Redefining ABCD Keerthi + Sneha

In this special episode of Brown Art Network, Keerthi talks with Sonya Balsara - actress and Broadway star who plays Jasmine on the hit Broadway Musical Aladdin! They dive into the process of becoming Jasmine, how Sonya got started in acting, and pursuing performing arts as a career. They also talk all about South Asian representation and her experience growing up with a mixed cultural identity. They conclude the episode with Sonya's next ambitions and advice she has for others looking to get into Broadway and an acting career path.



See other work Sonya has been in: https://sonyambalsara.com/media.html

Get tickets to Disney's Aladdin on Broadway here: https://aladdinthemusical.com/tickets/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw97SzBhDaARIsAFHXUWBU3Bk2Xc5P61E4zEVWfd_mKWBH-48M45CzEo8N-hrDkR-9E7cZ3KgaAt1OEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.d

Stay connected with Sonya on IG: https://www.instagram.com/sonyabalsara

In this episode of Brown Art Network, Sneha and Keerthi talk with Tanzil Ahmed, a political strategist, storyteller, and artist based in Los Angeles. They talk about her career as a writer and activist, the experiences she had when building her career to what is now, and some of the mediums she has released. They also dive into her latest collection Grasping at This Planet Just to Believe that was written through 10 Ramadans. Finally, they end the conversation with talks about the South Asian identity, advice for up-and-coming activists/writers, and how to keep connected with South Asian American history that isn't typically taught in US history.

More about Tanzila: https://www.tazzystar.me/

Grasping at This Planet Just to Believe info:
https://www.writlargeprojects.com/shop/p/tanzila-ahmed-grasping-at-this-planet

Resource she shouted out in the episode - South Asian Digital Archive: https://www.saada.org/about

In this episode of Larger Than Us, Keerthi and Sneha pick apart the topic of Cancel Culture. They talk about their views of what the umbrella term means, how it sways views and opinions on social media, the implications of the reactionary behavior cancel culture brings, and ways we can be better or better use of the collective mindset.



Referenced Article by the New York Times: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eco82jrqWsEEqbPABayORhPjpjpae6Vf/view?usp=sharing

In this episode of Brown Art Network, Sneha talks with Samhita and Arjun about the origins of South Asian A Capella as a genre and South Asian A Cappella Association (ASA), is a national non-profit organization committed to the growth of South Asian A Cappella across the globe (ASA). Arjun is one of the founders of ASA and Samhita is the Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Relations Officer for ASA. They share how they got involved in music, how to sustain their passions while balancing their professions and school, and their goals and growth for ASA.



To learn more about ASA click here: http://desiacappella.org/ Or Follow On Instagram @desiacappella

In this first episode of season 5, Keerthi and Sneha talk with Sonia Kahlon - founder of Everblume, an online community for alcohol recovery support and sobriety meetings. Sonia shares her experience with alcohol and her journey to sobriety. As they discuss her personal life, they also dive into the community perspective of how South Asians perceive and talk about alcohol. They talk about the problems that it can lead to and how it affects conversations around mental health and support for those wanting to recover from addiction. Finally, they talk about Everblume, methods to support those recovering from an addiction, and Sonia's advice for those looking to gain insight on how to get started on their sobriety journey.

Learn more about EverBlue here: https://www.joineverblume.com/our-story

In this episode of Larger Than Us, Keerthi and Sneha talk with Suswati Basu - a South Asian British journalist and editor, as well as podcast host of How to be…- a books podcast focusing on enhancing mental well-being, self-development, and understanding key social issues on a global scale. They start with how disabilities are defined - physical, mental, and hidden and talk through stigmas with each. As Suswati shares her experiences, Keerthi and Sneha also talk about theirs which leads the conversation to the healthcare system - particularly gaps in the current system that were hyperbolized with the pandemic, the approaches for diagnosis, patient care, and training of healthcare professionals. While they talk about the growing issues and similarites within the UK and the US, they dive into approaches within the corporate world to address this, especially getting leadership buy-in for inclusive efforts, and nuances with South Asian culture that affect navigating certain conversations around disability awareness and treatment. They finally end the conversation with advice on how we can actively improve the system and problem areas and how individuals can find the support and care they need in the initial parts of their journey.


To learn more about Suswati and her career: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/suswati-basu

Link to her podcast 'How to be' : https://howtobe247.com/