Shahrazad Squad: In Conversation

"On which side of the door do I fit?": Selma Abinader on Community and Ancestral Wisdom

In this episode, Raeshma talks to Selma Abinader, an organizational consultant who has dedicated her career to working with nonprofits and public institutions. Hers is also a journey of self-discovery, from her upbringing in a small coal mining town to embracing her Lebanese heritage…along the way finding power in the significance of ancestral wisdom, and community. Selma shares some strategies that have helped her cultivate belonging. You can learn more about Selma's work at abinadergroup.com [https://abinadergroup.com/]. THE SHAHRAZAD SQUAD IS A COMMUNITY OF MENASA/SWANASA WOMXN CREATIVES, CULTURAL PRODUCERS AND CHANGE-AGENTS. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SHAHRAZAD SQUAD: SHAHRAZADSQUAD.ORG [https://www.shahrazadsquad.org/] CHECK US OUT ON INSTAGRAM: @SHAHRAZAD_SQUAD [https://www.instagram.com/shahrazad_squad/] INTERESTED IN OUR CONVERSATION CARDS? YOU CAN PURCHASE A DECK OF 60 BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED CONVERSATION CARDS WITH PROMPTS INSPIRED BY STORIES IN THE EPIC HISTORIC NOVEL, ‘1001 NIGHTS' FOR $25 HERE [https://www.shahrazadsquad.org/cards/p/conversation-cards]. GREAT FOR SMALL GATHERINGS, DINNER PARTIES, ICE BREAKERS AT TEAM/WORK EVENTS AND MORE! https://www.instagram.com/shahrazad_squad/ YOU CAN REQUEST TO BECOME A MEMBER THROUGH THE MIGHTY NETWORKS PLATFORM: SHAHRAZAD-SQUAD.MN.CO [https://shahrazad-squad.mn.co/] THANKS FOR LISTENING! AND REMEMBER... STORIES + SISTERHOOD = SAVE THE KINGDOM

Finding the "antidote to imposter syndrome": Shalini Agrawal on cultivating affinity spaces and decolonizing architecture

Sometimes soup is much more than soup. In this episode, Shalini Agarwal describes how her creative practice blossomed beyond the conventional confines of architecture, leading her to the heart of her ancestral heritage through cooking.  Along the way, we’ll spice this conversation with talk of decolonization, imposter syndrome and affinity spaces.  More about Shalini: Shalini Agrawal is informed by the diversity of her roles as architect, designer, facilitator, teacher and mother of 2 daughters. She brings over 25 years of hands-on experience in community-engaged practice in design and architecture. She is Director of Pathways to Equity [https://www.pathwaystoequity.org/], a design leadership program for social equity. Pathways to Equity was a recipient of the 2020 NOMA NAACP SEED Award [https://designcorps.org/seed-awards/pathways-to-equity-west-oakland-environmental-indicators-project/] for Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. She is Director of Programs for Open Architecture Collaborative [https://openarchcollab.org/]; founder of FIELD Design Network, a collective that builds capacity for women of color in design and architecture. She is also founder and principal of Public Design for Equity [http://www.publicdesignforequity.org/]. Shalini is Associate Professor in Critical Ethnic Studies, Interdisciplinary Studio and the Decolonial School [https://portal.cca.edu/thriving/decolonial-school/] at California College of the Arts, and teaches at the intersection of creative practice and community engagement. Shalini’s research and practice focuses on revealing the historical legacies of colonization in architecture and design and dismantling its lasting impacts. She is faculty and core organizer for Dark Matter University [https://darkmatteruniversity.org/] and sits on the board of Architects, Designers, Planners for Social Responsibility [https://www.adpsr.org/].  Shalini a contributing author to Design for Democracy: Techniques for Collective Creativity [https://islandpress.org/books/design-democracy] and Public Interest Design Education Guidebook [https://www.amazon.com/Public-Interest-Design-Education-Guidebook/dp/1138646636], and is the recipient of 2019 AIA San Francisco’s Community Alliance Award for Education. THE SHAHRAZAD SQUAD IS A COMMUNITY OF MENASA/SWANASA WOMXN CREATIVES, CULTURAL PRODUCERS AND CHANGE-AGENTS. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SHAHRAZAD SQUAD: SHAHRAZADSQUAD.ORG [https://www.shahrazadsquad.org/] CHECK US OUT ON INSTAGRAM: @SHAHRAZAD_SQUAD [https://www.instagram.com/shahrazad_squad/] INTERESTED IN OUR CONVERSATION CARDS? YOU CAN PURCHASE A DECK OF 60 BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED CONVERSATION CARDS WITH PROMPTS INSPIRED BY STORIES IN THE EPIC HISTORIC NOVEL, ‘1001 NIGHTS' FOR $25 HERE [https://www.shahrazadsquad.org/cards/p/conversation-cards]. GREAT FOR SMALL GATHERINGS, DINNER PARTIES, ICE BREAKERS AT TEAM/WORK EVENTS AND MORE! https://www.instagram.com/shahrazad_squad/ YOU CAN REQUEST TO BECOME A MEMBER THROUGH THE MIGHTY NETWORKS PLATFORM: SHAHRAZAD-SQUAD.MN.CO [https://shahrazad-squad.mn.co/] THANKS FOR LISTENING! AND REMEMBER... STORIES + SISTERHOOD = SAVE THE KINGDOM

Poppies, activism, and Odissi: Barnali Ghosh on home and homeland

Have you stopped and smelled the flowers today? Today’s guest most definitely has! In this episode, Raeshma talks to Barnali Ghosh about her art and activism, more specifically her project 'Unfaithful Re/creations,' a series of self portraits that honor California native flowers using sari fabrics and Odissi dance from India. Barnali Ghosh (@berkeleywali) is a designer, artist, storyteller, and transportation justice advocate based in Berkeley, California. Her work attempts to bridge homes and homelands, and create spaces for belonging. More about Barnali: Barnali Ghosh co-founded the award-winning Berkeley South Asian Radical History Walking Tour, which uses storytelling and theater to share narratives of local South Asian American resistance movements, from immigrant freedom fighters in the 1910s, to queer and feminist organizing a century later. Ghosh's latest project is a series of photographic self portraits that highlight the beauty of California’s native flowers, and the fabrics of South Asia. You can see her work on instagram @berkeleywali [https://www.instagram.com/berkeleywali/]and @berkeleysouthasian [https://www.instagram.com/berkeleysouthasian/]. Prints, posters and 2023 calendars of her flower recreations are available at www.barnalighosh.art [https://www.barnalighosh.art/] THE SHAHRAZAD SQUAD IS A COMMUNITY OF MENASA/SWANASA WOMXN CREATIVES, CULTURAL PRODUCERS AND CHANGE-AGENTS. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SHAHRAZAD SQUAD: SHAHRAZADSQUAD.ORG [https://www.shahrazadsquad.org/] CHECK US OUT ON INSTAGRAM: @SHAHRAZAD_SQUAD [https://www.instagram.com/shahrazad_squad/] INTERESTED IN OUR CONVERSATION CARDS? YOU CAN PURCHASE A DECK OF 60 BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED CONVERSATION CARDS WITH PROMPTS INSPIRED BY STORIES IN THE EPIC HISTORIC NOVEL, ‘1001 NIGHTS' FOR $25 HERE [https://www.shahrazadsquad.org/cards/p/conversation-cards]. GREAT FOR SMALL GATHERINGS, DINNER PARTIES, ICE BREAKERS AT TEAM/WORK EVENTS AND MORE! https://www.instagram.com/shahrazad_squad/ YOU CAN REQUEST TO BECOME A MEMBER THROUGH THE MIGHTY NETWORKS PLATFORM: SHAHRAZAD-SQUAD.MN.CO [https://shahrazad-squad.mn.co/] THANKS FOR LISTENING! AND REMEMBER... STORIES + SISTERHOOD = SAVE THE KINGDOM

From the "ideal" to the "real": Sheetal Gandhi on Challenging Notions of Womanhood through the Sitayana

Sheetal Gandhi is a Los Angeles based director/choreographer and multi-hyphenated artist (singer, dancer, actor, percussionist).  As a performer and interdisciplinary artist, Sheetal’s career has spanned genres and disciplines.  In 2021, Sheetal was cast in a one-woman play - a transposition of the Hindu epic The Ramayana - called The Sitayana (Or How To Make An Exit).  It's basically The Ramayana from Sita's point of view! She played all the characters, in a challenging virtual production.   In this interview, Sheetal talks about playing Sita and the dilemmas she faces, many of which mirror that of traditional Indian women's sacrifices in marriage.  About Sheetal: Sheetal Gandhi is a Los Angeles based director/choreographer and multi-hyphenated artist (singer, dancer, actor, percussionist).  As a performer and interdisciplinary artist, Sheetal’s career has spanned genres and disciplines.  She was a lead character and creator for Cirque du Soleil’s Dralion, played a leading role in the Broadway production of Bombay Dreams, danced throughout Ghana with the traditional West African dance company Novisi, and currently sings with the L.A. based, 30-person a cappella group, The Over Tones.  Her solo dance-theater work, Bahu-Beti-Biwi, has been presented in over 16 cities in the U.S. and in 5 countries.  She is the owner of The Well, a Pilates, Movement and Wellness Center [https://sheetalgandhi.com/classes], and a founding member of Dancing Storytellers [http://dancingstorytellers.com/], a group of artists that create assembly shows for schools in the greater Los Angeles area.  Sheetal is a proud MFA graduate of UCLA’s Department of World Arts and Cultures and has taught at various colleges and universities including Scripps College, Pomona College, Santa Monica Community College, UCLA, Cal State LA, Cal Poly Pomona and more. Stay in touch at sheetalgandhi.com [http://sheetalgandhi.com/] You can learn more about The Sitayana (Or How to Make an Exit) here: https://eastwestplayers.org/the-sitayana/ [https://eastwestplayers.org/the-sitayana/] THE SHAHRAZAD SQUAD IS A COMMUNITY OF MENASA/SWANASA WOMXN CREATIVES, CULTURAL PRODUCERS AND CHANGE-AGENTS. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SHAHRAZAD SQUAD: SHAHRAZADSQUAD.ORG [https://www.shahrazadsquad.org/] CHECK US OUT ON INSTAGRAM: @SHAHRAZAD_SQUAD [https://www.instagram.com/shahrazad_squad/] INTERESTED IN OUR CONVERSATION CARDS? YOU CAN PURCHASE A DECK OF 60 BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED CONVERSATION CARDS WITH PROMPTS INSPIRED BY STORIES IN THE EPIC HISTORIC NOVEL, ‘1001 NIGHTS' FOR $25 HERE [https://www.shahrazadsquad.org/cards/p/conversation-cards]. GREAT FOR SMALL GATHERINGS, DINNER PARTIES, ICE BREAKERS AT TEAM/WORK EVENTS AND MORE! https://www.instagram.com/shahrazad_squad/ YOU CAN REQUEST TO BECOME A MEMBER THROUGH THE MIGHTY NETWORKS PLATFORM: SHAHRAZAD-SQUAD.MN.CO [https://shahrazad-squad.mn.co/] THANKS FOR LISTENING! AND REMEMBER... STORIES + SISTERHOOD = SAVE THE KINGDOM

"When Stories Get Real": Denmo Ibrahim on Creativity and Healing

Shahrazad Squad director and host Raeshma Razvi sits down for a conversation with playwright, and meditation instructor, and squad member Denmo Ibrahim about her play Brilliant Mind (virtually staged in 2020) about how she navigated difficult family dynamics and trauma, and the extent to which making art allowed for acceptance, expression and healing. Brilliant Mind is the story of  siblings Dina and Yusef, who grapple with their estranged father’s death. It is story of hope, about what gets lost in translation, and what happens when we dare to love unconditionally.  Learn more about Denmo: https://www.denmoibrahim.com/ [https://www.denmoibrahim.com/] https://www.instagram.com/denmo_ibrahim/ [https://www.instagram.com/denmo_ibrahim/]  Denmo's  production of BABA is playing from April 21st - May 7th at the Amphibian Stage in Fort Worth, Texas. You can learn more and buy tickets here: https://amphibianstage.com/shows/baba/ [https://amphibianstage.com/shows/baba/]   About Denmo Ibrahim: Denmo Ibrahim is an American playwright, author, actor, and entrepreneur of Egyptian descent. Her plays include Arab Spring (Bay Area Playwrights Festival) Kal & Dija Save the World (Civilians’ R&D Group, Findings Series), the hybrid experience Brilliant Mind (Marin Theatre Company), BABA (Alter Theatre), Ecstasy / A Waterfable (Golden Thread), and The Day Naguib Mahfouz Was Stabbed In The Neck And Almost Died a.k.a. The Selkie Play (Finalist: NNPN’s Showcase of New Plays). Her recently released audio-immersive book, Zaynab’s Night of Destiny (Fons Vitae, Commonwealth Theatre Center) that engaged thousands of elementary and middle school students in 2022. Denmo’s plays have toured to international festivals and have been supported by The Ground Floor at Berkeley Rep, New York Theatre Workshop, Under St. Marks, Playwrights’ Center, Noor Theatre, Theatre Bay Area and Golden Thread Productions. Teaching credits include workshops at Loyac Academy of Performing Arts (Kuwait), Arab American National Museum, California Institute of Integral Studies, and the University of Oregon. Denmo is a resident artist of Golden Thread, a member of MENATMA [https://www.menatheatre.org/] (Middle Eastern Theatre Makers Alliance), founder & CEO of Earthbody Day Spa [https://earthbody.net/], and founder of The People’s Meditation [https://www.thepeoplesmeditation.com/]. Currently she's working on a ten part audio drama for Audible. Denmo holds an MFA in Lecoq-based Actor Created Physical Theater from Naropa University and a BFA in Acting from Boston University. denmoibrahim.com THE SHAHRAZAD SQUAD IS A COMMUNITY OF MENASA/SWANASA WOMXN CREATIVES, CULTURAL PRODUCERS AND CHANGE-AGENTS. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SHAHRAZAD SQUAD: SHAHRAZADSQUAD.ORG [https://www.shahrazadsquad.org/] CHECK US OUT ON INSTAGRAM: @SHAHRAZAD_SQUAD [https://www.instagram.com/shahrazad_squad/] INTERESTED IN OUR CONVERSATION CARDS? YOU CAN PURCHASE A DECK OF 60 BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED CONVERSATION CARDS WITH PROMPTS INSPIRED BY STORIES IN THE EPIC HISTORIC NOVEL, ‘1001 NIGHTS' FOR $25 HERE [https://www.shahrazadsquad.org/cards/p/conversation-cards]. GREAT FOR SMALL GATHERINGS, DINNER PARTIES, ICE BREAKERS AT TEAM/WORK EVENTS AND MORE! https://www.instagram.com/shahrazad_squad/ YOU CAN REQUEST TO BECOME A MEMBER THROUGH THE MIGHTY NETWORKS PLATFORM: SHAHRAZAD-SQUAD.MN.CO [https://shahrazad-squad.mn.co/] THANKS FOR LISTENING! AND REMEMBER... STORIES + SISTERHOOD = SAVE THE KINGDOM