Crip Camp Impact Campaign
Developing a creative and learning guide based the impact campaign designed around the award winning documentary Crip Camp...
18 March, 2021
“What To My People is The Fourth of July?”
Offsides ProductionsThe Upstanders Mindset: The Time to Step Into the Fight for Justice is NowReleased for July 4th weekend, starring Hamilton star Daveed Diggs, and in partnership with the Movement for Black Lives, Offsides Production's video provocatively explores the question: What does the Fourth of...
02 March, 2021
Break The Story Volume IV: Disability Visibility, with Special Guest Editor Alice Wong
This summer, millions celebrated the 30th anniversary of the American with Disabilities Act. They did so at a dramatic moment: amid an outcry for racial justice and under the weight of a global pandemic that has disproportionately affected their communities. At the Collaborative, we know that...
09 September, 2020
#BlackDisabledLivesMatter: Q&A with artist Jen White-Johnson
Inspired by her neurodivergent son, Black disabled artist, photographer, educator, and designer, Jen White-Johnson injects Disability Rights into the 2020 BLM movement....
09 September, 2020
Empathy is the Latest in Tech: An Interview with Storm Smith and Rikki Poynter
An interview with Caption Innovator Storm Smith and YouTube Star Rikki Poynter on the future of captions....
09 September, 2020
From Virtual to Virtually Accessible
How the impact campaign for the hit documentary Crip Camp was reimagined in a pandemic....
09 September, 2020
Wheelchairs Can’t Sit with Us
Actress and Comedian Maysoon Zayid on her journey as a Disabled performer....
09 September, 2020
What We Are Watching and Reading: Disability Visibility Edition
Check out a curated list of documentaries, films, books and essays to explore....
09 September, 2020
Cripping Philanthropy: How Collaborating with the Disabled Community Can Change Grantmaking
Collaborating with the Disabled community can change grantmaking....
09 September, 2020
Accessible Is the New Black: A guide to innovation in adaptive fashion
A FASHION VOID FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES… “Today there are more clothing options designed for pets than there are for people with disabilities.” —Disability Fashion Stylist, Stephanie Thomas, Cur8able “I can still be stylish and not look like I just came out of a hospital, because that’s what...
09 September, 2020
Disability as a Force for Cultural Innovation
Guest Editor Alice Wong introduces Disability Visibility....
09 September, 2020
I Wanna Be with You Everywhere (& I Am)
These disability creators reimagined live performance. Theater may never be the same....
09 September, 2020
Pop Culture Collaborative Launches Becoming America Fund
Pop Culture Collaborative Launches Becoming America Fund, supporting artists and activists to build public imagination around our collective future Initial $3.5 million will support artists, entertainers, and activists in creating change-inspiring pop culture content for this once-in-a-generation moment; first round of grantees announced Press Contact: Prerana Swami prerana@ellecomm.com July 28,...
28 July, 2020
Why I Wish I’d Never Watched “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Our collective survival depends not on making our nation a little bit better, but on building a deep, emotional yearning in millions of people to create something new in America: a just and pluralist society. How can the pop culture for social change field help millions...
28 July, 2020
Crenshaw Dairy Mart
Transforming Patrisse Cullors' best-selling memoir "When They Call You a Terrorist" into a television series...
11 July, 2020
Gender Justice and Entertainment Collective
Investigating how to mobilize entertainment leaders on gender justice issues...
11 July, 2020
Norman Lear Center-USC
Developing a field-wide impact learning system for the pop culture for social change field...
11 July, 2020
The Marsh Foundation
Building robust social justice partnerships with Emmy-winning "United Shades of America"...
11 July, 2020
Just Mercy/Represent Justice
Building a campaign around the critically acclaimed film Just Mercy...
09 July, 2020
National Guestworkers Alliance/Resilience Force
Introducing the Resilience Worker: Supporting America's recovery in times of crisis...
09 July, 2020
Caring Across Generations
Illuminating the essential and complex role of caregiving in our lives...
09 July, 2020
Noor Theater
Supporting Middle Eastern artists to control the narratives about their own cultures...
09 July, 2020
Open TV
Revolutionizing the way television and the arts are developed through an artist-centered and community-based approach...
09 July, 2020
People’s Action
Unearthing how and why rural communities have formed their beliefs about immigration...
09 July, 2020
Harness
Organizing artists, activists and entertainment leaders to use the power of storytelling to imagine and co-create a more equitable and just world....
09 July, 2020
Starfish Accelerator
Supporting the development and activation of an accelerator for mid-career culture change artists in entertainment...
09 July, 2020
The Soze Foundation
Assisting artists and activists who have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic...
09 July, 2020
The Center for Cultural Power
Assisting pop culture artists who have been deeply financially affected by the coronavirus pandemic and support for Disruptors Fellowship...
09 July, 2020
Opportunity Agenda
Assisting Creative Change Community members who have been financially affected by the coronavirus pandemic...
09 July, 2020
Pop Culture Collaborative Supports Four Non-Profits in Response to COVID-19
FOUR NON-PROFITS, WITH SUPPORT OF THE POP CULTURE COLLABORATIVE, RESPOND TO COVID-19 WITH FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR ARTISTS, ACTIVISTS, ORGANIZERS AND CULTURAL STRATEGISTS Press Contact: Prerana Swami prerana@ellecomm.com April 7, 2020 — In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its financial impact, four non-profits are launching or expanding existing funds, with...
07 April, 2020
Senior Fellow Emanuel Brown
Convening a culture change network across trans communities of color....
18 October, 2019
The Light Alliance
Depicting the grief of separating mother and child on the anniversary of the zero-tolerance family separation policy ...
22 August, 2019
Pillars Fund
Organizing stakeholders to design a long-term narrative strategy for the American Muslim community...
22 August, 2019
Accelerate Impact
Convening artists and cultural strategists to build a rapid response narrative infrastructure...
21 August, 2019
Senior Fellow Storm Smith
Testing innovative storytelling technologies for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community...
21 August, 2019
sparks & honey
Studying pop culture fandoms to understand how pluralistic behaviors show up in society...
21 August, 2019
The Soze Foundation
Convening artists and cultural strategists to build a rapid response narrative infrastructure...
21 August, 2019
5050by2020
Cultivating and organizing transmasculine and disabled artists’ voices...
13 August, 2019
BoomGen Studios
Building an accelerator for mid-career culture change artists in entertainment...
13 August, 2019
Break the Room Media
Centering historically excluded communities in TV writers rooms...
13 August, 2019
Cast Iron Company
A new artist-in-residence pilot to support artists of color to tell their own stories...
13 August, 2019
Center for Cultural Power
Overcoming barriers for undocumented artists in entertainment...
13 August, 2019
Define American
Redefining America’s story about immigrants, identity, and citizenship...
13 August, 2019
Department of the Future
Organizing the #EmpathyTech field to understand how to advance a pluralist culture...
13 August, 2019
For Freedoms
Using art to deepen public discussions on civic issues and core American values...
13 August, 2019
Paola Mendoza: Artist-Led Rapid Response
Advancing Artist-led rapid responses on immigration and gender justice...
13 August, 2019
Storyline Partners
Advancing authentic, accurate, and equitable narratives in television and film...
13 August, 2019
Think Tank for Inclusion and Equity
Creating a culture of equity and inclusion in tv writers rooms...
13 August, 2019
Unleashing Giants
Creating a talent pipelines for formerly incarcerated storytellers...
13 August, 2019
Ryan Senser, It’s Not Safe Out Here: If You’re Storytelling, You’re Already Too Late
Ryan Senser shares how we can build a culture where people sees the opportunity for transforming themselves and unveils his groundbreaking narrative change methodology. ...
24 April, 2019
Tracy Van Slyke: The World We Want: How People, Fandoms, and Immersive Storyworlds Will Shape America’s Future
Tracy Van Slyke asserts that culture change doesn’t have to happen to us, it can also be manifested by us. She explores how people powered pop culture change can help millions of people envision, create, and collectively fight for a world based in pluralism and...
24 April, 2019
Ai-Jen Poo, National Domestic Workers Alliance: The Age of Dignity for Domestic Workers
Ai-Jen Poo breaks down the incredible power of storytelling to advance social change and have transformative communication that can lead to generating progressive policy and a greater sense of empowerment for the everyday storytellers among us....
24 April, 2019
Shawn Taylor, Senior Fellow/Pop Culture Collaborative: Fandom Makes This World
We are all fans of something, right? So how we can remake the world because of, and with, the things that we love? Find out from Shawn Taylor in this talk....
24 April, 2019
Rashad Robinson, Color of Change: Presence to Power
Rashad Robinson poignantly lays out the challenge of changing norms and attitudes and explains how a multidisciplinary, integrated approach that shapes popular media can bring about racial justice....
24 April, 2019
Maytha Alhassen, Senior Fellow/Pop Culture Collaborative: From Real to Represented: Exploring the Space That Hollywood’s Muslim Storytelling Holds in our Cultural Imagination
Based on her report Haqq and Hollywood: 100 Years of Muslim Tropes and How to Transform Them, Maytha Alhassen critiques Hollywood’s long-term portrayals of Muslims and offers new paths forward that create and popularize authentic narratives for American Muslims in pop culture....
24 April, 2019
Caty Borum, Center for Media & Social Impact: Seven Minutes in Heaven with a Scientist
What’s funny about social justice? Caty Boorum Chattoo will tell you as she discusses the role of comedy and storytelling for social change....
24 April, 2019
Zahra Noorbakhsh, Senior Fellow/Pop Culture Collaborative: Funny is Funny: So What’s Happening to Stand-up Comedy?
Zahra Noorbakhsh will make you laugh so hard you’ll cry. But she’s not joking when she says that the future of culture depends on expanding the comedic talent pool. See how she says we can get there....
24 April, 2019
Heidi Boisvert, futurePerfect Lab: The Ethics of Button Pushing
Artist and scientist Heidi Boisvert wrestles with the question, “If you can design a tool (to measure the neuroscience of pop culture), but it can be turned into a weapon, should you build it?” as she shares her breakthrough audience data....
24 April, 2019
Alan Jenkins, The Opportunity Agenda: Vision, Values and Voice: Seven Lessons for Talking about Social Justice
Alan Jenkins shares incredible pro-tips to support changemakers’ long term goals in moving hearts and minds and driving audiences towards taking action....
24 April, 2019
Bridgit Antoinette Evans: My Year of Breaking Open
Through the telling of her own transformative journey, Bridgit Antoinette Evans demonstrates how culture change strategy uses a multi-layered approach, designed to create profound shifts in the narratives, values, beliefs and behaviors of mass audiences. ...
24 April, 2019
Philanthropy’s Unique Role in Television
A Q&A with Luminate’s Felipe Estefan and Unbound Philanthropy’s Adey Fisseha on what they’re watching, what they’re learning about television and social change, and how philanthropy can intentionally play a role in this expanding field....
19 March, 2019
Fixing Existing Pipelines Isn’t Enough. It’s Time to Make New Ones
From competitions to content accelerators, ColorCreative, BoomGen Studios, Open Television and more, are helping new diverse writers transcend traditional barriers into Hollywood....
19 March, 2019
“East of La Brea” Is Changing How Writers Rooms are Formed
Television veteran Sameer Gardezi partnered with social change activist Margari Hill to reimagine how a writers rooms is formed, and who is in it. The result? A groundbreaking new show about two American Muslim women, characters rarely seen in pop culture. Gardezi is...
19 March, 2019
Out of Prison, Into Television: Emil Pinnock Is Creating the Next Generation of Writers
With his independent show Up North, Emil Pinnock is bringing formerly incarcerated people into the writers room, forever changing how their stories can, and should, be told. ...
19 March, 2019
A Community for Creators
It's a constant fight for diverse artists to gain, and sustain power in the entertainment industry. So what do these show creators need to succeed?...
19 March, 2019
Rewriting the Narrative: How Social Change Organizations Are Bringing Communities Inside Writers Rooms
Color of Change, Harness, Define American, Storyline Partners and more are consulting with writers rooms and networks in order to center the authentic voices of diverse communities ...
19 March, 2019
What We’re Reading: Report Edition
Peruse some of the latest reports, tool kits and guides critical to helping the social justice field and the television industry understand the gaps, opportunities and needs to advance transformative culture change....
19 March, 2019
Fandoms Rise: Activists and Artists Should Pay Attention to This Pop Culture Force
A conversation with fandom and experiential storytelling experts Ivan Askwith, Mikhael Tara Garver and Shawn Taylor. ...
19 March, 2019
Diverse Writers in Television Face Systemic Racism and Harassment, New Report Says
“Behind the Scenes: The State of Inclusion and Equity in TV Writers Rooms” represents the first time working TV writers are speaking out about the bias, harassment and discrimination they face....
19 March, 2019
Breaking Good: A Journey Into the Making and Reimagining of Television
Four years ago, Bridgit Antoinette Evans wondered how artists and activists could organically work together to create riveting television. So she built the writers room to find out. ...
19 March, 2019
Writing Their Own Story: Two Undocumented Artists on Their New TV Pilot
Julio Salgado and Jesús Iñiguez want to disrupt the narrative about undocumented immigrants in pop culture....
19 March, 2019
Beyond the Numbers: Upcoming Audience Research That Will Impact How Content Is Created
This data will uncover TV audiences’ beliefs and behaviors in order to create shows with social impact at their core....
19 March, 2019
Previewing A Day of Unreasonable Conversation
Greg Propper previews A Day of Unreasonable Conversation, set to take place March 25 at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, which will bring together artists, organizers and political figures to discuss the issues impacting our lives....
19 March, 2019
Follow the Pipelines: Barriers and Interventions for Diverse Creators in Television [GRAPHIC]
A comprehensive visual detailing the systemic issues facing diverse writers and the ways academics, artists and activists are overcoming....
19 March, 2019
Calling on Television’s Superpowers: Imagining a Pluralist Future
The Good Place, The Walking Dead and more shows are helping millions of people see what it means to connect with, care for and be in community with each other. But, as the authors write, television can have an even higher purpose....
19 March, 2019
3 Questions: New Grantee Noor Theater’s Lameece Issaq on What It Means for Middle Eastern Stories to Reach a National Stage
Noor Theater is one of several Pop Culture Collaborative Winter 2018 Grantees cultivating the capacity of artists to advance cultural change within mass audiences., Founded in 2010, Noor Theater develops artists' voices and shares their often-unheard stories with diverse audiences to undo dangerous stereotypes of...
09 January, 2019
3 Questions: New Grantee 13Exp’s Mikhael Tara Garver on Experiential Storytelling for Social Change
A Pop Culture Collaborative Winter 2018 Grantee, 13Exp is a new experiential social impact entertainment studio, one of the first in a growing field focused on interlocking scalable, digital, and physical content with social impact as a driving force. Experiential narratives tell stories that reflect...
09 January, 2019
13Exp
13Exp is a new experiential social impact entertainment studio, one of the first in a growing field focused on interlocking scaleable, digital and physical content with social impact as a driving force. Experiential narratives tell stories that reflect the reality of what it is to...
01 January, 2019
Barcid Foundation
The Barcid Foundation is a nonprofit media arts organization founded by writer-producer Ian Skorodin to foster understanding of the culture, traditions, and issues of Native Americans. With the goal of creating a genuine and mutually beneficial relationship between the Native American community and the entertainment...
01 January, 2019
Brooklyn Historical Society
Founded in 1863, the Brooklyn Historical Society (BHS) is a nationally recognized urban history center with a mission to connect the past to the present and make the vibrant history of Brooklyn tangible, relevant, and meaningful for today's diverse communities, and for generations to come....
01 January, 2019
National Domestic Workers Alliance
The National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) builds power nationally for domestic workers, including nannies, housecleaners, and home healthcare workers. NDWA organizes low-wage workers to improve their living and working conditions; win respect and justice from employers and government; challenge racism and sexism that has led...
01 January, 2019
Noor Theater
Noor Theatre is an OBIE Award–winning company that supports, develops, and produces the work of theater artists of Middle Eastern descent. Led by Founding Artistic Director Lameece Issaq, an award-winning actor and writer, Noor was created to develop artists’ voices and share their often-unheard stories...
01 January, 2019
Open TV
OTV | Open Television is a platform for intersectional digital television that develops and supports the launch of indie series by Chicago-based Black, brown, differently abled, and queer artists. OTV aims to revolutionize the way TV and the arts are developed through an artist-centered and...
01 January, 2019
PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect open expression in the United States and worldwide. PEN's mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible....
01 January, 2019