S1.E5 | Michael J. Bobbitt: Leading Innovative Growth in the Arts Sector

04/30/24 • 60 min

S1.E5.
Arts and culture visionary Michael J. Bobbitt joins Thembi this week to discuss the pressing need for systemic change in the arts sector. In his role as Executive Director of Mass Cultural Council, Michael "walks the walk" and consistently implements innovation and sparks paradigm shift in the agency.
In this rich discussion, Michael also talks about the double-edged sword of grantmaking, the challenges of change management, and what the arts sector must do to survive.

Want to be a guest on KeyBARD? Send Thembi a message on PodMatch: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1740803399472257afce75768

KeyBARD is produced, written, and hosted by Thembi Duncan.
Theme music by Sycho Sid.

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Want to be a guest on KeyBARD? Send Thembi a message on PodMatch: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1740803399472257afce75768

KeyBARD is produced, written, and hosted by Thembi Duncan.
Theme music by Sycho Sid.

Listen and Connect:

Spotify: Follow, Rate, and Share
Apple Podcasts: Subscribe, Review, and Rate
Instagram: @Keybard_IG
Facebook: The KeyBARD Podcast

Previous Episode

S1.E4 | Nwabisa Plaatjie: Empowerment and Sustainability in South African Theatre

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S1.E4.
Award-winning South African playwright/director Nwabisa Plaatjie shares gems from her artistic journey as a theatre maker from a long line of storytellers.
From her groundbreaking work in Cape Town to her roots in rural South Africa, Nwabisa shares how she's reshaping cultural narratives, fostering community connections, and redefining self-care.
Nwabisa Plaatjie is an independent producer, theatre-maker, and director based in Cape Town, South Africa. She holds an MA in Theatre and Performance from the University of Cape Town, and her practice draws from traditional oral storytelling practices to create plays that challenge systemic discrimination in the theatre sector.

Her artistic prowess and leadership have been recognized through various special grants and commissions and support the creation of nine original pieces, with two touring internationally.

Her latest play, Ziyana, was created through the support of the International Network For Contemporary Performing Arts’ Local Journeys for Change, Georgetown University’s Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics, where she was a Global Fellow, as well the Institute of Creative Arts, and encouraged her to make various contributions in the National Theatre and Dance Policy “Breathing New Vision into Theatre and Dance in South Africa.”

Nwabisa is devoted to stories, people, and culture. She is an alumna of the Mandela Washington Fellowship [2020/21], an IETM Global connector [2022] and an ISPA Global fellow [2022 and 2023 cohort].

From 2018 to October 2022, she coordinated and curated the Baxter’s Masambe Theatre, driving its relaunch as a space for performance, collaboration, mentorship, and networking.

In 2023 she launched her “An artist is made” project, celebrating community and recognizing the role of social and cultural capital in our creative journeys. The project was funded by the National Arts Council and included plays, workshops, an archiving project, and community building platforms.

Want to be a guest on KeyBARD? Send Thembi a message on PodMatch: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1740803399472257afce75768

KeyBARD is produced, written, and hosted by Thembi Duncan.
Theme music by Sycho Sid.

Listen and Connect:

Spotify: Follow, Rate, and Share
Apple Podcasts: Subscribe, Review, and Rate
Instagram: @Keybard_IG
Facebook: The KeyBARD Podcast

Next Episode

S1.E6 | Naila Ansari Carbonell Catilo: Amplifying Black Voices through Performance and Pedagogy

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S1.E6.
In this episode, Thembi is joined by award-winning choreographer, director and performing artist, Naila Ansari, who shares her journey from the world of dance to her work as an academic and archivist.
We talk about some of her groundbreaking projects including The Movement of Joy, in which she archives the Joy of Black women, challenging dominant narratives and celebrating resilience.
Naila also discusses her innovative work in exploring the subversion of gender norms and interrogating the near absence of Black women in academia.
Naila Ansari is a SUNY Buffalo State University Assistant Professor in Theater and Africana Studies. She recently served as a choreographer for Black Roots Summer, recognized for "Best Theater" by The New York Times, and was praised by Broadway World for her directing and choreography of her adaptation of Shea’s Performing Arts Center's first produced show, Once On This Island.

Want to be a guest on KeyBARD? Send Thembi a message on PodMatch: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1740803399472257afce75768

KeyBARD is produced, written, and hosted by Thembi Duncan.
Theme music by Sycho Sid.

Listen and Connect:

Spotify: Follow, Rate, and Share
Apple Podcasts: Subscribe, Review, and Rate
Instagram: @Keybard_IG
Facebook: The KeyBARD Podcast

KeyBARD - S1.E5 | Michael J. Bobbitt: Leading Innovative Growth in the Arts Sector

Transcript

Thembi: Hello, hello, and welcome to KeyBARD. I am Thembi, and today I am so excited to be speaking with arts leader, theatre director, choreographer, and playwright, Dr. Michael J. Bobbitt. Yay! So, before we get into this conversation, I am going to tell you a little bit about him, okay?

He is the highest-ranking cultural official in Massachusetts State government. Since his appointment as Executive Director of Mass Cultural Council in February 2021, the Council has m