taking up space: queer visibility, self-referential artwork & cringe culture

the t on transitioning: cultural context, gender(less) expression and trans grief

hiii we're Dira & Fran 🫰🏽 we both have a distant past as media producers back when we were (even more) young: Dira as MTV host and radio announcer in Indonesia, and Fran as a youth cultural journalist in Nicaragua. life took us in many directions before crossing paths in Berlin (God's timing is purrrfect, as we say) and we've now decided to go back to cultural production with this radio show in which we talk about woke-ish stuff. follow along!💽 about this episodeon today’s episode, we are spilling the T in Transitioning: we talk about how we relate or not to the terms, and the fact that transitioning has its fluid shapes and meanings to each person. Dira found transitioning is like being in a state of lost and found. Fran never felt they transition at all. we also acknowledge that sitting next to trans joy, there’s trans grief because in order for us to be here, we needed to loose parts of ourselves, as well as relationships and loves. we are glad you are here with us, thank you for listening to and witnessing our stories💽 some fancy texts about ourselvesDirandra Sandyakala (all pronouns/dia) is an Indonesian educator and performance artist based in Berlin. Their multidisciplinary practice touches on themes of self-reclamation, fluid identity, body memory, grief and transformation. Dira's work incorporates playfulness, allowing the body to explore and heal on different mediums and embodied storytelling and rawness as essential tools for artistic expression.https://www.instagram.com/dirandrakalafran ilzilú ñurinda (Managua, 1996) is a central american media producer living in Berlin who sometimes doubles as a farm girl on a family-owned plantain field back in Nicaragua. they're currently working on their first written publication and running imaginary box, a production platform that facilitates the exchange of information, media-making resources, equipment and technical skills among trans and/or racialised cultural producers to support efforts in building creative and economic autonomy so that we can reclaim self-determined representation in media and historyhttps://www.instagram.com/ilziluhttps://www.instagram.com/imgnrybx

taking up space: queer visibility, self-referential artwork & cringe culture

hiii we're Dira & Fran 🫰🏽 we both have a distant past as media producers back when we were (even more) young: Dira as MTV host and radio announcer in Indonesia, and Fran as a youth cultural journalist in Nicaragua. life took us in many directions before crossing paths in Berlin (God's timing is purrrfect, as we say) and we've now decided to go back to cultural production with this radio show in which we talk about woke-ish stuff. follow along! 💽 about this episode Dira's film A's for Andra is premiering at Queer Exposed Berlin Film Festival, and we take that as an excuse to get into self-referential art, taking up space and telling our own stories… we also get into cringe. the shame of watching urself back, listening to ur own voice & posting the damn video. ALSO, Dira’s film A's for Andra screens on May 31st at 8:30pm at Babylon Kreuzberg, Berlin, go watch it 💽 some fancy texts about ourselves Dirandra Sandyakala (all pronouns/dia) is an Indonesian educator and performance artist based in Berlin. Their multidisciplinary practice touches on themes of self-reclamation, fluid identity, body memory, grief and transformation. Dira's work incorporates playfulness, allowing the body to explore and heal on different mediums and embodied storytelling and rawness as essential tools for artistic expression. https://www.instagram.com/dirandrakala fran ilzilú ñurinda (Managua, 1996) is a central american media producer living in Berlin who sometimes doubles as a farm girl on a family-owned plantain field back in Nicaragua. they're currently working on their first written publication and running imaginary box, a production platform that facilitates the exchange of information, media-making resources, equipment and technical skills among trans and/or racialised cultural producers to support efforts in building creative and economic autonomy so that we can reclaim self-determined representation in media and history https://www.instagram.com/ilzilu https://www.instagram.com/imgnrybx

pushing through confusing times: cancelling plans, uncertainty and ways we're coping

hiii we're Dira & Fran 🫰🏽 we both have a distant past as media producers back when we were (even more) young: Dira as MTV host and radio announcer in Indonesia, and Fran as a youth cultural journalist in Nicaragua. life took us in many directions before crossing paths in Berlin (God's timing is purrrfect, as we say) and we've now decided to go back to cultural production with this radio show in which we talk about woke-ish stuff. follow along!💽 about this episodein this episode we talk about what it feels like when the world outside and the personal stuff inside crash into each other all at once. Dira is going through a divorce (yes, a divorce, let's call it what it is), a move, spring allergies, and an emotional rollercoaster of goodbyes. Fran was in production mode and now trying to make space for sadness, fears and uncertainty. so we talk about that. about holding joy and grief at the same time, about burnout and guilt and what rest actually meanshosted by Dira & Franproduced by imaginary box💽 about usDirandra Sandyakala (all pronouns/dia) is an Indonesian educator and performance artist based in Berlin. Their multidisciplinary practice touches on themes of self-reclamation, fluid identity, body memory, grief and transformation. Dira's work incorporates playfulness, allowing the body to explore and heal on different mediums and embodied storytelling and rawness as essential tools for artistic expression.https://www.instagram.com/dirandrakalafran ilzilú ñurinda (Managua, 1996) is a central american media producer living in Berlin who sometimes doubles as a farm girl on a family-owned plantain field back in Nicaragua. they're currently working on their first written publication and running imaginary box, a production platform that facilitates the exchange of information, media-making resources, equipment and technical skills among trans and/or racialised cultural producers to support efforts in building creative and economic autonomy so that we can reclaim self-determined representation in media and historyhttps://www.instagram.com/ilziluhttps://www.instagram.com/imgnrybx

loving ourselves loudly: the inner child, wellness culture and collectivism

about Dira's film: the news it's actually not out yet (oops!). we'll share more info soon (: hiii we're Dira & Fran 🫰🏽 we both have a distant past as media producers back when we were (even more) young: Dira as MTV host and radio announcer in Indonesia, and Fran as a youth cultural journalist in Nicaragua. life took us in many directions before crossing paths in Berlin (God's timing is purrrfect, as we say) and we've now decided to go back to cultural production with this radio show in which we talk about woke-ish stuff. follow along! 💽 about this episode in this episode we sit with the idea of self-love. what it actually means, how has it been sold as, and what it feels like to practice it in the wellness era. we talk about how we were taught to love (or not love) ourselves growing up, in Nicaragua, in Indonesia, in religion, in the media. we get into the inner child, the wounded kid, loving loudly without apologising for it, neurodivergence and support networks when individualistic self-love falls short. Pelu makes another appearance as it's becoming usual, and that's it hosted by Dira & Fran produced by imaginary box special thanks to Pelu 💽 about us Dirandra Sandyakala (all pronouns/dia) is an Indonesian educator and performance artist based in Berlin. Their multidisciplinary practice touches on themes of self-reclamation, fluid identity, body memory, grief and transformation. Dira's work incorporates playfulness, allowing the body to explore and heal on different mediums and embodied storytelling and rawness as essential tools for artistic expression. https://www.instagram.com/dirandrakala fran ilzilú ñurinda (Managua, 1996) is a central american media producer living in Berlin who sometimes doubles as a farm girl on a family-owned plantain field back in Nicaragua. they're currently working on their first written publication and running imaginary box, a production platform that facilitates the exchange of information, media-making resources, equipment and technical skills among trans and/or racialised cultural producers to support efforts in building creative and economic autonomy so that we can reclaim self-determined representation in media and history https://www.instagram.com/ilzilu https://www.instagram.com/imgnrybx

terminology check: woke, bipoc, racialised, flinta, queer & ‘transgenderism’

hiii we're Dira & Fran 🫰🏽 we both have a distant past as media producers back when we were (even more) young: Dira as MTV host and radio announcer in Indonesia, and Fran as a youth cultural journalist in Nicaragua. life took us in many directions before crossing paths in Berlin (God's timing is purrrfect, as we say) and we've now decided to go back to cultural production with this radio show in which we talk about woke-ish stuff. follow along!💽 about this episodein this episode we do something we sit with the words. the ones we use to describe ourselves, the ones that get used on us, and the ones that keep shifting as we speak. we go through a handful of terms: woke, BIPOC, racialised, FLINTA, transgenderism, and try to figure out what they actually mean, where they came from, and how we personally relate to them (or don't). turns out language is exhausting and also the only thing we have. we also hear from our friend Kazim, who drops in with something we really needed to hear about identity labels and diaspora. Pelu makes a special appearance, as is becoming usual. anddd we don't really arrive at conclusions, as that was never the plan :)hosted by Dira & Franproduced by imaginary boxspecial thanks to Kazim, Mata & Pelu💽 about usDirandra Sandyakala (all pronouns/dia) is an Indonesian educator and performance artist based in Berlin. Their multidisciplinary practice touches on themes of self-reclamation, fluid identity, body memory, grief and transformation. Dira's work incorporates playfulness, allowing the body to explore and heal on different mediums and embodied storytelling and rawness as essential tools for artistic expression.https://www.instagram.com/dirandrakalafran ilzilú ñurinda (Managua, 1996) is a central american media producer living in Berlin who sometimes doubles as a farm girl on a family-owned plantain field back in Nicaragua. they're currently working on their first written publication and running imaginary box, a production platform that facilitates the exchange of information, media-making resources, equipment and technical skills among trans and/or racialised cultural producers to support efforts in building creative and economic autonomy so that we can reclaim self-determined representation in media and historyhttps://www.instagram.com/ilziluhttps://www.instagram.com/imgnrybx