“If you’re branching into the U.K. market post Brexit, it’s going to be a nightmare and I don’t say that to dissuade you, just to remind you that what I did was very specific.” - Lydia-Renee Darling
In this episode we discuss:
Pandemic panic! Grad panic!
What are the main differences and similarities for multi-hyphenates in the NYC and West End markets?
How do you plant your feet when branching into new markets?
What happens when you girl-boss too hard?
Breaking out of the scarcity mindset.
How does multi-hyphenating contribute to cultural preservation?
The American Dream
The concept of Ann Bogart’s Satz
Lydia-Renee Darling is an actor-producer and founder with a BFA in Musical Theatre from Webster Conservatory of Theatre Arts and an MA in Writing for Stage and Broadcast Media from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. As a biracial, second-generation Ghanaian-American, Lydia aims to explore identity, belonging and mental health within heightened worlds and uses live immersive theatre with digital interactive elements to enhance audience impact.
#rememberadam, a Zoom short produced, written and acted by Lydia in response to the Kenosha shootings in her home state, was chosen for the Lift Off Sessions festival, First Time Filmmaker Festival and Andromeda Film Festival. A portion of her play, The Thin Gray Line, has been seen at Bob Carter's Actors' Rep and she performed in her short play, Twenty-Five and Other Things, at The Pleasance in the Dear Black People Festival in July 2021.
Lydia is the Founder of Oh! (My Gosh) Creative Co., an international DEI audience development and co production company. A systemic lack of access to visibility and guidance in the entertainment industry has resulted in fewer BIPOC professionals, making fewer and fewer BIPOC want to enter the industry… and so the cycle repeats. OMG breaks this vicious cycle of underrepresentation. At Oh! (My Gosh) Creative Co., Lydia produces entertainment featuring marginalized creatives both onstage and backstage and specializes in reaching audiences that reflect the diverse faces of those casts. She most recently served as Associate Producer and Head of Marketing for the UK tour of Vitamin D.
Lydia has been part of multiple accelerators for Oh! (My Gosh) Creative Co., which won a first place grant at Do It Now Now’s Black and Good: Build Hustle Grow 2.0. The first of its kind on DEI in entertainment, OMG will launch their virtual publication in January 2024. This is possible due to grant support from Do it Now Now and residency at Somerset House Trust, plus the input, support and mentorship of Rachel at Brick London, Nikita at Local Champions CIC, Louis at 7PK and the ECHO Young Entrepreneurship Accelerator. This is a much-needed publication by underrepresented creatives, for underrepresented creatives. Even if you're not underrepresented in the industry, we'll have stellar tools, takeaways and studies for allies.
Originally from Madison, Wisconsin, Lydia now splits her time between Chicago and as a commonwealth citizen in London.
To keep up with Lydia and Oh! (My Gosh) Creative Co., find her here:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lydiareneedarling/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lydia-renee-darling/
Website: https://www.lydiareneedarling.com
Oh! (My Gosh) Creative Co.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ohmygoshcreative.co/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/oh-my-gosh-creative-co/
Website: https://www.ohmygoshcreative.co