“It’s Material - The Pod” is a space to hear from people who are working in creative ways to advance new directions in the built environment, cities, and the economy.
In this episode, Annabel speaks with producer, writer and entrepreneur Dr. Mehret Mandefro.
They speak about the importance of story and language in opening doors for new directions in the built environment. Mehret lifts up opportunities for investment in creative industries as part of cities’ and countries’ economic strategies, and the need for “spaces that feed your mind”.
The conversation hones in on the United States, Ethiopia - and more broadly sub-Saharan Africa - with implications beyond.
First up a short clip, “Minding that gap”. More details below…
Having started her career in medicine, Mehret sees strong synergies between science and the arts.
A few highlights from the conversation:
“The best doctors…what they do is kind of read the body like a text - the signs and symptoms, and put a story together. If you are doing your job right, you’re listening to the patient and trying to also understand what’s being said. And then you give that story back to them in a way that will allow them to understand what’s going on.”
“What a lot of technocratic frames do is take lived experience and kind of flatten it. Storytelling is really great for restoring the complexity back. It’s also just the way people learn.”
“By 2050, one in four people in the World will be living in Africa. I always tell companies, if you don’t have an Africa strategy, you’re going to miss it all.”
Materials:
Mehret’s Substack, “The Fragile Real”. Check out for starters:
- Unveiling the invisible - Story as Wax and Gold - with Wax and Gold referring to the Ethiopian tradition of Sem'na Worq (ሰምና ወርቅ)
We mention the film “Made in Ethiopia” - about Chinese investments in Africa through the lens of a rural industrial park - for which Mehret was one of the Executive Producers
The Realness Institute, “bringing African cinema to the World”
And Mehret’s TED Talk “How a strong creative industry helps economies thrive”
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