Nadia Brown, actor and host of 'The Green Room with Nadia Brown,' and Jenny Makholm, executive producer of the show and co-founder of Be An #ArtsHero/Arts Workers United, join Cheddar News to talk about their new Ovation TV series. 

Between Bells

'The Green Room with Nadia Brown' Explore Challenges Within the Arts

Ladies welcome to the show. Congrats to both of you on this new show. This is so exciting, Nadia, can you walk us through the creative process narrowing down these topics for every single episode. Absolutely. So we do six episodes for the series and I'm essentially giving a palatable, easy to listen to history lesson about arts and culture in our sector, in our government and why we need it, why it's important and what we can all do about it. Why was Ovation tv the best partner for this show? Honestly being the Premier arts Network. It felt like family. It felt like this is the tightest unit, the tightest family unit that we could do to promote what we need to say. We're all arts workers were, we're arts workers. The show is for arts workers and, you know, we're just promoting ourselves by ourselves jenny. How is being arts hero? Arts workers United, supporting those in the industry that have been hit so hard by the pandemic. Um, well, we started, we started during the pandemic as a response to the crisis as it faced, arts workers. So, um, our organization is a hybrid organization. Uh, one half of our organization lobbies relentlessly every single day, um, to our federal and local government. Um, we just had the first ever House hearing, um, on the whole creative economy uh, in january to address the needs of our sector. Um, we, we we spoke on that and we also were, um, we helped organize that with the, as the small business committee. So, um, that's the work that we do directly with the government. But the other half of what we do is exactly what this show is about, which is educating folks and emboldening and enlivening our base our our communities. So because an informed community is a powerful community and the truth of the matter is that there are 5.2 million arts workers in this country and we contribute $919 billion to the United States GDP. So, um we're big business. Excuse me, My cat made an appearance. Um, we're big business and, and the thing is, is that most arts workers don't know how big and powerful we are. Um, and in order for us to really advocate for ourselves, we have to educate everyone. Jackie. First, I want to say we love pets and kids and shots. So awesome. Nadia during the pandemic, as I mentioned, there's so many people people on broadway that lost work. What was your experience like? And when did you realize? Hey, it's time to advocate for these workers totally. I was on broadway before the pandemic hit and harry potter and the cursed child and after it hit, I was unemployed, I was sitting at home nothing to do and realizing that my castmates, people who I work with every day were struggling in a real real way. And so I stumbled upon being arts heroes instagram and I just saw the easiest little video that I could make to my legislators in New Jersey and I decided to pick up my camera, stand in front of my blue screen and make a video for cory booker and bob Menendez saying, hey, can we get some arts legislation and from there, our relationship just took off and I realized that I can use my voice, I can use the platform that I have and I can be a vessel to speak to my generation, younger generations, older generations, anyone who needs to hear about what the arts industry can offer and jenny now that broadway is back, more people are heading to the theaters. I've seen a handful of plays and every single time it's been completely packed. Do you expect broadway? We'll get back to those pre pandemic levels I believe. Absolutely. And people are look, broadway is huge broadway employees over 97,000 people and on, on an average year um, contributes more to the United to, to new york's economy than all 10 pro sports teams in the tri state area combined. So it's big business and I mean, Nadia can tell you, um, audiences are pouring back in. They love to see broadway broadway is, is magical and it is the heart of new york city. Um, and the, and the heart of our tourism. So yes. Um, I think that people are still very much, you know, covid is very much among us and there are protocols to keep everyone safe. But I'm so incredibly pleased to see so many arts workers doing what they do best on the stages of broadway Nadia, how do we reframe the conversation around the creative economy and its workers. Mm I think honestly we need to think about it just as seriously as transportation or agriculture or any of the other things that promote big business as jenny says, it generates a lot of money. So while it is creative and while it comes from the hearts and souls and Children do it and it, it fuels us in a creative and nice way. It also fuels us in terms of any ancillary business, like restaurants or bars or you know, anything, any other businesses that also contribute and lend a hand to the arts culture sector, jenny, what do you hope people will take away from this show? Oh well, I think there are multiple things to get to come away with the show. I think that the number one thing is, I think it's going to be a show that inspires a lot of people because um, especially our, our final episode, the creative solution to everything discusses the really fantastic dynamic ways that arts and culture intersects with other portions of our society that you wouldn't necessarily think of. Um, like, like education or criminal justice or even the environment and every every way that arts and culture intersects with other portions of our society and our economy. Um, it, it blesses everything it touches um, to quote our show. it spreads sunshine and money wherever it goes. So I think what's really fascinating are some of the amazing creative solutions to today's problems. Um Anything from health care to um prison reform. Um There are ways with which arts and culture can contributes not just to making us laugh and smile and entertaining us. It actually has a social value um and it contributes to the well being of our society in ways that Um Yes, we can put a dollar amount to if we want to $919 billion dollars a year. Right? But what it does to our society, into our culture, especially right now as we're we're really undergoing a huge cultural shift and there's a lot of strife and and and and a lot of um conflict. Right? And I think arts and culture is the solution Nadia Brown broadway star and host of the Green Room with Nadia Brown and jenny Grace Mac home, executive producer of the show and co founder of B. And Arts Hero. Arts Workers United Ladies thank you again you can watch the first episode of the show on Ovation tv. That's starting on March 23rd