Movement is a transmedia storytelling initiative that lives at the intersection of migration and music. Through our live show, podcast, radio broadcasts and engagement activities, we uplift narratives that change the conversation around migration; hitting listeners at the level of the hips, the heart and the head. Movement debuted in 2020 as a nationally syndicated broadcast on PRX’s The World, and we are now a regular feature on The World, airing to 2.5 million listeners monthly.

Movement is hosted by Ethiopian-American singer-composer Meklit Hadero and was co-created by Meklit, sound designer/producer Ian Coss and editor/producer Julie Caine. Meklit is joined on stage and in our audio stories by a wide range of guest artists whose identities are grounded in an experience of migration: a classical composer who fled religious persecution in Iran, a formerly undocumented Mexican singer returning to perform in her home town for the first time, a Chamorro dancer reclaiming the language and chant of their ancestors, and many more. Together, Meklit and our guests share both their stories, and their songs.

Across all of our platforms, our goal is to craft and uplift new narratives of migration shaped by the folks who have experienced it. Unlike mainstream coverage of this issue, our narratives are never defined by trauma alone. Instead, we celebrate their creative power, myriad contributions and incredible music.

EPISODES

MOVEMENT LIVE

MOVEMENT Live is an evening-length performance experience, featuring Meklit and directed by acclaimed Indian-American theater director Sophiyaa Nayar. The show will combine the energy of a concert with the intimacy of first-person storytelling, all supported by rich visuals and immersive sound design.

MOVEMENT Live is co-commissioned by Meany Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Washington (Seattle) and will debut May 7, 2022. We are also co-commissioned by Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance, The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi, and Cultural Arts Center at Montgomery College (Takoma Park/Silver Spring, MD).

In April 2021, MOVEMENT Live launched its first local storytellers workshop in partnership with Meany Center for the Performing Arts. We are bringing together three musicians from the Greater Seattle Area who see migration as a core part of their creative journey and building collaborative stories with them. The workshop features Kiki Valera (Cuba), Momma Nikki (Haiti/US), and Dakota Camacho (Guam/US) and is part of Meklit’s Mellon Creative Fellowship at the University of Washington, as well as part of the UW co-commissioning process.

Greg Kastelman - founder and principal at Unbound Artists - is our Creative Producer and booking agent.

2021 Episode highlights