Sharifa Johka is an award winning creative producer, strategist and social connector whose work has spanned film, television, theater, and immersive technologies. She is an activist that relentlessly pursues radical inclusion in the arts and is also an artist that writes, directs and produces film and transmedia content with a professional track record that spans over 15 years. Most recently, as the Founder of Black Realities, Sharifa leads the funding efforts for a spectrum of creative and immersive projects that includes films, documentaries, apps, games, VR/AR/XR, 3D animation and a wide range of emerging and immersive technologies.
Black Realities is a nonprofit organization that develops, funds, and produces content, events, and experiences imagined and created by Black artists.
Find more information at: blackrealities.com
In partnership with the nation's leading antiracist training organization, artEquity, this is an interactive online workshop with Sharifa Johka that provides antiracist approaches for the hiring process. These antiracist approaches are applicable for all industries and professional fields.
Some Testimonials:
"The clarity of the presentation. The breakdown of six concrete steps, all clearly explained with examples and specific takeaways that are easy to communicate to others in the organization. Looking at those specific issues also helps to generate conversations about larger organizational values in very specific ways".
"Just having all of this info organized in one place was great...and I was really taken with the idea that an individual can do something even if the organization is dragging behind."
Find more information at FTKrecruitment.com
Talking Back is a conversation series that reveals the growing movement for justice in the theatre field.
Hosted by artEquity Founder and Executive Director, Carmen Morgan, this series brings artEquity's practice of facilitating hard and necessary conversations to a broader audience.
The curtain is pulled back and viewers will gain insight into the activism and progress that has been achieved by theater practitioners from across the field as we learn what it takes to transform, not just an institution, but an entire industry.
Talking Back is created and produced by Sharifa Johka.
Find more informtion HERE.
Inspired by a true story, Neighborhood Alert is a short film that depicts the extreme choice a mother makes to protect her teenage son.
Directed by Ngozi Onwurah
Sharifa Johka formerly worked at the Tony award winning Oregon Shakespeare Festival. During her 10 year tenure she held several artisitic and adminstrative leadership positions, including the inaugural Director of Equity (Diversity and Inclusion), a position she held for five years. In 2020, she led the launch of the organization's online digital streaming platform, O!, which provided an at-home audience with 1000+ hours of digital programming during the global COVID pandemic.