The StageLync Podcast

Ep.54: Peter Kalal: Cultural Strategist and Researcher - "If we're not going to support the arts and culture, then what are we all doing this for?" (Video)

Peter Kalal is a Brooklyn-based cultural strategist and researcher. At Arthur M. Cohen Advisors, he works with Fortune 500s, family offices, and cultural institutions to develop pioneering visions for the future that unlock growth while fostering wonder, connection, and possibility. Peter holds a PhD in German Studies from Columbia University, along with degrees from the Eastman School of Music and the University of Rochester. His writings on music can be found in The Wire and Musiktexte. As a speaker and panelist, he has appeared at Columbia, Yale, Princeton, and APAP|NYC. www.peterkalal.com
 
 
@stagelync
The StageLync Podcast is a branch of our larger StageLync Community. Come visit us at www.stagelync.com
 
Credits for the StageLync Podcast
Hosts: Anna RobbEditor: Rose Anne FermocilMusic: Jeremy WilliDesign: Em HoltProduction Coordinator: Roselle BernardoProducers: Anna Robb and Andrea Honis

Ep.53: Dr Madeline Taylor: Costume Maker and Designer, Researcher, Educator - "In the creative space, everybody's identity is so tied up to kind of the creative work that they're making" (Audio)

Dr Madeline Taylor is a costume maker and designer, researcher and educator who bridges the worlds of academic theory and industry practice. Starting as a bright-eyed costume trainee at 17, her research work draws on over two decades of professional experience spanning over 90 productions in theatre, dance, opera, circus and film across Australia and the UK. A lecturer at Queensland University of Technology,  Dr Taylor's research explores the emotional and social intelligence required for creative practice, the interpersonal dynamics of collaboration, and the crucial question of "how can we work together better?" Her work frequently investigates the often-overlooked contributions of technical practitioners in the creative process, with insights applicable across the performing arts. As co-director of The Stitchery Collective, a Meanjin/Brisbane-based design group focused on prompting social and cultural change through creative practice, Madeline has championed innovative approaches to inclusivity and sustainability. Her academic credentials include a PhD from University of Melbourne, a research internship at London's Victoria & Albert Museum, and serving as Treasurer for ScenoLab, Australia’s OISTAT centre. She is currently a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow at Aalto University with a project exploring how and why (or why not) costume practitioners are adopting Industry 4.0 technologies. Her first book Costumers at Work: The Collaborative Creativity, Emotional Labour, and Technical Skill of Costume Creation is being published in June 2025.
 
 
“ATTENTION SPOTIFY LISTENERS: IF you want to WATCH this with VIDEO, you can also subscribe to our video version:
https://open.spotify.com/show/5e9KnBRZdjUTXTvCe6Nrqm?si=6639537c61044396”
@stagelync
The StageLync Podcast is a branch of our larger StageLync Community. Come visit us at www.stagelync.com
 
Credits for the StageLync Podcast
Hosts: Anna RobbEditor: Rose Anne FermocilMusic: Jeremy WilliDesign: Em HoltProduction Coordinator: Roselle BernardoProducers: Anna Robb and Andrea Honis
 

Ep.53: Dr Madeline Taylor: Costume Maker and Designer, Researcher, Educator - "In the creative space, everybody's identity is so tied up to kind of the creative work that they're making" (Video)

Dr Madeline Taylor is a costume maker and designer, researcher and educator who bridges the worlds of academic theory and industry practice. Starting as a bright-eyed costume trainee at 17, her research work draws on over two decades of professional experience spanning over 90 productions in theatre, dance, opera, circus and film across Australia and the UK. A lecturer at Queensland University of Technology,  Dr Taylor's research explores the emotional and social intelligence required for creative practice, the interpersonal dynamics of collaboration, and the crucial question of "how can we work together better?" Her work frequently investigates the often-overlooked contributions of technical practitioners in the creative process, with insights applicable across the performing arts. As co-director of The Stitchery Collective, a Meanjin/Brisbane-based design group focused on prompting social and cultural change through creative practice, Madeline has championed innovative approaches to inclusivity and sustainability. Her academic credentials include a PhD from University of Melbourne, a research internship at London's Victoria & Albert Museum, and serving as Treasurer for ScenoLab, Australia’s OISTAT centre. She is currently a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow at Aalto University with a project exploring how and why (or why not) costume practitioners are adopting Industry 4.0 technologies. Her first book Costumers at Work: The Collaborative Creativity, Emotional Labour, and Technical Skill of Costume Creation is being published in June 2025.
 
 
@stagelync
The StageLync Podcast is a branch of our larger StageLync Community. Come visit us at www.stagelync.com
 
Credits for the StageLync Podcast
Hosts: Anna RobbEditor: Rose Anne FermocilMusic: Jeremy WilliDesign: Em HoltProduction Coordinator: Roselle BernardoProducers: Anna Robb and Andrea Honis
 

Ep.52: Carson Elrod: Professional Actor and Arts Advocate - "In the empty field, we have an opportunity to build something new" (Audio)

Carson Elrod is a professional actor and arts advocate. In the past three decades, he originated roles on Broadway and has appeared on stages off-Broadway and regionally across the country. He's appeared in such notable films as Wedding Crashers and Kissing Jessica Stein and on myriad of well known television shows like 30Rock and Law & Order. In 2020, during the COVID lockdown, he co-founded the Be An #ArtsHero campaign that leveraged the power and platform of Arts Workers themselves to get the attention of Congress in order to stabilize the Creative Economy. Shortly after, he co-founded Arts Workers United, a membership based 501c4, that notably, within a year of founding, successfully lobbied the House of Representatives to hold a hearing called, The Power, Peril, and Promise of the Creative Economy. He testified at the hearing in 2022. 
 
 
“ATTENTION SPOTIFY LISTENERS: IF you want to WATCH this with VIDEO, you can also subscribe to our video version:
https://open.spotify.com/show/5e9KnBRZdjUTXTvCe6Nrqm?si=6639537c61044396”
@stagelync
The StageLync Podcast is a branch of our larger StageLync Community. Come visit us at www.stagelync.com
 
Credits for the StageLync Podcast
Hosts: Anna RobbEditor: Rose Anne FermocilMusic: Jeremy WilliDesign: Em HoltProduction Coordinator: Roselle BernardoProducers: Anna Robb and Andrea Honis
 

Ep.52: Carson Elrod: Professional Actor and Arts Advocate - "In the empty field, we have an opportunity to build something new" (Video)

Carson Elrod is a professional actor and arts advocate. In the past three decades, he originated roles on Broadway and has appeared on stages off-Broadway and regionally across the country. He's appeared in such notable films as Wedding Crashers and Kissing Jessica Stein and on myriad of well known television shows like 30Rock and Law & Order. In 2020, during the COVID lockdown, he co-founded the Be An #ArtsHero campaign that leveraged the power and platform of Arts Workers themselves to get the attention of Congress in order to stabilize the Creative Economy. Shortly after, he co-founded Arts Workers United, a membership based 501c4, that notably, within a year of founding, successfully lobbied the House of Representatives to hold a hearing called, The Power, Peril, and Promise of the Creative Economy. He testified at the hearing in 2022. www.carsonelrod.com
 
 
@stagelync
The StageLync Podcast is a branch of our larger StageLync Community. Come visit us at www.stagelync.com
 
Credits for the StageLync Podcast
Hosts: Anna RobbEditor: Rose Anne FermocilMusic: Jeremy WilliDesign: Em HoltProduction Coordinator: Roselle BernardoProducers: Anna Robb and Andrea Honis
 

Ep.51: André Lachance: Senior Director of Casting and Human Performance at Cirque du Soleil - “And the only way to confirm talent is to spend time with them” (Audio)

André Lachance is a world-renowned leader in human development. Senior Director of Casting and Human Performance at Cirque du Soleil, he is also a speaker, master facilitator and award-winning author.
Throughout his international career, he has led hundreds of conferences and workshops in over 20 countries, inspiring organizations such as the National Hockey League, UNESCO and several Olympic committees. André is an expert in leadership dynamics, team cohesion and high-performance coaching.
Former head coach of Canada's national women's baseball team, he led his team to the top of the world rankings. He also guided the French team to a European title in its first year. A respected professor at the University of Ottawa, he was honoured with the Professor of the Year Award of Excellence, and the Government of Canada awarded him the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.
Co-author of Team Chemistry, published in 2022, André offers a refreshing approach rooted in real-life experience and innovation. Based in Montreal, he continues to inspire leaders, teams and organizations around the globe.
 
 
“ATTENTION SPOTIFY LISTENERS: IF you want to WATCH this with VIDEO, you can also subscribe to our video version:
https://open.spotify.com/show/5e9KnBRZdjUTXTvCe6Nrqm?si=6639537c61044396”
@stagelync
The StageLync Podcast is a branch of our larger StageLync Community. Come visit us at www.stagelync.com
 
Credits for the StageLync Podcast
Hosts: Anna RobbEditor: Rose Anne FermocilMusic: Jeremy WilliDesign: Em HoltProduction Coordinator: Roselle BernardoProducers: Anna Robb and Andrea Honis

Ep.51: André Lachance: Senior Director of Casting and Human Performance at Cirque du Soleil - “And the only way to confirm talent is to spend time with them” (Video)

André Lachance is a world-renowned leader in human development. Senior Director of Casting and Human Performance at Cirque du Soleil, he is also a speaker, master facilitator and award-winning author.
Throughout his international career, he has led hundreds of conferences and workshops in over 20 countries, inspiring organizations such as the National Hockey League, UNESCO and several Olympic committees. André is an expert in leadership dynamics, team cohesion and high-performance coaching.
Former head coach of Canada's national women's baseball team, he led his team to the top of the world rankings. He also guided the French team to a European title in its first year. A respected professor at the University of Ottawa, he was honoured with the Professor of the Year Award of Excellence, and the Government of Canada awarded him the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.
Co-author of Team Chemistry, published in 2022, André offers a refreshing approach rooted in real-life experience and innovation. Based in Montreal, he continues to inspire leaders, teams and organizations around the globe.
 
 
@stagelync
The StageLync Podcast is a branch of our larger StageLync Community. Come visit us at www.stagelync.com
 
Credits for the StageLync Podcast
Hosts: Anna RobbEditor: Rose Anne FermocilMusic: Jeremy WilliDesign: Em HoltProduction Coordinator: Roselle BernardoProducers: Anna Robb and Andrea Honis

Ep.50: Sana Akram: Pakistani Urbanist, Media Maker, XR Creator - “I'm very much delighted by the idea of discovery” (Audio)

Sana Akram is a Pakistani urbanist, media maker, a Fulbright alum and an XR creator based in Toronto, Canada. In 2020, she graduated with an MS in Design and Urban Ecologies from Parsons School of Design, The New School, where she diversified her research-practice by implementing an interdisciplinary design approach. Her award-winning interactive documentary, Little Pakistan - Future Histories, has showcased at several international festivals and her research has been published in Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies. Currently, she is pursuing a doctorate in Cinema and Media Studies at York University as a recipient of the prestigious Elia Scholars Program Award. Her research-creation interests include immersive storytelling and performance, oral tradition, worlding and worldbuilding, emergent media, cocreation, and civic engagement.
 
 
 
“ATTENTION SPOTIFY LISTENERS: IF you want to WATCH this with VIDEO, you can also subscribe to our video version:
https://open.spotify.com/show/5e9KnBRZdjUTXTvCe6Nrqm?si=6639537c61044396”
@stagelync
The StageLync Podcast is a branch of our larger StageLync Community. Come visit us at www.stagelync.com
 
Credits for the StageLync Podcast
Hosts: Anna RobbEditor: Rose Anne FermocilMusic: Jeremy WilliDesign: Em HoltProduction Coordinator: Roselle BernardoProducers: Anna Robb and Andrea Honis

Ep.50: Sana Akram: Pakistani Urbanist, Media Maker, XR Creator - “I'm very much delighted by the idea of discovery” (Video)

Sana Akram is a Pakistani urbanist, media maker, a Fulbright alum and an XR creator based in Toronto, Canada. In 2020, she graduated with an MS in Design and Urban Ecologies from Parsons School of Design, The New School, where she diversified her research-practice by implementing an interdisciplinary design approach. Her award-winning interactive documentary, Little Pakistan - Future Histories, has showcased at several international festivals and her research has been published in Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies. Currently, she is pursuing a doctorate in Cinema and Media Studies at York University as a recipient of the prestigious Elia Scholars Program Award. Her research-creation interests include immersive storytelling and performance, oral tradition, worlding and worldbuilding, emergent media, cocreation, and civic engagement.
 
 
@stagelync
The StageLync Podcast is a branch of our larger StageLync Community. Come visit us at www.stagelync.com
 
Credits for the StageLync Podcast
Hosts: Anna RobbEditor: Rose Anne FermocilMusic: Jeremy WilliDesign: Em HoltProduction Coordinator: Roselle BernardoProducers: Anna Robb and Andrea Honis

Ep.49: Jacqui George: Project Director for World Stage Design 2025 - “Theatre is about connection” (Audio)

Jacqui is Project Director for World Stage Design 2025, co-produced by Sharjah Performing Arts Academy and OISTAT. She played a key role in establishing SPAAs pioneering undergraduate program in the MENA region. Her professional credits include National Theatre Wales, NYT, Shared Experience, and international festivals from Shanghai to Berlin. A Senior Fellow of the HEA, she co-hosted the Stand By Please podcast and co-authored The Art of Collaboration for Routledge, released later this year.
 
 
“ATTENTION SPOTIFY LISTENERS: IF you want to WATCH this with VIDEO, you can also subscribe to our video version:
https://open.spotify.com/show/5e9KnBRZdjUTXTvCe6Nrqm?si=6639537c61044396”
@stagelync
The StageLync Podcast is a branch of our larger StageLync Community. Come visit us at www.stagelync.com
 
Credits for the StageLync Podcast
Hosts: Anna RobbEditor: Rose Anne FermocilMusic: Jeremy WilliDesign: Em HoltProduction Coordinator: Roselle BernardoProducers: Anna Robb and Andrea Honis