$30,000. That’s the prize money that just changed the game for the Khadok Arts Collective!

Tashi Nyima and their small team of four in Dharamsala recently received the prestigious Rubin Museum Himalayan Art Prize. Just two year’s after one of their closest friends and collaborator Jigme Choedak aka JC unfortunately passed away. The prize is the kind of validation many dream of—especially when they start as "backbenchers" who don't fit the traditional mold.

In this episode, Namri sits down with Tashi to talk about the reality behind the headline. They discuss what he and his co-founders Tenzin Melak and Lea Taake motivated to continue with the collective, what it means to paint the raw, messy reality of humans instead of perfect deities, and why living in a safe settlement doesn't always mean you feel “settled."

Also, the $30,000 win and how the Rubin Prize impacts the collective and the pressure that comes with it. How he began to focus more on his own works after a scary health issue when he was younger.

Follow Khadok Collective and Tashi Nyima!

Instagram: @khadok_arts and @_hoo.man_

Website: khadok.com

SUPPORT this podcast

OUT OF TIBET is a free podcast. If you’d like to support this podcast financially, please check out:

Patreon: patreon.com/OUTOFTIBET

Buy me a coffee: buymeacoffee.com/outoftibet

Paypal: paypal.me/nsld

Follow me on Instagram: @namridagyab

Music by Prod. Pluvio

Tenzin Dazel spent years in the heart of the Paris fashion world, working for names like Ann Demeulemeester and Jérôme Dreyfuss. But she realized that designing bags wasn't enough—she wanted to design narratives.

In this honest conversation, Dazel takes us behind the scenes of her journey from a fashion student in France to becoming one of the most distinct voices in Tibetan cinema. She shares the gritty reality of making her first film, Royal Cafe, with zero budget, and the massive undertaking of her new feature, Dharamsala.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Fashion vs. Film: Why she left a promising career in luxury fashion to tell stories that matter.
• Breaking the Mold: Dealing with the "bad girl" label for smoking, speaking her mind, and refusing to fit the "perfect Tibetan" stereotype.
• The Reality of Filmmaking: The immense mental and physical toll of directing Dharamsala, dealing with budget constraints, and the "burnout" that followed.
• Authenticity: Why she insists on showing Tibetans as complex, flawed humans rather than idealized figures.

Listen now to hear how one woman is redefining what it means to be a Tibetan artist in the diaspora.

Join me for a unique conversation with Jalue Dorje, an 18-year-old from Minnesota who is also the reincarnated Taksham Rinpoche recognized by the Dalai Lama.

• A Dual Life: He shares the surreal experience of being recognized at age four, sitting with high lamas, studying all the time, while navigating life as a normal American teenager.
• Modern Rinpoche: We discuss Rinpoche's passion for the Atlanta Falcons, trading cards, playing Madden, and his appreciation for rappers like Lil Baby.

• Future & Philosophy: Taksham Rinpoche talks about his biggest challenge—the vast study of Tibetan Buddhism—and his core, simple value: "If you can’t help them, don’t hurt them. Just be a good person."

Listen now for a funny yet profound look at a new generation of Tibetan leadership.

Follow Taksham Rinpoche:

Instagram: @ft.luedort

Website: https://takshamtulku.org/

SUPPORT

OUT OF TIBET is a free podcast. If you’d like to support this podcast financially, please check out:

Patreon: patreon.com/OUTOFTIBET

Buy me a coffee: buymeacoffee.com/outoftibet

Paypal: paypal.me/nsld

Follow me on Instagram: @namridagyab

Music by Prod. Pluvio

Join us for an extraordinary journey with Tencho Gyatso, President of the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT). She offers a rare, personal history of the Tibetan community.

• Dharamsala Life: Tencho shares her youth in Dharamsala, which felt like a complete Tibetan bubble. She describes how different the town was in the 60s and 70s compared to today's tourist hotspot.

• The Family Cliché: Tencho reveals that despite being the Niece of the Dalai Lama, she was expected to carry your own weight and received no privileges.

• Early Responsibility: Hear how Tencho quickly entered the world of business after her father passed, running the family restaurant. She details the intense challenge of being a woman running a business in India—a "very male-dominated business and society".

• Success through Teamwork: Her ability to run the business successfully was built on teamwork with the staff her father had employed.

• Political Rise: Learn how she unexpectedly joined the Tibetan Parliament at just 25 years old.

• Life Philosophy: Tencho shares the wisdom she learned from her mother: It doesn't matter what you do. You have to do it really well so that you can leave an impact.

Listen now for powerful insights on Tibetan Exile, resilience, and finding purpose.

Follow Tencho GYATSO:

Instagram: @tenchogyatso

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tencho-gyatso-7b52a56a/

Check out the International Campaign for Tibet:

Website: savetibet.org

Instagram: @savetibetorg

Youtube: @InterCampaignTibet

Twitter: @SaveTibetOrg

Facebook: @InternationalCampaignforTibet

Bluesky: @savetibet.bsky.social

SUPPORT

OUT OF TIBET is a free podcast. If you’d like to support this podcast financially, please check out:

Patreon: patreon.com/OUTOFTIBET

Buy me a coffee: buymeacoffee.com/outoftibet

Paypal: paypal.me/nsld

Follow me on Instagram: @namridagyab

Music by Prod. Pluvio

In this powerful and deeply personal episode of OUT OF TIBET, Tibetan-Australian musician Tenzin Choegyal shares his story — from growing up in a Tibetan refugee school in India to performing for thousands of people and being nominated for a Grammy.

We talk about how music became his path to freedom, healing, and storytelling — blending ancient nomadic songs with new sounds he calls “tsampa fusion.” Tenzin opens up about the spiritual connection behind Tibetan instruments like the dranyen, why music (like water) should never be boxed in, and how his songs carry the stories of a people in exile.

He speaks about working odd jobs in Australia, navigating the music industry, and what it truly means to represent a culture that’s often misrepresented — or erased. Plus: what it was like acting for the first time, and how he finds home in sound, not geography.

Whether you’re into world music, curious about Tibetan culture, or seeking inspiration on how to turn personal history into art — this one’s for you.

Follow Tenzin Choegyal!

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tibet_effect/

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/intl-de/artist/4C4wNUmOrOgXWI3S3twrl4?si=3G9IiIPBSoSzS8Fofls4WA

Website https://www.tenzinchoegyal.com/

SUPPORT me

OUT OF TIBET is a free podcast. If you’d like to support this podcast financially, please check out:

Patreon: ⁠patreon.com/OUTOFTIBET⁠

Buy me a coffee: ⁠buymeacoffee.com/outoftibet⁠ 

Paypal: ⁠paypal.me/nsld⁠

Follow me on Instagram: ⁠@namridagyab⁠

Music by ⁠Prod. Pluvio

Tsering Yangzom LAMA is the author of We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies — a powerful debut novel about a Tibetan family living in exile over the span of five decades.

The book has been met with wide acclaim, won multiple awards, and even made its way into the hands of His Holiness the Dalai Lama — a moment that left Tsering speechless and in tears.

In this episode, we talk about the less glamorous side of writing: the daily discipline, the doubts, and the deep emotional states that make stories come alive.

Tsering shares her resistance to stereotypical imagery on Tibetan book covers, how she keeps her creativity grounded through routine, and why she still works in environmental advocacy while writing her next novel — a historical tale of ancient Tibet, saints and black magic.

Follow Tsering Yangzom LAMA and buy her Debut Novel!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tseringylama/

Website: https://tseringlama.com/

Buy her book: https://www.amazon.com/We-Measure-Earth-Our-Bodies/dp/1635576415

SUPPORT me

OUT OF TIBET is a free podcast. If you’d like to support this podcast financially, please check out:

Patreon: patreon.com/OUTOFTIBET

Buy me a coffee: buymeacoffee.com/outoftibet 

Paypal: paypal.me/nsld

Follow me on Instagram: @namridagyab

Music by Prod. Pluvio

SELDON Tenzin aka Tibchick is the first female Tibetan rapper who rose to fame. Her videos have racked up millions of views on Youtube. But behind the beats and bold lyrics is someone who calls herself the queen of procrastination. From dropping bars to dealing with panic before performing them, she opens up about mental health, her relationship with the Tibetan language, growing through criticism and why her mom cried hearing her lyrics. It’s raw, funny, and full of heart. Just like Tibchick.

Trigger warning: Mentions of anxiety and suicidal thoughts. Listen with care.

Follow SELDON Tenzin – and checkout Tibchick’s latest song Pe$ha on Youtube!

Youtube: @TiBcHiCkKkk

Instagram: @tibchick

Spotify: @Tibchick

SUPPORT me

OUT OF TIBET is a free podcast. If you’d like to support this podcast financially, please check out:

Patreon: ⁠patreon.com/OUTOFTIBET⁠

Buy me a coffee: ⁠buymeacoffee.com/outoftibet⁠ 

Paypal: ⁠paypal.me/nsld⁠

Follow me on Instagram: ⁠@namridagyab⁠

Music by ⁠Prod. Pluvio

Since 1950, Tibet has been under Chinese occupation.

Today, Hundreds and Thousands of Tibetans live scattered across the globe — from Dharamsala to New York, from the Swiss Alps to Tokyo, from Sydney to Berlin.

Our lives might be different, but we share something deep: our Tibetan identity, and a longing for a homeland many of us have never seen.

My name is Dagyab Namri Songtsen Lhundup. I was born and raised in Germany by Tibetan parents and I know what it means to live outside of Tibet.

In this podcast, I want to explore the many faces of Tibetan life — by talking with Tibetans and Friends of Tibet from all walks of life: from the arts to activism, from sports to science or anything else that might come up.

This way we’ll share stories of hope, struggle, culture, and belonging — creating a space for Tibetans everywhere, and for everyone who cares about Tibet.

This is… Out of Tibet.

SUPPORT me:

OUT OF TIBET is a free podcast. If you’d like to support this podcast financially, please check out:

Patreon: patreon.com/OUTOFTIBET

Buy me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/outoftibet

Paypal: paypal.me/nsld

Follow me on Instagram: @namridagyab

THANK YOU for listening + Hope to see you in Tibet!

Chompel BALOK was born in Switzerland to Tibetan parents and the struggles of his parents not being fluent in the local language. The 51-year old works as the Deputy Secretary General with the Swiss canton of Sankt Gallen. Before that he switched careers a few times, working in the finance industry, at the post office, where he learned to become a „real“ Swiss, as an editor for a political magazing and campaigner for a Tibetan NGO in Berlin. His mantra? Doing is more important than detailed planning. 

Follow Chompel on Instagram: @chbalok

SUPPORT me

OUT OF TIBET is a free podcast. If you’d like to support this podcast financially, please check out:

Patreon: ⁠patreon.com/OUTOFTIBET⁠

Buy me a coffee: ⁠buymeacoffee.com/outoftibet⁠ 

Paypal: ⁠paypal.me/nsld⁠

Follow me on Instagram: ⁠@namridagyab⁠

Music by ⁠Prod. Pluvio