms. Magazine, The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, NewCity Magazine, and Vogue.
Both Whitney and OUTCRY are the subject of a short documentary film titled OUTCRY: Alchemists of Rage directed by Clare Major and produced by Frankly Speaking Films. The film premiered at the Frameline Film Festival in San Francisco in June 2024 and was shortlisted for the International Documentary Association's Best Short Film Award of 2024.
In Fall 2023, Whitney was named one of NewCity Magazine's "50 Chicago Artists' Artists." She currently serves as curator at the Lubeznik Center for the Arts in Michigan City, Indiana, following earlier roles as chair of the visual arts conservatory at the Chicago High School for the Arts, curator of the esteemed LaSalle Bank Photography Collection, and adjunct professor of photography at Columbia College Chicago. Before her curatorial and educational career, she worked as a social worker supporting survivors of sexual abuse and assault, families of children with disabilities, and adults with disabilities.
Whitney holds an MFA in Photography from Columbia College Chicago and a BA in Sociology and Women's Studies from Eastern Illinois University, where she helped establish the interdisciplinary Women's Studies program in 1988 and became its first graduate in 1991.
Recent Press on Whitney:
- Ms. Magazine: "Screaming for Change"
- NewCity: "Feminine Gaze Feminine Rage OUTCRY" by Zara Yost (August 8, 2024)
- NewCity's Top 50 Chicago Artists' Artists
- Ms. Magazine: "Whitney Bradshaw's OUTCRY"
Sponsor Shoutout 💖
This episode is brought to you by Artist Admin Hour
Every Wednesday, 7 to 9pm Central, artists show up on Zoom to tackle what we've been avoiding: residency applications, grant apps, budgets, invoices, whatever's on your list. Two hours of body doubling with structure, no shame, and real community. $25 to $45 a month gets you in. But if that's not doable, email me—getting this done is very important, and we will make it work.
Stop letting admin sabotage your practice. Join us today at Artist Admin Hour.
Connect with Whitney
- Website: WhitneyBradshaw.com
- Instagram: @thewhitneybradshaw
- Film Website: OUTCRYfilm.com
- Whitney's Linktree : For upcoming screenings, exhibitions, and sessions
- Coming Up: The Feminist Art Project's Special Session at the College Art Association National Conference in Chicago on Feb 21
More ways to connect:
- Email: [email protected]
- Check out my work
- Follow me on Instagram: @stephaniegraham
- Listen to more episodes
Support & Feedback
- Share noseyAF with friends
- Rate & Review the Show
- Buy Pins & Prints | Shop Art
Episode Credits
Produced, Hosted, and Edited by Me, Stephanie (teaching myself audio editing!)
Lyrics: Queen Lex
Instrumental: Freddie Bam Fam
Photo of Whitney by Jamie Kelter Davis for Seriously Badass Women
