Join Harvardwood and the Harvard Graduate School of Education for our Speaker Series: Entertainment for Educators 

Hear from renowned media industry professionals every day during the week of March 27th-31st.

Schedule below:

Monday, 3/27 at 4pm PT / 7pm ET: Producer, Director, and Writer Bennett Singer
Purchase Tickets here

Bennett Singer is an award-winning producer/director/writer whose films have been screened at The Smithsonian, The United Nations, The British Museum, and the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. His latest documentary, CURED, directed with Patrick Sammon, opened the 2021–22 season of PBS' acclaimed documentary showcase Independent Lens and has garnered more than 20 awards and accolades. A feature film based on CURED is currently in development, and a classroom edition is being produced in partnership with History UnErased. Learn more about his work HERE.

Tuesday, 3/28 at 4pm PT / 7pm ET: Documentarian Dan Sturman
Purchase Tickets here

Dan’s work includes the Sundance, Peabody, and Emmy-winning documentary Nanking, which was shortlisted for an Academy Award, released theatrically, and then sold to HBO Documentary Films: Soundtrack for a Revolution, which was also shortlisted for an Academy Award, released theatrically, and broadcast on PBS; and the 9/11 documentary Twin Towers, which won an Oscar in 2003. His films have shown at festivals around the world, including Cannes, Sundance, Hong Kong, Hot Docs, and Tribeca, and have received special screenings at the White House, New York’s Museum of Modern Art, and the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles.

Wednesday, 3/29 at 2pm PT / 5pm ET: Golden Globe and Emmy nominated Filmmaker, Playwright and Actor Mark Kassen
Purchase Tickets here

Mark Kassen is the founder of Like Minded Media Ventures and co-founder of the civic engagement platform A Starting Point (ASP). He is a Golden Globe and Emmy nominated filmmaker, playwright and actor. Mark has a history of cultivating new filmmaking technology, utilizing it to create the Trigger Street Independent film fund with Dana Brunetti. In four years, TSI’s films garnered 11 Emmys and 4 Golden Globes.

Thursday, 3/30 at 2pm PT / 5pm ET: Executive Vice President Naia Cucukov
Purchase Tickets here

Naia Cucukov is a dynamic, innovative and conscientious executive with over sixteen years of experience in the entertainment business. Since her start at Walden Media in 2013, Naia has cultivated a diverse slate of films and television projects. On behalf of Walden, she has overseen development and production for The Giver, Universal and Working Title’s Everest, Disney’s The BFG, A Dog’s Purpose and A Dog's Journey, Sony Animation’s The Star, Lionsgate’s Wonder, Paramount's live action Dora the Explorer and Playing with Fire starring John Cena. Naia has executive produced the critically and commercially acclaimed series, The Baby-Sitters Club, for which she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's and Family Viewing Series.

Friday, 3/31 at 2pm PT / 5pm ET: Producer, Director, and Documentarian Danielle Parsons
Purchase Tickets here

Danielle Parsons specializes in making small subjects larger than life. She creates documentary and video art using microscopes and macro setups. Whether it be floating through lightscapes inside a precious gem, surfing sound waves, or swimming with microbes, her directing work transports audiences to immersive worlds of pure beauty and wonder. She has produced and directed content for TV and digital outlets such as The History Channel, Disney, WIRED, NPR, BBC, and Slate. Danielle's video art has exhibited at museums and galleries including SLOMA, IFP New Media Center, and the SPRING/BREAK art show, as well as on the blockchain as NFTs.

If you are not a Harvardwood Member or current HGSE student, purchase our all-in ticket pass HERE and gain access to all events for less than the price of 3!

Speaker Series Goals:

The power of a great story to educate, shed light on rarely discussed topics, and change hearts and minds draws millions of learners and storytellers to entertainment.

Produced in partnership with students from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the Educators for Entertainment Speaker Series highlights leaders working at the intersection of education and entertainment who are using storytelling, media, and the arts to create educational impact around the world.

Through this series, we hope to bring together Harvard students passionate about the magic that happens at the intersection of education and entertainment and strengthen the bridge between the two industries within the broader Harvard community.

2 pm PT /5 pm ET (Virtual)

NAIA CUCUKOV - EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION, FILM & TELEVISION

Naia Cucukov is a dynamic, innovative and conscientious executive with over sixteen years of experience in the entertainment business. Naia has a passion for identifying inclusive, uplifting and inspiring projects in order to help them grow into movie and television magic.

A native of southern New Jersey, Naia grew up loving film and ultimately discovered her affinity for production while receiving her B.A. in Modern Culture and Media from Brown University. Like many entertainment executives before her, Naia started in Hollywood as an assistant at CAA, followed by a post at Legendary Pictures. She then made the transition into the role of Creative Executive at Bold Films followed by the opportunity to work with Sir Richard Branson as the Director of Development at Virgin Produced. While at Virgin, Naia oversaw creative programing for the Virgin Produced Channel onboard Virgin Airlines and co-produced the award-winning short film Departure Date – the first film shot on a plane and edited while 35,000 feet in the air.

Since her start at Walden Media in 2013, Naia has cultivated a diverse slate of films and television projects. On behalf of Walden, she has overseen development and production for: The Giver, based on the bestselling book by Lois Lowry; Universal and Working Title’s Everest, based on the true story of the 1996 Everest disaster; Disney’s The BFG, a Steven Spielberg-directed adaptation of Roald Dahl’s beloved novel; A Dog’s Purpose and A Dog's Journey, parts one and two of the beloved series by W. Bruce Cameron; Sony Animation’s The Star; Lionsgate’s Wonder, based on the bestselling middle-grade novel, Paramount's live action Dora the Explorer and Playing with Fire starring John Cena. Naia has executive produced the critically and commercially acclaimed series, The Baby-Sitters Club, for which she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's and Family Viewing Series.

Other Producing/Executive Producing credits include: A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting with Netflix; the Tom Hank’s starring sci-fi film, Finch, with Amblin and Apple TV; and Rumble, an animated feature from Paramount Animation/Paramount Plus. Her next release will be the limited series, Manhunt, with Apple TV. Additionally, Naia starred in the Netflix documentary, The Claudia Kishi Club, which reflected on the impact of Claudia Kishi in the Asian-American community. 

Naia actively vocalizes her impact in the industry as the Vice Chair of CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment), a creator of the AAPI female empowerment group, A+, and is a member of the Television Academy, the PGA and Women in Film. She spends her free time with her daughter, Anya, husband Peter and miniature dachshund, Sharky.

The power of a great story to educate, shed light on rarely discussed topics, and change hearts and minds draws millions of learners and storytellers to entertainment.

Produced in partnership with students from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the Educators for Entertainment Speaker Series highlights leaders working at the intersection of education and entertainment who are using storytelling, media, and the arts to create educational impact around the world. 

Through this series, we hope to bring together Harvard students passionate about the magic that happens at the intersection of education and entertainment and strengthen the bridge between the two industries within the broader Harvard community. 

Register for this event at the link below. Harvardwood members, friends, and non-members are ALL welcome, but every attendee must register for themselves individually. So if you're inviting others to join you for this panel, please forward them the link to this page so they can sign themselves up. Thank you!

Members, Friends of Harvardwood, and Current HGSE students: Register Here

Purchase ticket  $1 for Members, friends, HGSE current students

Non-Member Ticket Options

To attend all 5 events of the Entertainment for Educators series, Register Here

Purchase ticket  $15 for access to all 5 events of the Entertainment for Educators series

Join the DC Chapter for an in-person mixer!

Any questions can be sent to DC Chapter Head Joseph Farsakh.

The Writers Guild Foundation teams up with the Children’s Media Association for a virtual conversation that’s all about writing for the Kids and Family space in television.

Our panel of TV writers and producers will cover the fundamentals of writing series for Preschool, Ages 6-11, and Young Adult, from how they approach crafting stories targeting the specific age groups to how to break in and sustain a career writing in the space.

Panelists:

• Kelly Lynne D'Angelo (Miracle Workers, Spirit Rangers) 

Stay tuned for more panelist announcements!

The StreamYard event starts at 5:00pm Pacific time.

After signing up, you’ll receive information on how to access the virtual panel.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]

More info HERE.

2 pm PT /5 pm ET (Virtual)

Danielle Parsons specializes in making small subjects larger than life. She creates documentary and video art using microscopes and macro setups. Whether it be floating through lightscapes inside a precious gem, surfing sound waves, or swimming with microbes, her directing work transports audiences to immersive worlds of pure beauty and wonder.

Danielle is the founder of Wonder Science, a Los Angeles-based production company and worldwide streaming app available on Roku, Apple TV, iOS, Android, and Fire TV players. The channel programming combines science and art, inviting viewers to see the unseen, and experience a flow state of relaxation and curiosity.

As a student at Harvard College, Danielle drew inspiration from scientists E.O. Wilson and Stephen Jay Gould. Her passion for film has taken her to some far flung places, from Kazakhstan to the Galapagos Islands. She has produced and directed content for TV and digital outlets such as The History Channel, Disney, WIRED, NPR, BBC, and Slate. Danielle's video art has exhibited at museums and galleries including SLOMA, IFP New Media Center, and the SPRING/BREAK art show, as well as on the blockchain as NFTs. She built a science museum in the metaverse. Festival audiences have watched her films at the Imagine Science Film Festival, Goethe Science Film Festival, and the Infinity Festival, among others. Danielle creates concert visuals and music videos for bands such as Metallica. Danielle is repped commercially by MAJORITY. She was rescued by a dog named Puzzle.

The power of a great story to educate, shed light on rarely discussed topics, and change hearts and minds draws millions of learners and storytellers to entertainment.

Produced in partnership with students from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the Educators for Entertainment Speaker Series highlights leaders working at the intersection of education and entertainment who are using storytelling, media, and the arts to create educational impact around the world. 

Through this series, we hope to bring together Harvard students passionate about the magic that happens at the intersection of education and entertainment and strengthen the bridge between the two industries within the broader Harvard community. 

Register for this event at the link below. Harvardwood members, friends, and non-members are ALL welcome, but every attendee must register for themselves individually. So if you're inviting others to join you for this panel, please forward them the link to this page so they can sign themselves up. Thank you!

Members, Friends of Harvardwood, and Current HGSE students: Register Here

Purchase ticket  $1 for Members, friends, HGSE current students

Non-Member Ticket Options

To attend all 5 events of the Entertainment for Educators series, Register Here

Purchase ticket  $15 for access to all 5 events of the Entertainment for Educators series

Theater, Dance & Media presents a durational evening length facilitated by Sidra Bell and LROD, who have been in residence with the Harvard Dance Project ensemble converging around concepts of space, time, force, and shape. This durational landscape cultivated from collaboration and possibility are woven together with the constant mobility of movement research, artistry, and intention. Together we will explore multiple states of presence for embodying futures and negotiating the reality of outcome.

Performance Dates and Times
Farkas Hall, 12 Holyoke Street, Cambridge, MA
Friday, March 31
     Artist Talk at 7pm
     Performance at 8pm
Saturday, April 1
     Performances at 2pm and 8pm

Choreography by Sidra Bell and LROD
Lighting & Sound Design by Andy Russ
Projection Design by Callie Chapman
Costume Design by Dede Ayite
Featured Ensemble: Joy Ashford ‘23, Laura Coe ‘23, Mia Hazra ‘24, Alma Kent ‘24, Doreen Li GSE ‘23, Shojeh Liu ‘23, Bryce Reynolds ‘24, Micaela Rosen ‘23, Yuqi Sun

More info HERE.

RSVP HERE for free.

10 am–12 pm PT/12–2 pm CT/1–3 pm ET

PREREQUISITE: Must have attended The Career Center Orientation | Weekly on Mondays & Wednesdays

This workshop is highly interactive and includes activities and discussion. For the best learning experience, we strongly recommend signing into the workshop from a laptop or desktop computer. 

This is a two-part workshop series: 

• Part One will be held on April 20
• Part Two will be held on April 27

Balancing the multiple demands of life, art and work can be a perpetual challenge for professionals in the performing arts and entertainment industry. If you are struggling to get through endless to-do lists while still staying focused on what is most important to you, this workshop is for you.

In this workshop we will:

• Assess and define your needs
• Explore how you're spending your time and energy
• Identify strategies to help you achieve your goals

More info HERE.

RSVP HERE.

April 1 & 2, 2023
10:00am-5:00pm each day

AFRICA ADORNED: SURFACE DECORATION TECHNIQUES INSPIRED BY THE CONTINENT

This workshop will consist of fundamental surface decorating techniques used to articulate an African aesthetic. Atoe and MacDonald will share their influences and how they each developed a decorating language that connects them with their heritage. The artists will demonstrate their individual carving techniques used to create rhythmic geometric patterns, including David MacDonald’s method using his handmade ebony wood carving tool. The artists will also demonstrate how they use slip trailing, stamps, and other techniques to create texture and visual interest. Students are welcome to bring up to four leather hard items to decorate. Leather hard tiles and tools will be made available to those who do not have pots available. For those not enrolled in a course at the Ceramics Program, bisque firing of student work will be made available at a cost of 2 cents per cubic inch.

Cost: $25 for Harvard College Undergraduates, $200 for adults and Harvard Graduate students enrolled in a course at the Ceramics Program, and $250.00 for those not enrolled in a course.

More info HERE.

Register HERE.

Daughter of the Universe: the Music of Carmen Lundy features Harvard Jazz Band honoring 2023 Jazz Master in Residence, Carmen Lundy. Read more about Lundy at the Harvard Arts Blog.

More info HERE.

Get tickets HERE.

Perspectives on Performance welcomes writer, producer, and dramaturg Amauta Marston-Firmino on his talk, "WORK, PROCESS, EXORCISE: Slave Play, Dramaturgy, and the Movies."

Perspectives on Performance is a series that invites prominent artists and academics from different disciplines to speak about their work in and on interdisciplinary performance. The program is supported by the Provostial Funds for the Arts and Humanities.

For any accessibility needs, please contact [email protected]

Amauta M. Firmino is a writer, producer, and dramaturg based in NYC. He was the production dramaturg for “Slave Play” on Broadway and NYTW, and a resident dramaturg at the Sundance Institute. He has developed new plays at the Yale Repertory Theater, New York Theatre Workshop, Playwrights Horizons, the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, and the Sundance Theater Labs. He is currently developing TV and film projects with A24, Film4, eOne, HBO, Monkeypaw and Universal Pictures.

More info HERE.