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Photography by Derick Armah
Words by Maxine Thomas-Asante
As the sunshine lingered over a beautiful Monday evening, people gathered for our latest Power of Pop Mixer – Igniting Impact: Entertainment for Real World Change. Hosted at Movember’s London offices, the event explored our shared commitments to racial justice, masculinities, health, and wellbeing.
At the Power of Pop Fund, a key element of our strategy is to foster the exchange of skills and knowledge between creatives, researchers, changemakers, funders, and cultural strategists. Igniting Impact was designed to do exactly that.
The Panel: Storytelling, Healing, and Cultural Power
The evening began with a panel discussion chaired by Power of Pop Fund Lead, Maxine, and four incredible speakers:
Brian Walker, CEO of the US-based organization Picture Impact, is a respected change agent working at the intersection of culture, digital media, social enterprise, and social justice.
Sebastian Thiel, a writer, director, and producer whose credits include hit shows like Netflix’s Supacell and BBC’s Dreaming Whilst Black.
Posi Morakinyo, an acclaimed stage and musical actor whose West End credits include For Black Boys Who Have Considered Su**e When the Hue Gets Too Heavy (Garrick Theatre), Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations (Prince Edward Theatre), and Tina – The Tina Turner Musical (Aldwych Theatre).
Kevin Morosky, creative, filmmaker, writer, and co-founder of our Power of Pop-funded partner 2POCC. Kevin’s deeply thought-provoking work led to him being named one of Radio 1Xtra’s 2023 Future Figures, alongside 2POCC co-director Nana Bempah.
The conversation flowed from the need to tell authentic, resonant stories to how we can transform cultural moments into meaningful social dialogue.
The panellists agreed: truly powerful art invites people in. While there can be a place for showing stories of challenge, that role has been well addressed. In today’s complex world, audiences are hungry for joy, imagination, and healing. “Transformative art is when people can put themselves in the dream seat.” – Posi Morakinyo
Stage vs. Screen: Different Mediums, Shared Power
One of the unique aspects of this panel was the interplay on the dynamics between stage and screen. The panel explored how audiences engage with each medium differently, creating differing opportunities for storytelling. TV and film, for example, must consider the "second screen" – how clips can be shared across social media to extend impact, and having to share audience attention.
Theatre, on the other hand, commands full attention in real time. For two uninterrupted hours, the audience is immersed – no distractions, no rewinds. The focus required makes theatre uniquely powerful in an age of constant digital stimulation. The panel urged us to both protect and innovate within this vital space.
Reaching Wider Audiences: It's About the Stories
The conversation also turned to the demographics of theatre audiences. Recent productions like To All The Boys… and The Temptations have drawn new and diverse audiences to the West End, proving that it’s not the format, but the storytelling that matters. Theatre often incubates stories that later make it to screen. Productions like Baby Reindeer demonstrate how theatre can cultivate content that spark cultural moments far beyond the stage.
The Gift of Genre: Reflections, Revelations, Reasoning
One of the key takeaways from the event was the importance of genre. Across the panel, our speakers had experience working in comedy, sci-fi, and drama. The discussion reflected on the unique ability of comedy to facilitate deep societal conversations in ways that leave the audience both laughing and reflecting. From a different perspective, sci-fi offers a critical reflection to our society, helping audiences to reframe their attitudes by abstracting topical conversations. Thus, there is strategy in identifying the types of conversations that are best had through comedy, sci-fi, drama or horror.
Collaboration is Key: Building Impact Together
When reflecting on what allows authentic stories to flourish, the panellists emphasized the value of meaningful collaboration — with commissioners, broadcasters, streamers, theatres, writers, researchers and charities. As one speaker noted, working with the right team feels like freedom — and it’s that creative freedom that leads to the most compelling entertainment.
“I know what freedom feels like.” – Kevin Morosky
Bridging Borders: Transnational Cultural Strategy
With Brian Walker joining us from Los Angeles, we also explored how UK cultural strategies might intersect with US methods and networks, sparking powerful transnational conversations. As the panel closed, the event transitioned into a buzzing reception. Attendees lingered, deep in conversation, drinks and food in hand, inspired by what they’d just heard. One powerful question continued to echo: How do we keep optimising entertainment for real world change – both at home and across borders?
