Curating Art & Directing Films with Hala Matar

Social activist, fashion influencer and illustrator, Arooj Aftab has been breaking down barriers in the quest for inclusivity within the fashion industry. Arooj is now recognised as a spokesperson for body inclusivity and poses important questions about the language we use when it comes to promoting real and meaningful diversity. 

After discovering she had Neurofibromatosis at a young age, she appeared in the BBC Newsbeat doc, 'My Tumour Made Me Trendy' which revealed more about her story and coming to terms with her condition. Since then been heralded by British Vogue and Elle for her work on her platform and won 2019's Asian Media Award.

She has since been a panellist for Instagram, appeared at Summer in the City and received support from Bustle, GUAP, BBC Radio London, Thiiird Magazine, Fizzy Magazine and more. 

Earlier this year she launched her #donewithdiversity project which sees her combine her passion for inclusivity within the fashion industry with her talent for illustration. The project aims to encourage brands and publishing platforms to rethink the language they use and to consider if they are truly inclusive to all.

Synth-pop singer/songwriter TRACE has been on everyone’s radar for her warm vocals, electronic sounds, and effortless mix of pop and R&B.

In this episode, we discuss how TRACE discovered music and followed her passion, we learn about the music industry and the process of going independent. Trace shares her creative process for songwriting, where she finds inspiration and we discuss why it’s important to follow your own path.

In this episode we speak to Gail Gallie, Co-Founder at Project Everyone. Gail is a business leader with a strong sense of social purpose. Gail’s background is in marketing and advertising. She has worked for both advertisers and agencies, in the public and private sectors. Learn more about Project Everyone in their own words below:

Project Everyone seeks to put the power of communications behind the Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the Global Goals.

Our mission is to accelerate progress towards a fairer world by 2030, where extreme poverty has been eradicated, climate change is properly addressed, and injustice and inequality are unacceptable.

Devised by Richard Curtis, filmmaker and founder of Comic Relief, we are a team of communications and campaign specialists who sit at the heart of a global network of campaigning organisations, private sector partners, brands, governments, UN agencies, public figures, and social influencers. We are a not-for-profit agency who create campaigns, short films, multi-platform content, convene partners, and put on unique events that all accelerate progress towards the Goals

In this episode we speak with OJ Deady, Creative Director of creative content agency TwelveA.M co-founded with Creative Partner, Natalie Bell.

Based in London, OJ is focussed on telling real people's stories. Fully committed to understanding his subjects and telling their stories in an un-guarded and authentic way, with great respect for what goes into narrative driven and honest imagery. OJ has worked across branded content, documentary and music videos. 

We discuss:

• Being free to create and developing your craft
• Process of developing projects with Nicholas Kirkwood, Reserved, Moët & Chandon
• Directing and producing Maverick Sabre ‘Into Hope’ music video
• Long form content and documentary filmmaking
• Capturing emotion, energy and authentic stories
• Finding inspiration from new and interesting places

In this episode we speak with Ivan Olita, who’s character could be identified as a contemporary Bruce Chatwin. Forcing himself to only dress in black and live out of a carry-on, he sees his real home not in a house but in the thousands of roads he walks.

With one foot stateside in Los Angeles and the other in his native Italy, the filmmaker and creative director confidently moves between the worlds of cinema, art and fashion by successfully consulting for top tier brands and publications while pursuing his own personal research and development as a talented documentarian trained at Werner Herzog’s Rogue film school.

The production company he founded, BRAVÒ, is spread across the globe with a team of seven creatives that deliver premium doc-formats for both commercial and editorial purposes. He is a Vimeo Staff Pick regular and his most recent projects have been featured on Nowness, National Geographic, The Atlantic, Director’s Notes, Short Of The Week, W Magazine, Aeon, Dazed, Vogue, and The New Yorker. 

In this episode we discuss:

• Ivan shares his career journey to date and how he founded Bravo
• Creative process and where Ivan finds Inspiration
• Werner Herzog filmmaking techniques
• Informing narrative with facts
• Developing a feature and the inspiration for the narrative
• Tips for young creators
• Importance of mentorship

In this episode we speak with Paul Woolmington, currently the CEO of Canvas Worldwide – a creatively driven media and communications agency named Adweek’s 2020 Breakthrough Agency of the Year – that aims to reinvent its marketplace at scale. Under Paul’s leadership, Canvas has grown to become the world’s second-largest independent media agency. 

Paul is a ‘Renaissance’ entrepreneur of the media, advertising, digital, marketing and communications industry. He has held leadership positions at the highest levels both globally and domestically in management, media, integrated business, brand, digital and communications strategy at holding companies including IPG, Y&R Inc, WPP and MDC Partners. He co-founded Naked Communications Americas, founded The Media Kitchen, and was named one of the ten most creative/innovative people in marketing and advertising by Fast Company.

Paul is also a senior fellow at Columbia University, advising in the cross-discipline ‘Committee for Global Thought’ initiative as well as a member of ‘The Digital Storytelling Lab.’ Born in Africa, raised in the UK, and now a US citizen, Paul has traveled extensively around the world both professionally and personally.

We discuss:

• Working in the advertising industry between London and New York City
• Mad-Men Era / Madison Avenue
• Being an intrapreneur
• Riding the wave of acquisitions, going public and founding new business
• What it was like when Google and Facebook came along
• Embracing change

In this episode we speak with Hala Matar, a Bahraini film director based in Los Angeles and New York. Hala has directed films for Vice, NOWNESS, Interpol, CHANEL, Kenzo, Vivienne Westwood and Diesel. Hala graduated from the University of Virginia and began her career as an art curator in New York City where she ran the gallery Chiles Matar. Her work has been featured in Rolling Stones, Pitchfork, Vogue, NME, Spin, NME, W Magazine, Nylon, CNN and Harpers Arabia. 

We discuss:|

• Curating art for Dries Van Noten
• Art Curation
• Dreaming of becoming a film director and making it a reality
• Doing whatever it takes to move forward
• Inspiration from heartbreak
• Creating the best ideas from 3 hours running

In this episode we speak with James Kirkham, Chief Business Officer at Defected Records. Joining the label as it enters its third decade. James is overseeing all social, content, marketing and PR activations at Defected, and makes an invaluable addition to the company as it navigates its position as an industry leader in a new era for the music industry.

As one of the world’s foremost media industry speakers, he has appeared on stage for a number of years at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, featured in BIMA’s prestigious Top 100 for three years running and was recently selected as one of the top Leaders Under 40 in the sports business. He was also named in Campaign Magazine’s esteemed ‘Power 100’ in July 2019.

We discuss:

• James career journey to date
• Defected Records, an ecosystem and how the record label is evolving
• How creativity is born out of adversity
• Digital transformation, virtual events and innovation on the dance floor
• How Defected has championed the music industry in 2020 during the pandemic
• Promoting records in this new event format
• Love for Glitterbox and the soon to be released long form documentary
• Exciting plans for 2021 and beyond

In this episode we speak with Brigit Richie, Founder & CEO of WE. A business on a mission to provide individuals and companies (such as Google, Walt Disney, Instagram) the tools to implement a relational mindset. This mindset has a focus on empathy and teaches how to listen and connect to people, shifting culture one relationship at a time.

We discuss:

• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• Creating experiences they believe in for major companies
• Working with Google and the power of human experience
• How to understand inclusive language from a relational standpoint
• The importance of 'Creative Play'
• Getting into your flow state and being present
• How you can support inclusive cultures at work

In this episode we speak with Jonas Altman, who helps people do their best work. As the founder of award-winning design practice Social Fabric and author of best-selling book ‘Shapers - Reinvent The Way You Work’, Jonas creates learning experiences that transform people so they can elevate how they organise, collaborate, and innovate. Over the years Jonas has created fashion brands, ran a digital agency, launched London's first lifestyle and technology incubator, and now advises on  culture change to some of the world’s boldest organisations. Jonas is an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business and he enjoys surfing, riding the waves to unwind.

In this episode we speak to Jonas about his new bestselling book titled ‘SHAPERS - reinvent the way you work’, the Shape of Work Program and the following topics:

• Innovation and where is the end?
• Role design - your work and relationships
• How to get into your flow state
• How culture is changing at work
• Leadership styles
• COVID-19 - digital transformation and new ways of working
• Education
• Ikigai
• Polymath and Slashies
• Biophilia the human connection with nature
• Pomodoro technique