LIVESTREAM: Facebook.com/UrbanConsulate
Creative incubators & accelerators are emerging in cities across the U.S. to support artists and build more equitable ecosystems for the future. How has COVID-19 impacted artists? What are anti-racist policies to support creatives of color? How is the sustained struggle to dismantle white supremacy making this work more pressing?
For #BlackMusicMonth, join Urban Consulate + Amplify Philly for a virtual cross-city conversation between Philadelphia, Cincinnati & Memphis, with special guests:
- Will Toms, REC Philly
- Tonya Dyson, Memphis Slim House
- Kick Lee, Cincinnati Music Accelerator
- Naimah Bilal, Urban Consulate
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ABOUT OUR GUESTS:
Naimah Bilal is a Cincinnati-based musician, arts leader, and fundraising executive. As a host of Urban Consulate in Cincinnati, Naimah and her co-hosts conceive and facilitate far-reaching dialogue about vital opportunities to make our communities better. Naimah is also the founder and host of Bawse With A Cause, a unique podcast spotlighting black and brown nonprofit executives via case studies, interviews, and storytelling. An ardent arts advocate and community leader, Naimah serves on the boards of Elementz Hip Hop Arts Center, Linton Chamber, and concert:nova.
Will Toms is co-founder and Head of Strategy at REC Philly, an ecosystem to empower independent creators in Philadelphia to do more of what they love. Part creative incubator, part creative agency, REC is a physical space, digital application, and creator community designed and dedicated to providing its members with the resources, education & opportunities to build sustainable & scalable businesses around their talent. Working at the intersection of entertainment, technology, economics and social change, Will is doing his part to incite valuable change in Philly's art and music culture.
Tonya Dyson is a soul singer, songwriter, and director of the Memphis Slim Collaboratory, a house to give future generations of Soulsville musicians a place to gather, rehearse, learn and create legendary music again. Created in 2014, the Memphis Slim House offers musicians studio and rehearsal time, workshops and seminars, discounted rental of Slim House’s and Melvin’s Backyard, and the Front Loan program to provide loans to established musicians for touring, merchandising, event promotion and recording.
Kick Lee is a music producer, Cincinnati native and advocate of the music arts and independent artists. He is the founder of the Cincinnati Music Accelerator (CMA), Ohio’s first music career accelerator focused on the development of music creatives, fostering and fueling placemaking and striving for economic development and impact within the community it serves. Kick has worked in music for over 16 years and had his musical works licensed and placed in advertisements with brands such as Disney, Toyota, Samsung, Puma and many others. He was a People’s Liberty 2017 project grant recipient, graduate of Full Sail University and of Elementz Hip Hop Youth Arts center. In addition to the Cincinnati Music Accelerator, he operates KL Studios Inc. which specializes in audio recording, audio production, post production and music licensing for TV, film, trailers and commercials.
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Urban Consulate is a network for urban exchange. Since 2016, the Consulate has hosted hundreds of conversations to bring people together & share ideas for better cities. To learn more, visit UrbanConsulate.com.
Amplify Philly brings the best of Philly’s diverse business, culture, and tech communities into the international spotlight. To learn more, visit AmplifyPhilly.com.