Welcome to Season 2 of the Pivot Arts Podcast, Art Meets Science. Our first episode of the new season premieres on Wednesday, November 10 with the theme of Reshaping the Climate Narrative. Listen here or subscribe on any major podcast platform!

At the heart of most performance practice is storytelling. How can the arts impact the climate narrative? What can individuals and institutions do to make a difference when it comes to climate change? We’ll speak with a variety of artists, activists and experts about their work in shaping the story on climate and then close out with our featured artist, Nefertiti Abdulmalik, also known as SolAR Lightbeam.

EPISODE 1: RESHAPING THE CLIMATE NARRATIVE GUESTS:

Annalisa Dias (she/her) is a Goan-American transdisciplinary artist, community organizer, and award-winning theatre maker working at the intersection of racial justice and care for the earth. She is Director of Artistic Partnerships & Innovation at Baltimore Center Stage and a Co-Founder of Groundwater Arts. Prior to joining BCS, Annalisa was a Producing Playwright and Acting Creative Producer with The Welders, a DC playwright’s collective; and a Co-Founder of the DC Coalition for Theatre & Social Justice. For more information on the Green New Theatre Initiative visit: groundwaterarts.com/green-new-theatre

Hans Detweiler (he/him) Senior Director, Development at Jupiter Power LLC, has a demonstrated history in renewable energy project development. As vice president of development at Clean Line Energy, he directed development of long-distance overhead transmission line projects for wind power. He also oversaw development of a 1,000-MW wind farm in New Mexico, served as director of state policy for the American Wind Energy Association and was deputy director for energy and recycling at the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

Kristin Idaszak (she/they) is a two-time Playwrights’ Center Jerome Fellow and the former Shank Playwriting Fellow at the Goodman Theatre. Idaszak has received commissions from the Goodman, EST/the Sloan Foundation, Cleveland Play House, St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, and TimeLine Theatre. Her play SECOND SKIN received the Kennedy Center’s Paula Vogel Playwriting Award and the Jean Kennedy Smith Playwriting Award, and her play ANOTHER JUNGLE was a Relentless Award Honorable Mention. She was the Kennedy Center Fellow at the Sundance Theatre Lab. Idaszak’s work has been seen at or developed through the Goodman Theatre, The Playwrights’ Center, La Jolla Playhouse’s WoW Festival, SPACE at Ryder Farm, Williamstown Theatre Festival’s Directing Studio, Ensemble Studio Theatre, The Drama League, Pasadena Playhouse, Circle X, Rivendell Theatre, Renaissance Theaterworks, and Perishable Theatre, among others. Idaszak’s work has also received support from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. She is a Resident Playwright at Chicago Dramatists and adjunct faculty at The Theatre School at DePaul University and Northwestern University. Idaszak is the artistic director of Cloudgate Theatre and previously served as Associate Artistic Director/Literary Manager of Caffeine Theatre and Associate Artistic Director of Collaboraction. MFA: University of California, San Diego.

SolAR*, Nefertiti Abdulmalik (she/her) raised on Chicago’s Northside, recently presented her video animation work Portal to New Earth as part of the 2021 Pivot Arts Festival. She has always been drawn towards the arts and nature. Her current focus is to create works that illustrate nature and how it is interconnected. Nefertiti holds a BFA in Animation from DePaul University and is now beginning her career as a performing artist, combining her love for music, dance, animation and storytelling. By blending together animated visuals, music and story, she shares messages of human empowerment, imagination and nature connection.

The Pivot Arts Podcast is produced, edited and hosted by Julieanne Ehre with additional editing and sound engineering by Hannah Foerschler and original music composed by Andrew Hansen.

The Pivot Arts Podcast is made possible by FLATS, a Chicago based apartment community.