Category Archives: New Utopia

There is something unprecedented and important in the recent Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): degrowth. Two of the IPCCs working groups those focused on climate change impacts and on mitigation use the economic term to discuss policies that are key to reducing the impacts of climate change.

This is a profound inclusion. By pointing to degrowth, something Timothe Parrique, a social scientist and economist, refers to as an opportunity to recentre our economies on what really matters, the reports authors challenge the widely accepted story that endless economic growth an increase in the quantity of goods and services is essential to reducing poverty and improving the quality of life around the world.

Degrowth offers the world a new story, one that acknowledges the role economic growth has had in climate change and identifies alternatives.

Stories are foundational to how we understand who we are and the world in which we live, and we should think of economics as a story. As English professor and Indigenous writer Thomas King succinctly offers, The truth about stories is thats all we are.

Not only do the IPCC reports offer hope for mitigating climate change, they also afford hope for how we understand and celebrate the Earth.

In an analysis of the IPCCs Working Group II report, Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, released in February 2022, Parrique notes the mention of degrowth 15 times. He also points to the reports emphasis on other ways of living that are not based on economic growth, including buen vivir in South America, eco-swaraj in India and Ubuntu in South Africa. Each of these is an example of ways in which people are living more interconnectedly with each other and the Earth.

Read more: IPCC report: Half the world is facing water scarcity, floods and dirty water large investments are needed for effective solutions

The IPCC Working Group III report, Mitigation of Climate Change, released in early April 2022, refers to degrowth five times and declares that prosperity and the Good Life are not immutably tied to economic growth.

These reports highlight the urgent reality of climate change: It is a devastating, fossil fuel-driven, anthropogenic global phenomenon and an inequity multiplier those with the least are affected the most gravely.

But the IPCC reports also highlight that if we are to address climate change, we must challenge the business-as-usual story of endless economic growth. Economic degrowth and examples of alternative communities welcome the possibility for a different kind of story one about the finite Earth as something other than a collection of resources. A story that allows for a re-imagining of who we are and our relationship with the Earth.

There was a time not so long ago that all of our ancestors understood, and told stories about, the ways humans are interconnected with the Earth. They lived this interconnection. As Robin Wall Kimmerer points out in her book Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants, Each of us comes from people who were once Indigenous.

But stories of humans as interconnected with the Earth are antithetical and threatening to those whose businesses and industries are reliant on the Earth as a collection of natural resources and a dumping ground for waste. From anti-Indigenous racism to the demonization of Rachel Carson upon the publication of her book Silent Spring, there is a long history of violent suppression of those who share and celebrate our interconnection with the Earth.

This suppression made the story of the Earth-as-resource a necessary prelude to endless economic growth appear more palatable, logical and inevitable. But it is a story with an illogical premise: that endless growth can happen on a finite planet. In Prosperity Without Growth: Economics for a Finite Planet, economist Tim Jackson writes, those who hope that [economic] growth will lead to a materialistic Utopia are destined for disappointment. We simply dont have the ecological capacity to fulfil this dream.

He adds that with continued pursuit of economic growth, by the end of the century we will face a hostile climate, depleted resources, the destruction of habitats, the decimation of species, food scarcities, mass migrations and almost inevitably war.

But the IPCCs unprecedented inclusion of degrowth in its recent reports offers a new way forward. Perhaps acknowledging ecological limits will lead us to the fulfilment of different kinds of dreams and the celebration of a return to stories about humans as interconnected with the Earth.

Some researchers, myself included, have interviewed people about their spiritual experiences in nature. These are experiences and stories that include wonder, awe, the sublime, mystery and connection with something larger than oneself, but are not attributed to a specific religion or faith. My findings echo those of psychology researchers Tristan Snell and Janette Simmonds who write, natural environments, and features within these settings, can act as triggers of mystical [or spiritual] experiences.

Read more: Rapidly increasing climate change poses a rising threat to mental health, says IPCC

Such findings may help to explain a 2017 report from the Pew Research Center that found that people identifying as spiritual but not religious increased to 27 per cent from 19 per cent between 2012 and 2017. As sociologists Todd Ferguson and Jeffrey Tamburello propose, When a person hikes in a forest to connect with the sacred, she or he may not feel the need to affiliate with a religious organization because her or his spiritual demands are met.

Seeing the Earth as a collection of ingredients for consumption is antithetical to seeing the Earth as interconnected and spiritual. Many Indigenous Peoples, engaged scholars like Rachel Carson, environmentalists, eco-spiritualists, visitors to forests, lakes and mountains, among others, have been sharing their interconnected and spiritual stories sometimes against great resistance. Now climate change and the IPCC are helping with such sharing by challenging economic growth-as-usual.

In The Age of Missing Information, Bill McKibben writes, Most cultures, historically, have put something else God or nature or some combination at the centre. But weve put them at the periphery. A consumer society doesnt need them to function, and it cant tolerate the limits they might impose; theres only need for people.

From flooding to fires to species extinctions, the Earth is letting us know that there are limits. And climate change is reminding us, with great force, that we are interconnected with this finite earth. As naturalist John Muir wrote in My First Summer in the Sierra, published 1911, When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.

Climate change is both a devastating reality and profound opportunity. We are the Earth and embracing that story provides desperately needed new paths to the future and spiritual opportunities for experiencing amazement.

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Stories about economic degrowth help fight climate change and yield a host of other benefits - The Conversation

Iman Vellani will power-punch her way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe when Ms. Marvel comes to Disney Plus on June 8, with audiences anticipating the series release. After some merchandise teased the in-universe AvengerCon, it become evident that more references to the franchises roster of heroes and locations would be forthcoming..

Marvel has unveiled more Ms. Marvel merchandise featuring the elegant fictional utopia of Wakandaas seen in Black Panther. As we all know, Wakanda is a fictional country in East Africa and home to the superhero Black Panther, where its depicted as the most technologically advanced nation on the planet for possessing the highly-prized and nearly indestructible element vibranium.

Amazon has stocked plenty of t-shirts sporting the AvengerCon logo, advertising Wakanda Tours that are available for six nights or 14 days. The in-canon event takes place on Kamala Khans home turf New Jersey, and its fun to see Marvel going all-in on the tie-ins.

Marvel fans are already aware that Sokovia is the former homeland of Wanda and Pietro Maximoff, which was terrorized by Stark Industries weaponry after it fell into the hands of terrorists. During the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Sokovia was used as the battleground between the titular heroes and villains, leading to its total evacuation and destruction.

From the looks of things, Ms. Marvel is tying in some neat references from various parts of the MCU and Marvel fans can get their hands on official merchandise to support the longtime fan favorites long-awaited live-action debut.

Ms. Marvel stars Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan, and co-stars Fawad Khan, Aramis Knight, Matt Lintz, Saagar Shaikh, Rish Shah, Mohan Kapoor and Zenobia Shroff. On June 8, the world will finally get to meet Captain Marvels biggest fan.

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'Ms. Marvel' Merch Reveals Wakanda Has Become a Hotspot for Tourists - We Got This Covered

Royal Caribbean announced the name of its sixth Oasis-Class cruise ship.

At a steel-cutting ceremony at the Chantiers de lAtlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France, the cruise line announced that the ship would be called Utopia of the Seas.

According to Royal Caribbean blog, the cruise line trademarked the name in December of 2021 in addition to 23 other names that could be used for future vessels.

Royal Caribbean expects the Utopia of the Seas, which just officially started construction, to be setting sail in May of 2024.

It is expected that Utopia of the Seas will have 2,800 staterooms and will overtake Wonder of the Seas as the largest cruise ship in the world upon her debut.

Royal Caribbean also recently began construction on the new Icon of the Seas, which is the first of a new class of ships scheduled to debut in fall 2023. Icon of the Seas will hold 5,000 passengers and will be powered by liquefied natural gas.

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Royal Caribbean's Next New World's Largest Cruise Ship Will Be Utopia of the Seas - TravelPulse

The theory that media giant Disney wants to create a kinder, gentler world is hardly news after all, the company's Disney World is focused on the EPCOT Center, short for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.

But over the years, the company has found more, and increasingly diverse, ways to advance the vision of an idyllic life where its fans can live in harmony with themselves and one another.

That drive is on display at Disney's original utopia in Celebration, Fla., an entire community built inOsceola County that focuses on Walt Disney's original dream of having a self-contained town full of whimsical touches and practical items, like its own power grid.

Celebration has its own post office, two Disney utilities to bring energy and various high-end touches like a downtown retail core and luxury homes, with the average four-bedroom home costing around $800,000.

There's also lots of Mickey Mouse nods everywhere, a stylistic choice made to ensure that residents get theDisney neighborhood that they have paid for in advance.

The town itself has around 8,000 residents and houses that range from massive mansions to cute little cottages, with the initial batch built in the 1990's filled by a lottery system.

Celebration has been a Disney status symbol for decades, and is an example of how the company has been able to draw on its brand to create different, increasingly more enjoyable experiences for old and new fans alike.

Now, it looks like Disney has another idea to bring a vision for worldwide community to the masses.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Disney said on April 6 that it will partner with a third-party developer to create a new Disney-living community of affordable housing on 80 acres in Orange County, Florida.

The company has faced criticism in the past for how expensive some of its branded real estate has been, with its recent Storyliving by Disney communities receiving particular attention.

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One could argue that the fantasy Disney sells is itself not about affordability, but the brand is clearly paying attention. It said it will launch the new development, still in the early planning stages, as part of an 80-acre parcel set aside specifically for affordable homeownership.

We are invested in working together with our community to solve complex issues, Jeff Vahle, president of Walt Disney World Resort, said in a statement.

The lack of affordable housing is affecting many people across our country, including right here in Central Florida," Vahle said.

It also won't be Disney's first foray into building affordable housing. The company previously built theBuena Esperanza in Anaheim, Calif., and will complete a sister project,Finamore Place, in the summer of 2022.

"With this initiative, were lending a hand to make a real and meaningful impact in our community by tapping into the best of our companys strengths. This is the right opportunity and the right time to take action, Vahle said.

The new development, not yet named, will create 1,300 units of affordable housing on land near the company's Disney World theme park in Central Florida, the company said in a statement.

It will be built near the increasingly expanding Flamingo Crossings Town Center, with its dining and retail choices, and near to the area's schools.

The company did not say what pricing it would use in the project, but said it will offer a "variety of home choices that are affordable and attainable."

It added that while the development is still subject to a variety of approvals, it is part of a larger strategy Disney has in targeting a variety of world ills, including building more affordable housing near its parks.

"These initiatives are among the many ways Disney is strengthening its communities, including hundreds of millions of dollars provided in philanthropic donations to local nonprofits, the Disney VoluntEARS program, contributions to local food banks and more," it said in a statement.

The company said that its Disney World Resort recently donated $3 million to "important causes in the community, including organizations on the front lines of the affordable housing issue."

Disney's market cap is $241 billion.

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Disney World Has a Surprising New Project - TheStreet

It will take time and work to achieve such a utopia; the Closed capsule offers options for the journey in the form of hoodies, military jackets, jeans, and, of course, a slip dress. The cut is generous so as to be inclusive. The idea was to update some staples from the company, so it was a mix of archival researchand then we went thrift store shopping in Berlin, and a little American college influence coming from me, explains Philouze, a proud Marymount Manhattan College alum.

The overall vibe of the collection is easy, yet this is a purposeful project both on the concept and material level (eco denim, viscose, and natural dyes were used for some of the pieces.) We wanted to have a dialogue around it so the pieces would connect to you on a deeper level, Philouze says. I see capsule collections as messages to help kids enjoy being who they are, who they want to become, and feeling free with the interaction between their bodies and identities, because for me one of the strengths of fashion is to be able to give people the lift or the motivation to become a better version of themselves.

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From Closed and Vogue's Michael Philouze, a New Capsule Collection That Moves Style Beyond Gender - Vogue

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) Sunday, April 3 marks one year since a shooting at Utopia that injured two and killed Charles Allen, whose killer has not yet been identified.

First News spoke to Allens mother at a memorial for her son at the nightclub.

I want my son back, said Aleesha Foster a mothers plea a year after her son was killed at Utopia.

He was performing for a crowd of several hundred when he was shot. Foster said when she first got the call, she didnt believe it was real.

I ran every red light coming here that night and this whole parking lot was lit up, said Foster.

Youngstown police said Allen is believed to be the target of the shooting. Allen was free on bond and awaiting trial on multiple charges at the time. Allen was found on the floor of the club.

I yelled for my son outside Utopia, and while they brought my son out I was calling his name. He turned, he looked at me and I tried to grab my son, and the police officer grabbed me until they put my son in the back of the ambulance, said Foster.

Hundreds of people flooded out of the bar, and when officers arrived there were still shots being fired.

Cellphone video showed a scene that appeared chaotic with people yelling as police gave orders to the crowd. Officers found casings from two different weapons at the scene but did not recover a gun.

I want my son to get justice. Its a year now. Nothing. Nobody has been brought forward, said Foster.

Foster said she became an ordained minister to help other families who have lost children and other family members to gun violence. She said she thinks of her son every day and tries to continue his legacy by helping to take care of his seven children the youngest who is just five months old.

I love you, son, said Foster.

Captain Jason Simon confirmed there are no new details on the case. Anyone with information is asked to contact Youngstown police.

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I want my son back: Mother of Utopia shooting victim still searches for justice - WKBN.com

Politicians and urban planners are betting on hyper-local living a future ideal that borrows much from the past. But is it a path to urban utopia or just a fad?

Illustration by Simon Marchner for POLITICO

This article is part ofPOLITICOs Global Policy Lab: Living Cities, a collaborative journalism project exploring the future of cities. Sign uphere.

ROME

THE CITY OF THE FUTURE might look a lot like the one your grandparents or even your great-grandparents lived in.

As policymakers grapple with how to adapt urban centers to the post-pandemic economy and reduce emissions in the face of climate change, one solution is catching peoples imagination: the 15-minute city.

As a concept, its both quaint and quietly revolutionary: redesign cities so that people live, work and have access to all the services they need whether thats shops, schools, theaters or medical care within a 15-minute walk or bike ride.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo was among the first to seize on the idea in 2020, putting it at the heart of a successful reelection campaign that also involved pushing cars out of the city in favor of green spaces and bike lanes.

Her pitch to turn the French capital into a city of proximity where children walk to school and residents know their local baker struck a chord at a time when COVID-19 lockdowns meant people were suddenly spending a lot more time in their own neighborhoods. Enthusiasm for the idea sparked similar campaigns in Dublin, Barcelona, Milan and Lisbon.

The aim is to rebalance cities that were originally designed to boost productivity rather than well-being, according to Carlos Moreno, the French-Colombian academic behind the 15-minute city concept.

Some 1.3 million Parisians commute across the city from East where many working-class neighborhoods are located to West and back again each day. Moreno brands thisa mad way of life that means commuters hardly spend any time in the areas where they live. Many dont know their neighbors, visit their local shops or neighborhood parks.

The pandemic has been an awakening in that respect, said Moreno. People have recovered a desire to live more calmly, more socially, and with greater control over their time.

While many see in the 15-minute city a roadmap to a new utopia, others question its novelty and its feasibility.

Moreno admits the idea involves reversing 70 years of urban planning, a massive undertaking that throws up a host of new challenges, not least making sure cities dont become a collection of island neighborhoods isolated from one another.

The urban way of life Moreno wants cities to recover never died out in Testaccio, a district of Rome tucked between a bend in the Tiber River and a mountain of broken terracotta amphorae left over from a time when the area housed an ancient port.

On a recent weekday in the districts main piazza, sociologist Irene Ranaldi pointed out that everything locals might need is within walking distance.

From the busy central square, dotted with butcher shops, bars and banks, its just a short stroll to the local medical center, the primary and middle schools, a fresh food market and several local libraries.

You dont need a car if you live here, said Ranaldi. People walk and interact in places like this square, where all Testaccios social classes mix over the course of the day, walking their dogs, watching their kids play, coming down for a chat with a neighbor.

If Testaccio seems to embody the ideals of the 15-minute city concept, its also a perfect example of a late 19th-century city, Francesca Romana Stabile, an urban historian at Roma Tre University, points out.

Back then cities were planned with residential areas located as close as possible to workplaces and services concentrated throughout, she said.

Quality of life in Testaccio, which was organized around the slaughterhouse complex built in 1888, wasnt always worthy of emulation. The first Testaccini as the locals are called lived in squalid conditions, but public indignation soon forced local authorities to invest in developing the area, including by redirecting through-traffic along its perimeter and building public housing.

It was all very progressive, said Stabile, describing grand public housing blocs with leafy interior courtyards and plenty of light. The buildings also housed health care services and child care centers, and artists used nooks on the ground floor as studios.

For decades, Testaccio remained unchanged. Its robust housing and services, and its proximity to the slaughterhouse and other industrial sites meant locals mainly tradesmen and blue-collar workers continued to spend more time in their own neighborhood instead of stuck in commuter traffic in their Fiat seicentos.

More recently, Testaccios reputation for easy living has, paradoxically, forced out the true locals, who now find themselves priced out of the neighborhood by an influx of wealthier Romans.

Gentrification came for Testaccio in the early 2000s, when its public housing blocs were privatized and its prime location and general charm left it exposed to rampant speculation, said Danila Marcaccini, member of the local community group Comitato Testaccio.

People who bought their 60-square-meter public housing flat from the city for 40,000 can now easily resell it for 400,000, she said. These are humble, working-class people so I dont judge them for giving in and making some money, but its still sad to see the true Testaccini leaving.

That shift embodies one of the main criticisms of the 15-minute city that, today, it can only work for people who have the luxury of working from home.

The flat under mine used to be owned by an elderly woman who worked at the market; when she passed away an architect moved in, said Ranaldi, adding that a journalist had bought the flat next door. People with these professions are the ones who arent under pressure to show up to workplaces and can take their time to go to the caf, shop here, really live the neighborhood the way people used to.

The distances most working-class people are required to travel for work pose a major challenge to the 15-minute city, Moreno conceded.

His vision of the ideal city involves enshrining the right to work near home, something he admitted cant be done by waving a magic wand.

There are aspects of this for which we do not have a solution because its a matter thats up to private enterprise to change, he said, adding that it wasnt up to him to lead a social revolution or hang the black or red, or whatever colored flag from the rooftop.

But while people may still have to commute, city planners can still ensure workers can go home to places where they can live locally and well, he argued.

Thats something thats very much on the mind of Andrea Catarci, the city councilor in charge of finding ways to implement the ideals of the 15-minute city across Rome.

His focus, he said, is on the Italian capitals massive commuting class, rather than the lucky few who live in neighborhoods like Testaccio.

The push comes after Roberto Gualtieri took up the cause in his successful bid to be elected mayor of Rome last year, championing the concept as a way to make the notoriously chaotic capital simpler and closer for its 4.3 million residents.

Catarci cautioned that it would take time to figure out how to bring the best of hyper-local life to the sprawling city.

I have no money this portfolio doesnt have any budget assigned, said Catarci. But I do have an enormous desire to come up with ways to reinterpret and reprogram the city, and to encourage the rest of the councilors to carry out specific actions in their areas.

The solutions that have worked in Testaccio and other parts of Rome wont necessarily work elsewhere, Catarci said. Thats particularly true in the areas hes most interested in targeting the poorer, haphazardly constructed neighborhoods that have sprung up near the 68-kilometer highway circling the city.

These are places that were built for cars, where there are no basic services sometimes there isnt even a local bar or tobacco shop and residents have no choice but to drive to the nearest shopping mall to pick up basic goods, he said.

Making the 15-minute city real for those residents will mean investing in municipal services and attracting new businesses, according to Catarci, but it also has to involve building transit options that connect those areas to the rest of the city.

The idea, he said, is not to isolate residents in their own communities.

Moreno echoed the importance of keeping neighborhoods mobile a key point that differentiates the modern 15-minute city from what existed a century ago.

In the past people stuck to their neighborhood and saw the people living in the next one over as strangers, maybe even as threats, he said. We want to recover the good things from the past without going back to that. People come to cities for freedom and choice, not to end up locked in urban villages.

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The promise of the 15-minute city - POLITICO Europe

At the start of Picard season one, the disgraced Admiral begins assembling a team to help him investigate his old shipmate Data. But when his new crew included Captain Rios and former Starfleet officer Raffi, both the characters in the show and its fans had a question: Why not bring back the old crew? Over the course of season one and season two, members of that crew slowly came back together, starting with his number one Will Riker and counselor Dianna Troi, and continuing to Data and Guinan.

For the shows third and final season, the remaining members of the Enterprise crew will finally rejoin their erstwhile captain. According to Variety, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, and Levar Burton have been added to the cast of the upcoming season. Give or take a Wesley Crusher, Miles OBrien, or Tasha Yar, and these additions complete the main cast of The Next Generation. As weve already seen Riker, Troi, and the others, much has changed since that group was last seen together in 2002s Nemesis. So what have the returning characters been doing for the past twenty years?

In Nemesis deleted scenes, Dr. Crusher returns to her post as the head of Starfleet Medical. Presumably, she resolved whatever issue caused her to leave that position before the start of The Next Generation season three, when she reclaimed her job as Chief Medical Officer from Dr. Pulaski. If aspects of the future glimpsed in All Good Things remains in place, Crusher is on her way to a marriage (and divorce) from Picard, and preparing to captain her own ship, The Pasteur.

All Good Things also revealed matrimony in Geordi La Forges future, as he has started a family with Dr. Leah Brahms in that timeline. Another possible future, as seen in the Voyager episode Timeless finds La Forge serving as captain of the USS Challenger. But the most in-canon look weve seen of La Forge occurs in the Picard prequel comic book Countdown. There, Commander La Forge works at the shipyards on Utopia Planatia, helping create a new fleet to aid the evacuation of Romulus.

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Star Trek: Picard - Where Have Worf, LaForge, and Crusher Been? - Den of Geek

Selfcare, looking out for others, and building a supportive, inclusive community were the main topics of discussion at the Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice Summit on April 5.

The summit was hosted by the Division of Student Affairs and moderated by Matthew Jeffries, the director of campus climate and community building. Centered on the theme, Fostering Community and Structural Care, the event brought together nearly 200 participants from around the Washington State University system to learn about creating an equitable and supportive community for all. Attendees also learned about resources and practices they can use to help build that community.

The mantra of Cougs Helping Cougs is really strong here, said Provost and Pullman Chancellor Elizabeth Chilton in her opening remarks. If we create a safe environment for our students and fellow colleagues, we can all thrive.

The summits breakout sessions covered a range of topics, from mutual aid to mindfulness as an anti-racist practice to theEmployee Assistance Program. Sessions focused on describing what community and structural care can look like and providing tools and resources for attendees to begin building community care into their lives.

In a session on mutual aid, facilitator Josie Rodriguez provided a framework of what mutual aid can look like in different communities and challenged participants to work outside of traditional institutions to help address the needs of their communities in a non-hierarchical way.

I want to challenge folks to think about ways that we can work outside of our institutions, using the knowledge and skills and the capital that we have and the privileges that we have, to support people in our communities, she said. The most radical thing you can do is find ways you can get involved.

In their session Mindfulness as an Anti-Racist Practice, co-facilitators Trymaine Gaither and Kersten Bergstrom discussed ways to support individuals through mindful awareness, active listening, and silence. They encouraged participants to engage in mindfulness practices such as the STOP method (Stop, Take a breath, Observe, Proceed) and the three Cs (center, check in, co-counsel) when talking with others and recommended silence as a powerful mindfulness tool.

Silence can allow others to be heard, so by listening and being present, we can honor others, Bergstrom said. In silence, we arent the center of attention. [The discomfort of] silence can give others the time they need to talk.

In his closing remarks, David Garcia, assistant dean for Health Equity and Inclusion at the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, talked about the importance of moving toward systems of community and structural care, particularly as the world begins to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Were constructing what the new normal will become, and we can all be active participants in that, he said. Its important to think about what community care looks like. Instead of asking people to engage in self-care, what if we begin to consider care at the community level?

Creating a culture of community and structural care can seem daunting, but many people are in positions to create that kind of change at WSU and in their larger community, Garcia said. Checking in with colleagues and friends, fostering a culture of kindness and respect, and advocating for material and cultural changes are all important steps to moving from self-care to community care and, ultimately, structural care systems.

Were at a crossroads, and we have an opportunity as individuals and organizations on how we will assign and prioritize our time, he said. Its important to move from self and community care to structural care. This is the utopia Im coming to work for every day, this is what I think is worth fighting for.

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Diversity and equity summit focuses on community and structural care WSU Insider - WSU News

Musical theater has become a thing on TikTok. This Sunday, for example, The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical became the first project that originated on TikTok to win a Grammy.

Now the popular video-app maker announced that it commissioned its first original musical, called For You, Paige, led by Daniel Mertzlufft the creative force behind viral hit Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical.

For You, Paige will be available to livestream on the @TikTok account on Thursday, April 14, at 7 p.m. ET, performed at a theater in New York City.

The shows story is inspired by real TikTok creators. It features original songs written by Mertzlufft, Julia Riew, Katherine Lynn-Rose, RJ Christian, Blake Rouse, Morgan Reilly, Alex Engleberg, Kate Leonard, and Gosz & Fotos, and with orchestrations by Macy Schmidt. The tunes include Playing in My Key, Out of My Mouth and Beyond the Dome.

In For You, Paige (a pun on TikToks For You page), teen music nerd Landon (played by Roman Banks) collaborates with his best friend, Paige (played by Sri Ramesh) on a TikTok song inspired by her favorite book series. Landons TikTok goes viral, thrusting him into the spotlight and leaving Paige behind. When a producer offers Landon the opportunity to adapt the book series into a musical, Landon discovers that the glory of doing it all himself isnt worth the stress and enlists the help of Paige (and the TikTok community) to turn the show into a success.

The cast of For You, Paige also features James Henry as Tyler, Krystina Alabado as Kaia and JJ Niemann as Jarek. Maria Goulamhoussen and Emily Maltby will co-direct the live performance of the show, with Emily and Katie Spelman choreographing.

Since January, Mertzlufft (pictured above) has been documenting the creative process behind For You, Paige on TikTok, providing a behind-the-scenes of how a musical goes from an idea to reality. As you would expect, the show features multiple references to TikTok trends and communities (such as Paiges obsession with fictional YA series Utopia, which is a nod to #BookTok).

Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical, based on the song Remy the Ratatouille by Emily Jacobson, became a rousing success among theater buffs (and beyond). On Jan. 1, 2021, a livestream of the show raised $1.9 million for the Actors Fund. That featured Tituss Burgess, Wayne Brady, Andr De Shields, Adam Lambert, Andrew Barth Feldman and Kevin Chamberlin.

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TikTok Is Funding Its First Musical, From Creative Lead Behind Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical - Variety