In Times of Crisis, We Keep Creating Together

This past spring, up-and-coming screenwriters, actors, directors, and industry experts gathered in the heart of Hollywood as a pulse check on the state of the film and television industry. The gathering marked the first time all cohorts from The Disruptors Fellowship, a flagship program of The Center for Cultural Power, had come together, launched in 2020. This served as an essential opportunity to reconnect and reimagine the future of storytelling. 

The Disruptors Fellowship supports emerging television writers of color with mentorship, professional development, masterclasses, and opportunities to foster a sense of community. This year, instead of launching a new cohort, we hosted a homecoming to pose a pressing question that many in our field are asking: how can we continue to support and serve artists in an environment of increasing political hostility, shrinking industry pipelines, and rising attacks on many of the communities our artists come from?

Our fellowship has survived a pandemic, a writers' strike, and two significant presidential elections. Through it all, the secret to our enduring network of creatives is the deep relationships we continue to cultivate with the many folks who have made Disruptors the program that it is today. After half a decade of growth, the moment called for reflection: not a pause, but an opportunity to evaluate and get direct input from our alumni, actors, and mentors. Who better to guide the development of a stronger program for 2026 onwards than those who have experienced the program themselves?

The gathering began with familiar faces exchanging joyful greetings, and new faces were quickly woven into conversations. The room was energized with voices and laughter as people shared updates on their projects, organizing, and recent milestones. But amidst the warmth of the space, many acknowledged the increasing strain on resources, opportunities, and the uncertainties that hung heavy in the air. Just months before, wildfires in Los Angeles had displaced families and mobilized neighbors to support each other—another reminder that resilience and community are not abstract values, but daily necessities.

What is happening in Hollywood is merely a reflection of what’s happening across the country. Not only have many of the studios pulled back from their Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility initiatives, but according to the online entertainment website Vulture, “May was a bloodbath” when it came to TV show cancellations. With this in mind, we wanted our Disruptors family to also hear from other community activists who are working relentlessly to ensure that our artist communities are protected, reminding them to continue using creativity to drive cultural change. 

Importantly, participants identified three key needs: funding, workshops to strengthen their practice, and more gatherings like these to foster a sense of community. When asked to dive deeper into these needs, these Disruptors suggested solutions: fundraising nights, sharing each other’s resources and abilities, hiring each other when possible, finding ways to move forward with their careers without studio dependency, and of course: BUILD EACH OTHER UP! 

It felt exceedingly precious to have a room filled with people who carried with them the tools to imagine and create, especially as the gathering took place right after this current administration's first 100 days in office. This brief yet significant period was marked by sweeping and harmful executive orders aimed at dismantling public institutions, stripping away community resources, and endangering civil liberties. 

Despite the sense of anxiety and overwhelm engulfing us all at the moment, we will not let this fear stifle our imagination.

We urge creatives to lean into this moment to make powerful art that will document and challenge this time in history. And we don’t always have to create art solely from pain. In our event space, in the heart of Hollywood, surrounded by these Disruptors, we were reminded that our stories and our community are filled with joy and excitement about our collective futures.

Our message to studios and other arts organizations is simple: Listen to the artists you serve. Go to their one-person shows, stand-up nights, and be curious about the works they’re creating. Artists have the power to shift culture, challenge systems, and envision new structures. What they create in difficult times can become the blueprint for what comes next. These stories will not only endure, they will triumph long after the forces they were created in response to have faded.  

Note: Reflections on the 2025 Disruptors Gathering, authored by Disruptors Fellowship co-creator, Julio Salgado, and Daniela Alvarez, Cultural Power's research partner on a two-year Wallace Foundation-supported study.

Citations: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/us/trump-agenda-2025.html