Speakers & Performers

Dr. Glenda Cooper is the deputy head of the journalism department and BA programme director at City University of London. She founded and co-produces the News on Stage live journalism events project, and is also co-director of Contemporary Narratives Lab. This year she has been working on a project with community groups, The Ferret andGreater Govanhill magazines called “It’s Criminal,” a show looking at how media reporting of crime affects communities, the first iteration of which was performed at the Tron Theatre, Glasgow in June 2023.

Monique is editor at De Balie Live Journalism. In her work she is news-oriented, but always with the focus on the fringes of society. Previously she worked as an investigative journalist at AT5 (local Amsterdam broadcast) and produced news editorials for Dutch national radio. Topics she’s interested in vary from abusive power structures in the corporate or sports world to the overheated housing market.

Sam is completing his final year of the Master of Journalism program at TMU. He has written for Thomson Reuters and Arabian Business, written a fantasy novel, and worked as a researcher for history departments around the world. As a student, he has been fascinated by the intersection of local government and journalism. His background in post-9/11 Middle East politics has driven his desire to tell stories about the corruption of the Overton window and the importance of reporting on isolated subcultures.

Robin Kwong is co-founder of Contemporary Narratives Lab, a network of storytellers who have come from different disciplines to explore how innovative approaches to storytelling can break down complex issues, illuminate truths, and hold open spaces for civic discussion. Contemporary Narratives Lab brings journalists, artists and researchers together to co-create new works alongside community members.  Robin is also the author of Project Management in Newsrooms, a guide published by the UK’s chartered Association for Project Management. He is based in New York.

Samia Madwar is a senior editor at The Walrus. She was previously an editor at Up Here magazine, based in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, and has also worked as new media editor at Canadian Geographic. She has served as a judge for the National Magazine Awards, the Digital Publishing Awards, and the Online Journalism Awards, among others, and has mentored emerging journalists through the National Media Awards Foundation’s BIPOC Mentorship Program. She is currently on the board of directors at Magazines Canada.

Zanele Mji is a journalist and multimedia storyteller. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, on the BBC and Al Jazeera news. She tells immersive stories that challenge assumptions about African people and their lives. Her podcast, Golden City, is a collection of her favourite stories about Joburg, South Africa.

Adora Okeke-Marchand is part of the leadership team at Danforth Headlines. The student group reports on school news events at Danforth Collegiate and Technical Institute. Adora was also on the planning committee for the TDSB’s Know Your Worth Black Youth Empowerment Conference 2023.

Kaisa Osola is a public speaking coach who has trained more than 100 journalists of Helsingin Sanomat to give a live speech on the biggest theatre stages in Finland. The concept, HS Musta laatikko ( Black Box), consists of previously unpublished journalistic stories told to a live audience. The work of the Musta laatikko team is described in a handbook based on six years of live journalism productions and a four year study on the power of live journalism.

Daniel Robbel is a German journalist and author. He works as deputy editor-in-chief for the weekly newspaper BLICK aktuell, based in the Ahr valley in the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate, where he predominantly covers politics. Prior to this, he worked as a reporter at a daily newspaper. Daniel is also the author of several non-fiction books, including travel guides and storybooks.

Vanessa Rousselot is co-founder and deputy director of Diario Vivo, the format of Live Journalism in Spain since 2017. She is a filmmaker of award-winning documentaries and creates audiovisual contents for leading European medias. Producer and script editor of independent podcasts, she also runs workshops of storytelling. After studying History in the Sorbonne University in Paris, she filmed at length in different Arabic countries. She started working in Madrid in 2012 as a member of the prestigious artistic residency Casa de Velázquez.

Katarina is editor at De Balie Live Journalism. She focuses on finding underexposed, marginalized voices of local residents to involve in the investigation. The goal: to create awareness about their untold stories and facilitate a space for politics and citizens to meet. Before joining De Balie Live Journalism, she worked as a journalist for a community-based live journalism project called De Levende Krant (the living newspaper). The show played all summer on several market streets in Amsterdam and was filled with stories from the neighborhood.

Zara leads the research editorial of DeBalie (Centre for Arts in Amsterdam): Live Journalism. The team of four journalists conducts research into Amsterdam subjects, where theater and journalism come together. The journalists work with local residents to investigate issues that affect Amsterdam and The Netherlands as a whole such as: youth healthcare, undocumented people and the working poor. Their live journalism shows involve a long period of community consultation and town-hall meetings, culminating in a long-form theatrical performance, sometimes featuring local residents.