Towards a Kinder Public

Emily Mondschein, Executive Director at GiGi’s Playhouse Buffalo, and member of the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) and Down Syndrome Education International (DSEI) inclusive education working group, explains the application and impact of an educational profile and creating a disability category for Down syndrome: -Some benefits of and motivations to use the Down Syndrome: Guidelines for Inc...

What does inclusion mean, in the education setting? Is there data that supports inclusive education for individuals with Down syndrome? Emily Mondschein, Executive Director at GiGi’s Playhouse Buffalo , and member of the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) and Down Syndrome Education International (DSEI) inclusive education working group, explains the story behind the first inclusive education d...

Down syndrome is the most common of the chromosomal disorders, and yet, it is often the subject of misinformation and openly discriminatory policies. Our discussion with Emily Mondschein, Executive Director at GiGi’s Playhouse Buffalo , continues as she shares more strategies for disability inclusion. We discuss: -How medical practitioners can play a significant role in changing discriminatory att...

Emily Mondschein, Executive Director at Gigi’s Playhouse Buffalo , joins us to talk about her urgent and trailblazing work in disability inclusion. She shares how her experiences as a special education teacher, and later, parent of a child with Down syndrome, led to her national advocacy work for equitable access to education for the Down syndrome community. In Part 1 of our 4-part interview, we d...

In this final episode of our interview with US-based artists Christa Donner and Selina Trepp of Cultural ReProducers , we discuss if cultural short-sightedness is a factor in architectural design and the operation of public space? -The greater significance and meaning of the perspective of parents; -Why the inclusion of children is both a cultural and a political position that positively impacts e...

US-based artists Christa Donner and Selina Trepp share further insights on the improved inclusion of children and families. Through Cultural ReProducers , a creative platform initiated by Christa Donner, they devised a Childcare Supported Event Series that allowed artist-parents to maintain professional engagement in the art world. We discuss: -Why the inclusion of children is a particularly compl...

US-based artists Christa Donner and Selina Trepp discuss their collaborative work on the problem of professional inclusion for artists and cultural workers who are also parents. Through Cultural ReProducers , a creative platform initiated by Christa Donner, they experimented and devised a Childcare Supported Event Series that allowed artist-parents to maintain professional engagement in the art wo...

Walking the Land: A Loving Tribute to Family Farms is a new book of watercolor paintings, poetic reflections, and interviews with small and family farmers in the Finger Lakes Region of New York. In Part 2 of our interview, Reverend Gillette speaks further about her collaborative work with watercolorist Tommy Beers, their experiences in visiting the small-scale regional farms, and the lessons that...

Welcome to the Towards a Kinder Public Thanksgiving episode, Part 1 of 2. Walking the Land: A Loving Tribute to Family Farms is a new book of watercolor paintings, poetic reflections, and interviews with small and family farmers in the Finger Lakes Region of New York. Reverend Gillette speaks about the origins of this work in collaboration with watercolorist Tommy Beers, their experiences in visit...

In the final segment of our interview (part 4 of 4), Han Malyn (they/them) speaks with Kinderpublic about the experience of neurodivergence in public and professional spaces, and examples of design and operational choices that can significantly improve accessibility. We discuss: -How being more aware of sensory experiences can help us reshape our interior environments; -Essential architectural ele...

In part 3 of our 4-part conversation, Han Malyn (they/them) speaks with Kinderpublic about the experience of neurodivergence in public space, and how increased awareness and empathy can improve inclusion. We discuss: -Receiving a diagnosis of neurodivergence as an adult, and how that shed light on past experiences; -How design and operational choices in public space can cause difference to be expe...

Han Malyn (they/them) returns to discuss safety and accessibility for women and gender minorities in public space. They advocate for the use of intersectionality, empathy, and non-defensive listening for decision makers in making design and operational choices. We discuss: -How women and gender minorities are marginalized by the way we design and operate public space; -Why failing to ensure the sa...

Kinderpublic welcomes Han Malyn (pronouns they/them) to discuss intersectionality and empathy in the design and operation of public space. Han is an institutional fundraiser and has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 15 years, including major organizations working in anti-poverty, human rights, LGBTQI+ community, and arts education. We reflect on: -The current state of safety for women and ge...

This is the final part of our 3-part conversation with artist and activist Lehna Huie. In the previous episodes, we have talked about BIPOC intergenerational healing, reproductive justice, her personal experiences with medical apartheid and work as a doula. She returns to explain: -Some of the essential qualities of a healing space; -Why we should be creating spaces for dialogue on a foundation of...

Lehna Huie, a Baltimore and New York City based multimedia artist, and recipient of the Artist Changemaker Award from the Global Fund for Women , returns to explain: -How her collage processes also function as investigative processes; -How she deepens her understanding of family connections across time and space; -Her personal experience, as a pregnant person, with medical apartheid; -Her work tow...

Multimedia artist and reproductive justice advocate Lehna Huie discusses her Pan-African and Caribbean identity, the personal, familial, and cultural context of her art, and her work in community and healing modalities. She shares: -Her roles as a storyteller and an archivist, and how she uses her creative practice to reveal hidden histories; -The way that she maintains a focus on community care i...

How can public spaces improve the communication accessibility of their exhibitions and programming? Rachel Seligman, the Assistant Director for Curatorial Affairs and the Malloy Curator at the Francis Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College , will discuss her work towards greater communication accessibility in exhibition design and the museum space, particularly with respect...

Rachel Seligman, the Assistant Director for Curatorial Affairs and the Malloy Curator at the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College , will discuss her work to improve communication accessibility in exhibition design and the museum space, and her curatorial work with Berlin-based contemporary artist Christine Sun Kim . She shares: -The mission of the Tang Museum to r...

This is a Kinderpublic special episode about effective civic engagement, and Part 2 of our interview with climate activist Pamela Tate, Chair of Campaigns for Climate Reality Project’s Chicago Metro Chapter. Pamela walks us through the steps that she uses to advocate for climate and conservation issues with legislators. She shares: -How to look up your congressional representative and senator, -Ho...

Pamela Tate is an advocate for regenerative agriculture and agroforestry and climate activist with leadership roles in organizations including The Climate Reality Project and American Forests. She walks us through policy proposals for climate smart practices in agriculture, so that we can help advocate for good nutrition, conservation, and climate resilience. She explains: -Why we all should be co...

Don Viecelli, Climate Reality Project Leader and Co-Chair of the Climate Reality Project Regenerative Agriculture Coalition advocating for the 2023 Farm Bill, speaks about regenerative agriculture and why it is key to climate change mitigation. He explains: -The main principles of regenerative agriculture, and their Indigenous origins; -The environmental benefits of using regenerative agriculture...

Elizabeth Henderson, author and organic farmer for more than 30 years, joins us to speak more about the climate crisis and the 2023 Farm Bill, and how U.S. agricultural policy and spending must join other economic sectors in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting urgent climate goals. She explains: -How New York used money for ecological conservation on increasing methane production and...

U.S agriculture must help mitigate climate change.  Without changes to large scale production methods, projections suggest the agricultural sector will be responsible for 30% of U.S. emissions by 2050. On a day of intense wild fire smoke and poor air quality across New York, Elizabeth Henderson, an organic farmer for more than 30 years, explained why organic and sustainable farming methods ar...

Can a music venue create space for civic life? Sarah Craig, Executive Director of Caffe Lena, the famous historic live music listening room, shares her insights and experiences about: -What music contributes to health, even if we don’t fully understand why; -The special capacity of music to effect change, and why folk music has a particular relationship to this potential; -Her conclusion that civi...

Sarah Craig, Executive Director of Caffe Lena, the famous historic live music listening room, shares insights about the interdependent relationship of music and architecture at the oldest continuously operating folk music venue in the United States. We learn: -The uniquely American music type that was reinvigorated in response to over-commercialization, and influenced the development of a distinct...