SPNN Podcast

Welcome to another episode of the Saint Paul Neighborhood Network Member Spotlight!  We are honored to feature two longtime members with SPNN, Mark Hughes and Joan Willshire, who are also respected mediamakers and disability advocates.  The public-access show that they host and produce, Disability Viewpoints, has been broadcasting to the Twin Cities and beyond in some form since 1998.  Mark and Jo...

Welcome to another episode of the Saint Paul Neighborhood Network Member Spotlight!  We are honored to feature two longtime members with SPNN, Mark Hughes and Joan Willshire, who are also respected mediamakers and disability advocates.  The public-access show that they host and produce, Disability Viewpoints, has been broadcasting to the Twin Cities and beyond in some form since 1998.  Mark and Jo...

Welcome to another episode of the Saint Paul Neighborhood Network Member Spotlight!  We are honored to feature two longtime members with SPNN, Mark Hughes and Joan Willshire, who are also respected mediamakers and disability advocates.  The public-access show that they host and produce, Disability Viewpoints, has been broadcasting to the Twin Cities and beyond in some form since 1998.  Mark and Jo...

The Saint Paul Neighborhood Network reboots its podcast after a long hiatus!  To mark the occassion, we took the opportunity to spotlight one of our incredible members, who used SPNN's equipment to make an incredible short film, which can now be seen on Youtube, as well as SPNN's cable affiliates!  We welcome filmmaker Jonathan Rogers into the podcast studio to discuss "The Mirror of Amun-Ra"! 

Len has been doing photography since they were old enough to handle their mom's camera — and now they're branching out into freelancing, documentary, and maybe even some zine-making. We talked about building communities in new places and the power of media to connect people. You can check out Len's photo documentary project here . She keeps her Instagram up to date with her current work and freela...

Earlier this winter, SPNN hosted a series of artist panels: this episode is the first in that series.  For this panel, three early-career artists joined us to talk about their work so far and where they're going next. This panel is also available as a video .  Nia Navarro is a community organizer and emerging filmmaker, and they focus their work on queer, Black, and working class stories. Kehinde...

Brian Few Jr. is a multitalented filmmaker, graphic designer, and photographer. He joined the podcast to talk about a couple of his projects — and his goals of traveling and expanding his work.  You can find Brian's work on his Youtube channel . He also works on Georgia Fort's TV show, "Here's the Truth," which airs on the Twin Cities CW channel on Saturdays at 11 a.m. You can catch the old episod...

UPDATE: The 2023 Film Score Fest screening will be on June 10th at 7 p.m. at the History Theatre. Selected films will be announced and tickets will go on sale on April 17th. Check out the Film Score Fest website for the info.  Film Score Fest is pretty unique. The annual festival randomly pairs filmmakers and composers  to make a five-minute film and score, and selected films are screened with a l...

Joua Lee Grande is a filmmaker and community educator, and she's a familiar face at SPNN — she used to work here! On this episode, we're talking about a documentary she has in the works about shamanism among young Hmong Americans. We also heard about her short film in the works for Film Score Fest, a local challenge that pairs filmmakers with composers. Joua's website has the latest updates on her...

Alison Guessou is a local filmmaker with a big variety of work under her belt. She joined the show to talk about her most recent web series about a breakup between best friends, and her upcoming feature film, a very timely sci-fi inspired drama.  You can find Alison's work through her production company, Djini Productions . Her web series, "It's Not You," is available on  Youtube .  Find the SPNN...

Kelly Huang is a Minneapolis-based documentary filmmaker, content creator, and actor. In this episode, she talks about her first feature-length documentary, called My Borrowed Name. It tells her family's immigration story — a story that she hopes will get people thinking about their own names and identities.  Learn more about Kelly's work on her  website .  Find the SPNN podcast on Spotify, Apple...

Georgia Fort is an independent journalist working in TV, radio, and digital media. She's on a mission to transform the media landscape, focusing on stories by, about, and for communities of color.  Learn more about Georgia Fort and all her projects at her website . Georgia's TV show premieres 2/25 at 4:30 on the CW channel.  Find the SPNN podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and at our website. To...

It's time for a new season of the SPNN podcast! Starting now, we're posting new episodes regularly. In each episode, you'll hear from someone in the world of Twin Cities media. Tune in two weeks from today — January 27th — to catch the first episode.  Find the podcast on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , and at our website .  To learn more about SPNN's programs and opportunities, check out spnn.org Want...

Saint Paul STRONG hosted an on-air panel discussion about the court decision to identify Right Of Way (ROW) street assessments as property taxes rather than special assessments. The decision impacts all Saint Paul property owners – including non-profits.  Panelists include: Robert D. Ebel, Greg Blees, Peter Nelson, Ellen Brown, and Simon Taghioff.

In this episode, Will discusses the social construct and idea of virginity and how the deconstruction of purity is an important step to engaging in safe, consensual sex. Explored within is how sex education often only talks about the physical steps of having sex rather than the social and emotional power it can take to feel ready to make the choice of abstaining or participating. Although abstinen...

LGBTQ+ teens get pregnant at higher rates than other teens in Minnesota. Exploring trans and queer birth, as well as teen pregnancy, sex education, and societal factors is the focus of this episode of Queering Community Health Podcast. Host Emi Gaçaj connects with experts in the field to discuss data driven and experience centered approaches to understanding LGBTQ+ teen pregnancy, drawing strong c...

This Episode covers some topics of LGBT+ identities and is mostly focused on the personal story experience and lived experience of the speaker Jacques.  Host: Jacques He/They,21 years old, Trans, digital designer & freelance artist. I share how not having the tools I needed verbally left me feeling lost and confused in my queer youth. I share my experiences learning new terminology and leaving beh...

Sustainability and community both play important roles in the revolution. In this two part episode we introduce our guests and talk about their backgrounds in activism and their experience with giving, sharing, and collecting clothing in their personal lives and at The Peoples Closet.  In Part Two, Mason, Jennie, and Jeanelle go more into depth on our own experiences and opinions on how clothing,...

Sustainability and community both play important roles in the revolution. In this two part episode we introduce our guests and talk about their backgrounds in activism and their experience with giving, sharing, and collecting clothing in their personal lives and at The Peoples Closet. In Part One, Mason, Jennie and Jeanelle go into their backgrounds, how we are all acquainted, and how The Peoples...

This episode follows the experiences of black and brown communities in the DIY, alt, rock and indie scene. A large focus being the adversaries they share, as well as discussing heavy topics such as: racism, misogyny, violence and performative action.  Our host Becky (she/they) will speak a bit on their own observations and later on our guest, Brian Walker A.K.A A Day Without Love will be joining h...

What is comprehensive sex ed and why is it important to youth? In this episode of Queering Community Health, Emi and Will explore the push for sex ed that teaches students detailed, accurate information about human development, sexuality, identity, and health. Joined by three wonderful guests, the episode discusses the importance of including queer identities and experiences when learning sex ed,...

This episode of Queering Community Health is about the importance of queer chosen families. Three close friends, Kelly, Maya, and Xochitl express vulnerability by describing their experience living in unsupportive households. Through the process of growing up and embracing queer identities, these friends were able to redefine their concept of family. Machismo = "Machismo is a socially constructed,...

We know that things in life can suck. Because we live in a world  full of white supremacy, patriarchy, misogyny, and transphobia there are most likely times you feel alone, overwhelmed, afraid, ashamed, confused, or scared. Hopefully you also have times that you feel powerful, loved, connected, joyful, and full of dreams for the future. This episode is all about giving you some organizations, numb...

The sports and fashion industries affect athletes and the public simultaneously. We go into detail on trends, how people in sports get into the fashion world, the difference between sportswear and athleisure, and balancing power structures between the athletes and people in positions of power over them.   The Speaking of Youth series is a space for youth to host conversations and discuss the topic...

This podcast delves deep into how queer folks' personal household experiences has an effect on our mental health and overall wellbeing. We will be hearing the personal stories of young queer people from the Twin Cities that surround discussions of discovering and embracing having a queer identity, coming out, the importance of queer spaces, and growing up in a heteronormative society. We also disc...