Rising Together, a new podcast on the art and design of inclusion launches today, produced at Ringling College of Art and Design. The podcast spotlights the transformative power of art and design in shaping inclusive spaces, communities, and mindsets. In each episode, co-hosts Elҫin Haskollar, Ph.D. and Curtis Anderson invite special guests, from community leaders to everyday heroes, who share their journeys personal narratives, and insights on how to create change.
Co-producer and co-host Elҫin Haskollar, Ph.D. is the Associate Dean of Students for Diversity and Director of Ringling’s Center for Diversity and Inclusion. She is an award-winning higher education leader whose past experiences include providing strategic direction to student affairs offices, programs, and services on the foundations of cross-cultural understanding, and strategizing and implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion-focused initiatives for institutions of higher education.
Her co-producer and co-host Curtis Anderson is the Assistant Dean of Admissions for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. He is a photographer whose select exhibitions include The Story I’ll Tell: The Mixtape (2021), and The Wonder in The Wild (2023).
They are joined by Nick Palladino, an award-winning and internationally recognized sound designer and the founder of NPALL Audio; sound designer and location audio engineer Troy Logan ’22, Film, an award-winning, Sarasota-based sound designer and location audio engineer; post-production from Keith Elliott, a seasoned veteran of mixing, mastering, and cutting-edge software architecture; and Director of ART Network and Senior Production Manager Marquee Doyle, an award-winning director and editor who specializes in documentaries and short films, with over 21 years of experience. The podcast was recorded for both audio and video and mixed at Ringling College’s Studio Labs’ state-of-the-art post-production facility.
For their first thought-provoking discussion, they have invited Nate Jacobs, who is the founder and artistic director of the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe. Jacobs generously shares the story of the birth of the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe—inspired by his time performing the part of servants and other like characters in supporting roles at the Asolo Repertory Theatre. That diminished representation encouraged Jacobs to create a theatre that would feature all Black casts telling stories that speak to, invite, and feel inclusive to Black audiences. Jacobs has written, composed, directed, and performed in many shows, as an actor, singer, dancer, and comedian. He trains and mentors youth in the performing arts through programs such as Stage of Discovery, WBTT’s summer musical theatre intensive program.
The podcast is available via Spotify, Apple Podcast, and YouTube. Subscribe to stay updated on new episodes and follow us on social media. You can watch all of our episodes on the Rising Together webpage. Email diversity@ringling.edu to find out how to be a guest or collaborate.
