Jun 25, 2018
How to bring people together for experiences that change lives.
"I think it is essential that
when you feel that creative fire inside to be true to that. It
doesn't mean it's going to save the world but it might save you and
that could be just as important". William Etundi
In this episode Amisha is in conversation with William Etundi, a
curator and creator of "events that touch the world". From
jubilant mass political protests to mind-expanding mansion parties,
William's events blend social commentary, art and public
spectacle.
Together Amisha and William discuss their experiences of race,
difference, place, belonging and embodying cultural bridges.
William speaks about his experience growing up as a mixed race man
with African heritage in both America, as well as his early
childhood experiences of activism as the son of a politically
engaged pastor in a proudly gay district.
From taking days off school to attend protests as a child, William
grew up and moved to New York to immerse himself in the community
of activists and culture creators of the late 90s and early 2000s.
He describes the energy and hope of young people reclaiming the
streets and speaking truth to power, and the crushing
disillusionment that followed the brutal police suppression of
protests around the 2004 Republican convention in New York.
Amisha and William share stories of entering inside the mainstream
political and judicial system, getting burned by what they saw and
experienced there and how this led them both to turn their energies
towards the soft, small, interpersonal actions at the roots of
society and the call of the creative fire inside.
William Etundi's work has been featured in the pages of Vogue, i-D
Magazine, Paper Magazine, and more, with the New York Times
proclaiming him “an impresario of the underground." In 2012 he
launched SeeMe, an international artist network that grew to over 1
million members. He is also the founder and creative director of
You Are So Lucky, one of the most sought-after tickets in New York
City.
Links from this episode and more at www.thefutureisbeautiful.co