I'm streaming today, and I just wanted to make sure that you're aware that because our camera is about right there, there's a little bit of an angle in which it can see the stage. So we want to make sure that we're not blocking that line of sight, and right here at the magic table is where that's happening, sorry, magic folks. So if you want to speak to our friends at that table, you can chat with them right around here. They're going to be right there, these lovely people there. Yes, yes. If you want to chat with them, just make sure to go around the table. That way we're not blocking the line of sight for the camera, and we're going to get started here just in a second. So stick around for the panel on how to apply for fellowships, internships, or apprenticeships. Thank you. All right, we're going to get started. So first of all, I wanted to thank you all for tuning into or attending our panel on how to apply for fellowships, internships, or apprenticeships as a part of the creative careers. So I wanted to introduce myself. I am the Education Fellow at Berkeley Rep. I am going to go down the line and introduce our other friends here, my peers who also work in other Bay Area organizations and theaters. So I want you all to share your names and pronouns, please, and your positions and what organizations you are representing today. I'm Jordan Charlie Watley. He, him, and I am an Artistic Direction Apprentice at Magic Theater. My name is Hannah Clegg. I'm the Education and Community Programs Fellow at ACT, and my pronouns are she, her, hers. Yo, yo, yo, what's up, everybody? I go by the name of Cameron. You can call me Diz, though. Please call me Diz. He, his, him. I am the Development Intern at the UC Theater in Berkeley. Fantastic. Okay, great. So before we get into what those positions entail, I wanted to start with a question about what your experience was like before you applied for your fellowships or internships or apprenticeships. What was your experience like in the arts, if any of you want to take that question? Okay. Cool. So I've been performing and writing music since I was like 14 years old. I'm 24 now. So before I even heard of this program, I was just running around Berkeley, California trying to find any gig I can get, just trying to elevate my brand any way I could. I have a background sort of in theater, but also sort of not. I just graduated from the University of Michigan having studied vocal performance. So I, yeah, I've been involved in the arts a lot from the performance side for now, but also sort of definitely in the education world, sort of administrative before this fellowship. Before this fellowship, I was getting my degree at the Johnny Carson School of Theater and Film at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and it was a dual emphasis BA in theater directing and management and performance as well. Fantastic. And so I'm curious about what exactly prompted you all to apply for the apprenticeship or fellowship or internship that you have now? So I just graduated in April, and when I did, I found myself really not knowing what next steps I wanted to do. I knew during my senior year that I did not want to go straight to grad school. I wanted to take some time to kind of figure myself out, figure out my role in the world. When I was in school, I loved singing and love performing, still do, but I also felt like I wasn't having like a tangible impact on the world, like, you know, the performance spaces I was in, I would sing and they'd be like, pretty, and I'd be like, great. You know, I didn't feel like I was doing something or like doing good or affecting change. So I was really looking for something like that in my next step option, and I was just kind of searching the internet, looking up theater companies, looking up educational opportunities like this, and ACT was the first one I came across that I was like, that is exactly what I want to do this year, and I went for it, and that's how I ended up here. Fantastic. Thank you. Anyone else? So there were three things that drew me to an apprenticeship. The first one being getting right out of undergrad. I knew I wasn't ready for something that going professional straight away. I wanted something where it was still very much a learning position. The second thing was I also wasn't ready for like committing to one specific area. Coming from the Midwest, I knew I wanted to get out of the Midwest and see some different theater cultures. So like I went and I worked in New York for a bit, and then I sort of found out about the Bay Area, and this is a good lead into my third point, which is I knew I really wanted to work in new and developing works, which there's just so much of that in the Bay Area, and so being able to try something entirely new and be able to work in these new and developing plays is what really drew me to San Francisco and Magic Theater in specific. That was beautifully said. To be quite honest, me personally, I was just lost, like I said, I was running around Berkeley and very indecisive trying to figure out my next steps in life because when you're trying to, you know, I'm in music, so when you're trying to, you know, actually blow up as an artist, it's a lot of no's. I guess it's in all of our fields really, it's like a lot of no's, sometimes yes is in a couple maybes and you're like, all right, cool. So I started working at the UC Theater as a floor staff member just like working there, and they just had like, hey, sign up for the program, sign up for the program, it was like consistent marketing, and I'm like, nah, they ain't even what I want to do because I just want to rap. I just want to rap. I don't do anything else besides rap. And I just said, all right, cool, I'm going to apply one day, you know. It was just that simple. I seen it and then I had a conversation and I was like, all right, I'm going to apply. I'm going to just see what can go, see how far I can take this, you know, on that side of the things, you know. Yeah. Thank you. So some of you did kind of talk about where you heard about this program. Can anyone share a little bit more about how you learned about this opportunity, what resources were you using, and just kind of talk a little bit about what got you into this program in terms of resources and information? Maybe it's not the most impressive thing, but I heard about Mind through a word of mouth, honestly. I had heard people talking about one of the shows last season for Magic Theater, Gangster of Love, and that sort of led me to look into reviews and I just heard about how much that it tried to tackle, just both like in its script contents and the fact that it had like live music and projections and all sorts of crazy things happening all at one time. It's like, yes, this is the theater that I want to go. I want to go to a theater that tries big things, big bold ideas. So the more you can talk about your work, I think the better it is and that just let me know the website, here I am now. Thank you. Yo, like I said, I was working at the theater and it was like a sign. It said Pathways Program and so I just asked, I'm like, yo, what is this program? Can you explain to me what it is? And they proceeded to do so and I was like, you know what? All right, that was my resource. All right. I didn't even know Theater Fellowships existed before I found this one. So good on all of you, you already know. And I just random Google search. I say that, but it's probably my like 200th Google search in the post-grad panic process. But you know, American and Theater are two of the words in American Conservatory Theater and that was what I was Googling. So I feel really grateful that I kind of just stumbled upon this thing that was exactly what I wanted to do before I even knew that that's what I wanted to do. So a couple of you were talking about online searching or word of mouth. Were there other opportunities that you were also looking at while finding this opportunity? Whether that's through other people, whether that's online, what were some other things that you came across? I was looking at a lot of jobs before this. I was kind of thinking like New York, Chicago, find an entry level something somewhere. I'm really glad I didn't end up going that route. We can talk about that more later. But just that this is more of an educational experience than like a come and do your job leave experience. Yeah. Yeah, I was at a point where I was literally throwing applications across the country. I had thrown some Southern companies and I sort of focused more on the West Coast. I was throwing some in Seattle at like Taproot Theater. I just missed the application deadline for Seattle Rep. But and I was throwing a couple more at some in the Bay Area actually until I stumbled upon Magic. And here I am today. Lovely. Thank you. No, I wasn't doing anything else. Great. Right place, right time, right? Talking to the right people. Great. So I want to talk a little bit more about your positions currently. What does a typical week look like for a fellow or apprentice or intern in your position? Or what are some of your favorite projects right now? Oh, yeah, I can do this one. So a typical week as a development intern at the UC Theater looks like this.   I'm playing. It's not really that tiny. And you really just bounce ideas on how to bring people in, how to engage with people like on a human level. You know what I'm saying? Because it's so easy to get caught up in like the company that you forget people are just people at the end of the day. So we try to figure out ways to like meet people where they are and bring them into our home. And like, because it's a community theater, we want everybody to come in and feel like they're home. And so that's that's a typical week for us. Most of project most in most exciting project, I say right now would be is this upcoming campaign and we're working on to like really bring everyone together. We're trying to create this event to bring everyone in. Can't really talk about it too much, but it's coming. It's coming, y'all. My fellowship is kind of comprised of two main parts. Part of it is education. So for that, I get to go teach at Ida B Wells High School every day. We do like fifth period drama class, which is really fun. I also teach at the Boys and Girls Club in the Tenderloin and just other areas around the city and then help with the grant for so all our programs are grant funded. I help like log data and do the monthly report back to DCYF. And then the other half of my fellowship is community programs. So we try and go out into the community, you know, engage with them on a personal level and then kind of curate and produce events that connect ACT to its community and vice versa, which is a really fun time to get to do my one of my projects. I'm the most excited for right now is that at ACT as part of the fellowship. We get to do something called the fellowship project, which is where we produce a play from start to finish. Do all the fundraising, all the marketing, everything like that. I'm really excited. I'm helping assistant direct, doing some music, directing. And then my most favorite part is I'm doing educational programming around that project. So we get to go. I got in contact with 826 Valencia, which is another nonprofit organization that focuses on writing in the area. And we're going to partner up with them and do some writing workshops kind of surrounding the themes of the play. We're doing the revolutionists. And I'm just really excited to get to, you know, create my own lesson plan, create this two workshop series kind of from the ground up, like trying to bring this play out beyond this audience and beyond just what's going to happen on the stage. So I'm really excited about that. Magic doesn't have a typical week, I don't think, which is totally great. It's a small office and so much is happening all the time that you are kind of expected to help out with everything. And I think that is so much fun. I think, honestly, if it weren't like that, working in an office for me would get very stale very quickly. So it definitely keeps you on your toes. But like right now, we're working a lot on like season planning. So we've read probably 15 scripts in like the last two weeks and we've met to talk about them like every three or four days. And then in like two, two and a half weeks, I'm going to go into rehearsal for Assistant Directing In Old Age, which we're partnering with ACT. They're opening her portmanteau. Go see it when it comes in old age. But we're also like planning for our spring donation gala. So we're doing contact for that while doing outreach for in old age and season planning. And we're still sort of wrapping up like our Virgin Play Festival from December. So it's sort of there's a lot of overlapping and you do need to be good at multitasking. But I think that is just so relieving to not have to do the same thing day in and day out. I think that's I think that's the most I can sort of summarize a typical week for magic. But you're going to have you're going to have a finger in each department pretty much. Great, great. And before I move on to the next question, I'll share a little favorite project of mine as an education fellow at Brickley Rep Theatre. We're currently working on the Teen One-Ax Festival in which it's completely teen driven where we have teen playwrights and directors and actors and designers. And they're being kind of guided by all the fellows. So we get a chance now that we as fellows have learned through the year to teach, which is really, really cool. So here's a quick plug. Performances are April 6th and 7th. Come watch Teen's Make Magic at the Brickley Rep Pete's Theatre. But great. So thank you for sharing all of those. I wanted to share that exciting project myself because it's really fun. So for all of you, as you prepare for your next step after your internship or apprenticeship or fellowship, can you please tell us ways in which this particular position has? I guess I'm asking which things are you? Let me rephrase this question. Can you please tell us ways in which the things you're learning now are preparing you for what you plan to do or thinking about doing after this fellowship? There we go. That's it. I definitely have a deeper understanding of what is expected of an artistic staff member. You know, I thought I knew more about it coming out of undergraduate and now looking more at other apprenticeships, other jobs. I am more learning what is my strong suit in an office and in a rehearsal room and what more can I do to beef up my weaker sides and also pitch my stronger sides better? And how can I find theaters that will cater to my strong suits and my skills a little better? Thank you. I think for me the most valuable thing I've gotten out of this fellowship is not a skill or a task, but I think just my own personal growth, my sense of self is higher now than it has ever been. And a lot of that is because of the autonomy my mentors have given me and the support and the praise. And then also just, I'm from Michigan, I moved here for this. And just that sort of falling into this next life thing has really just kind of like made me know that I can do a lot of stuff, you know? And also I'm really, really grateful for the work that I've been able to experience with communities and working with communities different from my own and like learning how to engage on a really human level. That was something that was really important to me, but that I didn't know how to do or didn't feel like I had a good place or the knowledge to do. And I'm really, really grateful for just kind of what I've learned about the world and the people around me and also about myself through this fellowship. I think I'm going to piggyback a little bit of that. I think the most important thing I learned is similar, that I'm good enough, you know? Because I walked in feeling kind of like I said lost and not trying to, you know, just trying to figure out where I'm going. And now I'm just like, yo, I can do this. I can walk into the room and I can talk and I can really give you the good parts of me, the strong, right? And also organization, you know, you got to be organized. I didn't know how to send an email when I came in. I know how to do it now. So it's just really great. I think that can take me a far away even if art doesn't work and I have to go work in like an office or something. At least I know I can be organized. Yeah. Great. Thank you. So last question. Do any of you have any advice for any of our friends in the audience or who may be watching who are interested in applying for a fellowship or an internship or apprenticeship specifically in the arts? Be you. Be you. Please bring you. I think sometimes we get into this mindset when we look at these papers that it's like a job interview.  And no, just come, come with the passion. I say, come with why you want to do it in the first place. Come with the heart, the energy that you thought about when you saw the paper like, yeah, I want to do this. Come with that same energy and don't overthink it too much. You know what I'm saying? My best advice I think is think about why you want to do a fellowship or an internship or a apprenticeship, a ship specifically and then make sure that the role you're applying for fulfills that, right? So there's a reason why you're not just applying for an entry level job, right? And it's, but for me, it was the educational opportunity, the opportunity to be like, that's a cool meeting. Can I come be a fly on the wall? Which as a fellow, yes, as a person being paid hourly. No, you have to do your work. So, yeah, so make sure that the experience you're applying for and that you're investing time to, like, you know, try and get is really has that educational aspect has whatever you are really looking for in it so that you can grow as a person and it's not just going to be like the other job you could have applied for. When you look at a theater to apply to the first thing you should do is find that theater's mission statement and make sure that their values and their mission lines up with yours, because I think if you work for a theater that you just morally, ethically, artistically, whatever you don't line up with that theater, you're not going to be happy there. And when you find out what that theater is really about and what their goal is and you can be passionate about that, that's when you found the theater that you can work for. Obviously, apply anywhere and everywhere because jobs are scarce in this industry. But do find those ones where you're like, yes, this is one where if I get turned down, I will apply until they take me. Yes, and thank you for all of that. So I wanted to, if we have time to turn over to our audience to see if any of you have questions for our panel members, if anyone has a question, you can raise your hand and I'll send a mic out to you. If it reaches, if not, then just, you know, shout a little. Actor voice, does anyone have any questions for our panelists? Yes, I know the answer for ACT, which is yes. On the application, it asks you to rank your top three choices in order. So you can apply to three. Just make sure that when you are ranking those, whatever department you put first, we'll see your application first. So make sure you really think through that order. Yeah, it's pretty much the same for magic. You just you send in your application. Some of the applications are mostly the same. Some might write or ask for a writing sample. Some might ask for a portfolio. So if you just submit all the materials and let us know what you are interested in doing, we'll review it just the same for both departments. Same thing for Berkeley reps, fellowships. When I applied, we also rent first choice and second choice. I don't know if it's more now, but last year it was you had a first choice and second choice, so you could apply for either of those. Any other questions from the audience going once? Yes. Grab and contrast your most stressful day versus your most enjoyable day. So I think at magic, the most stressful days are the most enjoyable days. Just like I said, if everyone isn't doing something in the office, then it's, then we're all just kind of there. I think, I think you really have to enjoy your work. And if you're getting stressed, then those are just the days you're doing something that you don't want to do. And you have to say, I don't want to do this, which if you're looking for a company that does line up with what you want to do, like what theaters in your heart those days shouldn't be too often. Sometimes you might leave at 2 a.m. That's not always fun, but I think that probably happens to all of us. Yeah, I agree 100% 100% straight to the point. Great. Yeah, I also agree. Some of the busiest, craziest days that include a lot of speedwalking are some of my favorite where we have, for instance, student matinees or we have hundreds of teenagers coming into Sierra Shows during the day where I'm facilitating a pre-show workshop where we're kind of getting them ready to go into the space and watch theater and prepare for that experience. Where I'm there at 9 a.m. setting up for those things and facilitating and then going into the theater and then getting all the teens back onto the buses. And next thing I know, it's, you know, noon or one o'clock and the day is halfway over and it's very quick and it's so much and a lot is happening, but I'm also engaging with young people. And guiding teachers to this and talking to people after shows and getting people ready to go see theater and experience theater. So it's also magical and beautiful and fantastic, but it's also a really high stress situation. But it's so, so, so worth it. And I think those are definitely the best days when you're most exhausted and they go by really, really quickly. But those are those are definitely the ones worth sticking around for. Any others? Any other questions about day to day application process? Going once? Yes, I have one and then two. Go ahead. So I know that a lot of our panelists here are also artists and performers know that. So how have these admin positions helped you grow as artists as well? Hey, so. I think it really just took my thinking to the next level. Like I was limited by like parental expectations and like community guidelines that a rapper should be. But when I went here and saw the other side of the business and how like shows were actually booked and how shows were actually thrown, it made me take my craft and made me think approach the way I. It made me approach the craft differently, you know what I'm saying? So now when I when I write a song where I plan out a set, I think about a lot of things I didn't even know existed before. And also when it comes to money and stuff, it lets me it let me learn about how money is actually made. So I know to take this stuff seriously and I sign no bad contracts or anything like that can mess you up, things like that. Great, thank you. I think for me, finding that exact balance is really hard at first.  I'm really lucky that I get to teach theater every day. So like that's practice for me. And like learning the point is them learning, but I also learn. I do think, though, one thing that I've found just in the last couple months is that when I am not doing singing for my job, I it is all coming from me. Like I've found that joy again and that drive to do it myself rather than do it for a grade or for, you know, whatever. So, yeah, that's just recently I've just it's much more joyful and like a release and like just yeah, it's nice to have to be motivated yourself when you weren't the one motivating you before. Working in an office is a performer. You learn really not to take so many things so personally like you don't get cast in a show just as a performer.  They didn't like me. They didn't want me when in reality you're probably a very good actor or actress. You just didn't fit the show or the script to the world of the play. It might have even just been like a simple scheduling thing. And it's not that personal. And they will hold on to your headshot for the next 30, 50 years. So you learn it's a lot more just about getting in the room with these people than it is about being the most impressive person to walk in and get the show immediately. So I'm hearing learning different angles and growing as an artist and kind of experiencing that as like a reflective experience. They're really cool. Any other questions? So I'm here and I'll come back over here. We'll talk about how they make it work financially. If you couldn't hear the question was asked about how we make our fellowships or internships or apprenticeships work financially in the Bay Area. It's sort of a year of committing to it not working all the way out financially and you have to make some sacrifices. And at least for me like I'm so so lucky to have the ability to be here because I like know I have a safety net to fall back on. And that is something that's really sad that they're kind of their accessibility for fellowships financially happening. And also I know a lot of us are really grateful for but it is a problem that hopefully we can fix in the future. Also, ACT at least lets us work front of house. So it makes your days very long and your weeks like 60 hours. But you do have the opportunity to usher and bartend and things like that to have some sort of income coming in on top of for me. I just get housing through my fellowship. So that like has been such a great opportunity and kind of how I've made this work. Yeah, magic is very kindly, very flexible about their apprenticeships. If it's just not economically feasible for you to come and do this, you can do something like part time, part season. So you can work a little something on the side. They do also provide front of house box office concession positions for a little more income. But it does. It takes a very tight belt to be in San Francisco in general, but especially to work as an apprentice in the arts for this. So it's really just about finding ways to tighten that belt and get what you can. Magic is also pretty kind and they'll like let me work other jobs every once in a while. Like I will go and PA for Playwrights Foundation every once in a while. So that's a little bit more income coming my way. At the UC Theater, it's a lot of opportunities that come in from like other concert venues. They're always looking for other people to come work a show or so. You might get a job that way. But reality of it is you don't have to hustle.  So when I leave that, I go Lyft all night long. So you just got to hustle. Just find a way to make it work. Yeah, believe in yourself and always ask questions to ask somebody because you might meet people and they might have stuff that's open and you didn't even know because you didn't ask the question. So ask questions. Talk. Convince like four or five of your friends to move out here with you. And you can you can all you can all just live in one apartment. Studio apartment. A studio. One studio. It's like a 10 month long slumber party. I'll also add that although Berkeley Rep's fellowships offer housing and a monthly stipend, I also became a lot more resourceful and looking at what kind of community resources I have, like applying for benefits because my income technically is below that standard, so I applied for food benefits. I just had to get over my pride of like, I don't need that. I don't want to take that from people who like might really, really, really need it. And I thought, wow, I kind of really need it. So I just took that leap of faith, just being like, OK, well, I think this is something that I need for right now until I get a salary job, hopefully, sometimes soon and just did it. So just finding my community resources, asking questions, reaching out, going online, the Internet, it's a beautiful place and just knowing what you have available to you and the community as someone who lives here. Yes, I'll go here and back over there. But those of you involved in theater education, did you study that specifically as an undergraduate and how if so, like how helpful has that been? Or if you didn't, you know, how are you feeling about it now? Yeah, so those of you who couldn't hear on the question was asked about how our undergrad experience, if that was in theater or in the arts, how that has benefited our experience and what that was like. I did not study education specifically. But one thing that my dad told me when I was deciding what to major and was don't get the minor in theater admin, just go do it. So I did internships in education and, you know, taught private voice lessons and worked at summer camps and kind of learned through doing, which was really helpful for me. Yeah. I went to the University of Texas at Austin, Hookam-Horns, some long from home, but got my certification in K through 12 theater education. So this is exactly my track. And though a lot of people in my cohort went on to become theater teachers in Texas schools, I really wanted to learn more about community outreach and programming with a larger organization and how we program with schools and more along kind of community based projects. So I came out here knowing that I have this experience teaching K through 12 theater. I know how to create lesson plans and unit plans and all the things, which are things that I still apply to my fellowship now as we create pre-show and post-show workshops for our productions, as we go out into schools with our outreach programs and teach lessons in schools using theater. So I think applying that to what I'm doing within the fellowship was great. I mean, it was it was very doable. I could apply my skills, but I'm also learning so much more outside of what it means to teach in a theater or in a school, to teach theater in a school. I'm learning about the different ways in which I can use my theater education background to make that happen out in the community and within the theater, too. And another question. Looking back now on how to make it work in the area, how well do you do these community organizations work with other people as well as people? Would it be school, a job, or anything else like that? At my organization, it's really passion-based, you know? Like, as long as you're really passionate about doing a program, they will work with you.  We got some people that are still in high school, you know how that is, you know, five days a week and everything.  At ACT, I think most of the fellows are full-time, but we do have some who are part-time, who are making other jobs and other responsibilities work. So I know that the different mentors for the different departments are really willing to work with you to find something because everyone knows that this is so difficult to make work financially and time-wise.  Yeah, like I said earlier, magic is also pretty flexible, very flexible, on when you can come in, what hours you need to do, what else there is for you to work around, whether it's a part-time job or school. And if it's so much to where you won't be in enough to really get anything from the apprenticeship, they do offer a lot of internships that are also slightly less of a commitment than the apprenticeship that would be even easier to work around when it comes to that sort of thing. So it's sort of similar where if you really wanna be there and you prove that to them, then they will help you be there. Thank you. Any others, maybe a last question? Going once, going twice? Okay, well, if you think of one in a few minutes, we'll all still be around. One question, and maybe a question? Yes. Great. That is a great question. So the question was asked is if we have to have a theater degree to apply for our positions as interns or apprentices or fellows? No, I don't have a theater degree. I have a sort of related degree, but I also know that other people who are fellows in this program have English degrees or marketing degrees or no degree. There are several fellows who didn't graduate, and so it isn't necessarily a post-grad experience. Often it is, but it's also just like starting career experience, and if you're ready for that, who cares what your transcript says, right? Yeah, for magic it's pretty similar. You don't need a degree in theater to come work at magic if you have any experience, or even if you were just very passionate and you're able to translate what skills you do have until what field you're applying for. We'll totally look at it. Having a degree in theater isn't a make or break deal for us. Yeah, just to echo off of that, I think it's mostly about experience and passion. And if you have the passion for the work and if you have the previous work to kind of support that, I think that that's enough. I would definitely go around to these different tables after this panel and talk to each theater specifically and ask them what those requirements are. But I'd say that, to answer your question, no, also. Also, I just wanna add, as someone who, as I was looking at jobs and fellowships to apply for, none of them said apply if you have a bachelor's of music, and I know that that can be the same for other degrees or not having a degree, and I would just say just apply. If you know that you have those skills, that other people who did complete those degrees have, there's nothing stopping you just because the piece of paper says one thing, doesn't mean you're not capable, and hopefully the people interviewing you will know that and see that. Great, thank you. So if any of you have more questions for us, we'll be around for another few minutes or hours, I don't know, but we'll be around. So feel free to ask us questions, stop at the tables, and get more information. I wanna go down the line one more time to give names, pronouns, our positions, and the organizations that we're from, and then we'll close out. I'm Jordan Charlie Wotley, I'm an Artistic Direction Apprentice at Magic Theater, he, him, his. I'm Hannah Clegg, I'm Education and Community Programs Fellow at ACT, she, her, hers. I'm Cameron Justice McGowan, and I am a Development Intern at UC Theater, and I am he, him, his. And I'm Simone Emmett, Berkeley Rep Education Fellow, she, her, hers. I wanna thank you all for attending or tuning in to Creative Careers, how to apply for internships, education, sorry, internships, fellowships, and apprenticeships, thank you all.


Okay. Welcome to what the F is going on in Latin America, Code Pink's weekly YouTube broadcast of hot news out of Latin America and the Caribbean. We broadcast every Wednesday, 12pm Eastern, 9am Pacific. Today is actually a special episode of WTF. This is part two of a two part series on Chile and the national plebiscite held there on October 25. Yesterday we had the privilege of talking with Patricia Zamorano from Washington DC. And today I am really thrilled to introduce all of you to Andrés Hidalgo. He is speaking with us from Santiago Chile today. He is vice president of the political party comunus, but first and foremost, he wants me to let you know he is a Chilean citizen above all else. So he is vice president of his political party, and he has also a very strong voice for the past 25 years in the Chilean youth movement. So welcome Andrés. So wonderful to have you join us here from Santiago Chile today. Hi, Teri. I am very happy to talk with you. Thank you for receiving me. I would like to tell you about many, many things. Well, I'm so excited that you're here to do that with us. Why don't we first start with what actually happened on Sunday the 25th with the Chilean national plebiscite. What exactly was it, and the significance of the of the results that were resoundingly in favor. Yes. Well, this plebiscite was an historical event. The people, the Chilean people, vote by a constitutional change completely from zero. And that means in a concrete, the constitution of 1980 will be suppressed. And that is a historical situation. Many, many, many political party had like a, they had a depth with a, with a people, with a Chilean people about a new constitution. And the people in 18 October of last year go to the street and broke the social contract, burning all, breaking all, this is a huge outbreak. In October of 18 2019, these were all the street protests that we were seeing in the US media, or we didn't see a whole lot of it from Chile, unfortunately, but yes, okay. Yes, I mean, and the people don't have people broke old. And they, they say, well, I don't live with dignity in my country. And then, well, I broke my country. I think so obviously. And, and the politics, the political party, the government, the Congress people say, okay, we have to make something before. I don't know, this are going to explode very, very, very, very wide. Exactly. And I think, because I'm a militant, and I think like a militant of many years. And this is very necessary and very good for my, for my country, for the people who live in my country. Well, last fall, the government basically conceded to this plebiscite in order to quell all the political and all the social unrest. It was, it was, it wasn't what was planned, was it. I mean, it was just basically became it become a concession to to unite the country and make sure there was not widespread national not only a concession, not only a concession, he was forced to make this plebiscite but not only the plebiscite, the government, until the government is of the right wing. Very right wing. They change all their management completely, the laws, the budget, the discourse, and the plebiscite is, I mean, is the most profound demonstration of that change. It must. It's, it's the most deeply, but not only this government have a biggest trouble, and that, and that big trouble is nobody want to nobody believe in government. This is a, this is a revolution, peaceful revolution, but by the revolution and government know that, and people don't want the people will don't permit. It was not permit. Don't permit and no, and no change that that's the, that's the important. Okay, so the people were not going to accept the continue to accept the way things were there had to be changed there was no other acceptance of the people other than to change the government and to start with the Constitution. That completely change. I mean, in this, in this, in this country. There are no exit, there are no access to social rights, there are no access right to housing, health, education, environment and work, and they're not exists. All that social rights are delivered by the market. Everything is privatized. Everything is privatized. There's no, there's no citizen rights, it's all whether you can achieve it in the private market. The public service are poor. They are of the of the they can't prove it, the population, a good service. I mean, the COVID show the COVID did not break the system of health public care. Now there's the COVID show a broken system. And here in the United States the same in the United States it revealed how poorly the neoliberalism exactly is the neoliberalism. Yeah, exactly. Well, here the neoliberalism implicate not social rights. Absolutely. And that's the people in October 18 last year. The government was broken. They will say they would say they say no more of this. That's that for that there's no one demand. There's no leader, there's no speaker, there's no political party was no, no, nothing of that. No, the people in the street. Again and again and again for a year in the street. It was so powerful to see so that footage, you know, in the United States, nobody, nobody control this. Humanly popular. Sorry, this is genuinely popular. And the strength in that is so profound that it is a popular movement and that it is just, it's, as you said, it's not anyone political parties agenda it's an entire popular majority of the populations desire, as we saw on Sunday because there was so much more and was such a resounding yes vote to rewrite the Constitution, and the percentage of people that voted yes included more than just progressive and leftist people it was also more conservative people want to change in the government as well and am I correct and understanding that is a population as a whole that's demanding a change. 80% 80% or some. I don't know. In my country there's a 350 township and three times she won the reject the township of the rich people. And in another 347 township want the yes option. Wow.  But a very but the elite is a very small percentage. Very small, but they're the ones who have been power since we talked about seven families. Yeah, we talk about seven families they're real power for people, they're real power, the people who own the water, the people who own the land people who own the sea people who own the mountain people who own the forest. We talk about seven family, one of these families is being a family. The president is the president family, they control the country. They control the country, the economy of the country, the police, the politic of the of the country. They control. They don't control the people. Well, clearly. They are so uncomfortable with this because they don't control the people. And the people, it's the people know that seven family control. No, I will. They don't permit. Never more. It's my opinion never more and I'm happy for that. Absolutely happy for that. We can see your enthusiasm and the pride in this movement. Sorry for my English. I want to, I want to tell you everything. I want to hear everything. It's so wonderful to hear a voice from, you know, from Santiago proper and your enthusiasm is really, really contagious and it would be so nice to have some of that enthusiasm spill over into the, into the United States and it's a great part of the community. It's a very, very rewarding population. It's such a, what where's it what we've seen the past year in Chile is what is possible with peaceful revolution. With people in the streets day after day after day. And to see how it all well, the beginning of the end of the old Constitution was Sunday the 25th. The beginning of what's possible. So there's a couple of things I want to personally ask you about. And then we can get back to the plebiscite technique, you know the technicalities of it and the ramifications for the rest of the Americas, but you told me you're a dentist, and we were talking a moment ago about the erosion of public health care services in Chile, which were revealed during because of the covert 19 pandemic and we've seen the same in the United States that come. And so tell me, let's talk a little just a little bit about your experience in the health care system in Chile. Well, I worked for 10 years in the public health. And the system is broken that that's the real I can, I can know I can't, I don't know express from another way. And we have people in waiting for three years for surgery. And is this because the system is underfunded because there's because constitutionally there's this huge push, as we've as you mentioned to privatize everything. Because the neoliberalism model, say, and the subsidiary state, say, well, all the service, all areas of the social development are delivered by the market. And when the market works, well, the state simply just look. And where the market don't solve the trouble, I mean, in the public health, the public health for poor people, for people can't pay for their own system of health. Well, the state put a little of resources, money, and, and well, do it like you can.  We have 1500 1500 1000 of people get people. And every day are more and more. And, and people know that but they can't do nothing except to go to the street and go to the march and, and reclaim and they will not stop. They will not stop. It's so powerful. It's so powerful and it's such a wonderful example of what's possible. So let's talk about it. So in my, in my country, there's no system of pension system over time. There are no exist. It's only exist of companies, private companies, okay, who management, your, your money, your savings. But if you don't have savings, you don't have pension. This is the fact this is the fascinating thing to me and the real horror of neoliberalism to me with all services privatized. You have the cost of living going up. People need more disposable income because they have to pay more and more of services on their own, and you have declining wages or suppressed wages. So where is the money if the state, if you have stagnant wages suppressed wages, the state takes away anything that it was helping to provide people with public education, healthcare, good infrastructure. How do you survive and this is how do you save for retirement, it's impossible to say for retirement, when you're not earning anymore and yet you have to become responsible for pain for more and more and more. It just, it simply doesn't work. I mean, it just, it just doesn't work, it doesn't take a rocket, you know, a rocket science to figure that out it doesn't work anywhere I mean we're seeing the extreme in Chile but I would argue we're beginning to see, you know, an equal extreme in the United States, particularly because people have woken up with the pandemic. We don't know how the people solve this, this trouble. We don't know. And I say, real the, the, the, the research about this, this, this, this, this, this item. We don't don't know the people don't win the enough money and live. We don't know how nobody, nobody knows, nobody knows, nobody knows because you say, well, the cost of the service are here are people when here, how that nobody know you can't close the gas it's impossible. Unless you rewrite your constitution to guarantee some rights. That it's fascinating. The people understood that the Constitution, finally, solved or not solved their own troubles, their own conflict, their own live life, their own life. And that is true. The politics of the right wing say no, no, no, but, but it's true the Constitution defines finally, finally, the, the life of the people and their social rights. We say, we say the social right from born to death. All, all the life. I mean, well, education housing retirement, et cetera, et cetera. And they say no, the Constitution don't solve that trouble. People understood normal people. Generally popular. Normal people understood that. And that's take for surprise to everyone to everyone. We thought the know the people don't understand know the people don't interest political, political base, political terms and know the people and know perfectly. And that the importance of the Constitution 80%. Say yes. And it's 80%. People, the powerful people today are very uncomfortable. They have trouble. They have problem with this country. And so how do you, how do you see the powerful people respond, you know, including the government and beyond the powerful people in the private sector that own everything in it. And you also mentioned they own the water and I'd like to come back to that in a minute. But how do you, how do you perceive or envision the, the state responding to this huge majority movement among the people. Well, at the moment, they only can accept the results. And we have a law that say the play beside. It's the first step from a process from a constitutional process. And that's very important because the rules of the play are are are wrote. They were wrote in the in the parliament. Therefore, they can say they can't say no no no no no we're going to stop this. No. But in, but in Chile, the right wing and fight and attack the government palace with with with the regular army in 1973. The president inside the government palace, la moneda. And was no the first time in history was no the first time. They, they can repeat. I think no, but we can say, I put my, my hands and fire, these people, these powerful people. And now it's democratic people. I'm not convinced of that. So we don't, we don't, we don't have, we must know have afraid for that. Yes. Now you have to go. Yeah. With the people with the people with the normal people. Yeah. Well, the fear to have fear would hold you would be holding yourselves back. You'd be at that point. Well, I mean, you know, we don't know what right nobody knows what the reaction is going to be except to move forward and it's so profound and we saw the same thing in Bolivia on on the 18th you know was an overwhelming victory by the Moss Party and a lot of people, a lot of us outside of Bolivia were watching and saying, Oh, the right wing government is never going to allow that to happen.  What can the right wing do without appearing to be incredibly violent and oppressive I mean there's, and I think you know with 80% of the population in Chile. And you're so overwhelming. I mean, I listen to you say that and it's just, it's profound that sort of movement. So let's what we lose what we lose with the debt, the debt, dictatorship. We recovery with democracy. Yeah. In Bolivia and in Chile. Yes, we lose our constitution in dictatorship. And we are recovering in democracy in Bolivia. Exactly the same. We are the democratic people. They know. Wow. Yes. What how do you feel. So this is why this is just very profound that dictatorship loses and the democracy wins via the constant via constitutional change, not military change as the right way. And what right we need the military to do it in here 80% of the Chilean people are going to use the Constitution to make the change. How do you see today and I know this is a really, you know, we don't know what's going to happen. But how do you see or what is your opinion of the Americas.  How do you see this movement in Chile affecting the rest of the Americas. I would like to, they see with hope. We will have a constitutional, a convention constitution. I'm sorry, constitutional convention. I don't know with 50% woman 50% men with a with a native people and with a representation of all the country to not to start. So, this will be a very democratic process. So I would like to, to another country, not just the America, obviously, especially America's was looking, not not only the plebiscite. They were looking all the process, because they, because the Chilean people was looking all the process from day one to finally, and this is very relevant because the powerful people, the elite, the millionaires. want to cut in any moment. And that's real. And then in a country like, like, like Chile, they can, they can do it, do that in any moment. And so hope. Yes, so much hope, but looking with with very with too much attention, what it's happened here, because I told you again, the people with not stop. And we, we, we, we the militant we don't, we don't control the social movement. No, but we are, we are, we are, we are part of that movement, only a part one more, but we are part so we want that this democratic process goes to a new revolution with social rights with individual freedom with a new conception of men and women, obviously, and with feminism animalism with a single list with people from the academic world. We want a constitutional convention like Chile. And it represents, it represents the whole. Yeah, for recovery, the legitimacy for the political activity. And that, and that claims a change, a change, a profound change. So hope, yes. Too much hope, but not only the hope. So we have to be intelligent. I'm not ingenious. The America must be over the process. Yeah, it's a, well, it's, it's really wonderful that just, you know, as you're describing the constitutional convention in that it will be represent the diversity of Chile. The women, the women is the main actor. No doubt the women in my country, they have the flag, the main flag of this moment. Wow, that's inspiring. Yes, no, absolutely. They have the flag, they, they are in the first line. Wow. And we, and we say this woman, I love them. Oh, that's so exciting. It's so wonderful to hear. So I wonder, you know, there's a, there's one thing that, and we're going to digress a little bit, but it's fascinating to me that you mentioned this when you were talking about the powerful elite, the families that basically owning control the country. You mentioned they own the water. This is something we, you know, it's kind of under the political conversation, the economic conversation globally right now, but the privatization of water, not just in Chile, but across the planet is very real. And, and it's horrifying, isn't it? The, I mean the people that control the water are basically going to be able to control the life of humanity. Yeah, humanity. Yes, across the planet. And so it's just how long has the water been privatized in Chile? From the constitution of 1880. We have four years. So 1980 privatized, I didn't know. 1980, yes. 40 years. And the people in the and the poor people and not, not here in the cities. In the world. They don't have water. They don't have water. They don't have. They receive, they receive the water in a big jug. In a truck. Yeah. They receive the water in a truck. But the people who own the water, they use it in a, I don't know, in their forest and their minds and everyone and the people don't have water. And that it's exactly like I'm saying you. I'm not using a metaphor. No, no, no, this is the real. The real water. The, that people, that powerful people have the word and use it for. I don't know for the economy activity. Their own economy activity. I don't know this. The avocado. Avocado for our US. Avocado. Avocado. Avocado. Yes. They, they drink all the water. Yeah. And people don't have in that, in that cities. So the water's been privatized and is being used for private industry by the wealthy families. Yes. Private industry and whatever they want. They decide. So part of the constitution is going to take resources out of the privatization process. That is one of the hundreds of demands that it's one of the mainly. No doubt. No doubt the water recovery. The people wants to recover your water. And I think the people will be recovering the water. Because. And many, many other things. Because they are decided to, to, to, to make that. To make that fight. But, but yes, you, you write the water. The people don't, the world don't understand. No, it's. I don't understand to, I don't understand to. Except, except because that people, that powerful people. You know, you know, the elite in, in my country. They want all for himself. Yeah. They don't care people. Wow. People. So, you know, I guess I promised you, we would keep this to 30 minutes and we keep talking. I could talk to you all day. Actually, this is fascinating. There's. So, you know, you know, you know what's happening with this popular people movement and rewriting and now the resounding result to rewrite the constitution. This is more than recuperating. Water and environment and funding for public education and healthcare. This is about restoring the dignity and humanity of the Chilean people. This is about the families. I'm the LGTB Q. And, and, and old. We want, we want a country for all. Every wall has their space in, in, in our society. And that situation is not the currently situation. That's real. And that's because go, people go to the streets. And they will go again to the streets. It's a beautiful thing. I have 20 years, I have 20 years of militants of the political militants. And I never think that I would say this, this, this scenario. And I'm happy to leave it. But you know, it's a profound moment in, in Chilean history and, and for, for all we need, we need the international community. We need it. We need it. And what can the international community do for you? What's, what would you like all of us outside of Chile? What's the best thing we can do for you? Yes, please. And thanks. Support, support your voices. Do more programs like this. This is why. No, I look to the, to the elite. No, no, no, the people will not permit you. Again. And the international community must be seeing that. Yeah. No more. This is a, this is a democratic process. Absolutely democratic. No, a profoundly democratic process. Exactly. This is amazing. We must defend it. We must defend it inside and outside of Chile. Inside and outside. Exactly. That's the point. That's because I'm talking with you with my poor English. No, no. That's the money. I think that is the responsibility. This is the responsibility we have to take with the process. Defend it in all spaces. I think that's the responsibility. Inside and outside. I say, I say with a very. I have a conviction. Yeah. Very strong. Well, Andres, I'm so thankful you joined us today. I know you told me, well, my English isn't so good. Your English is fantastic. And most importantly, I'm so thankful that you. You're so supportive about that.  And to hear your story and to congratulate the Chilean citizen degree for what was accomplished on Sunday, the 25th, but yes, I fully agree with you and all of us at code pink as well. And those of us outside of Chile have a responsibility as well to keep the voices heard and to support the people to support this popular movement for a move to. To democracy. So thank you so much for joining us today. Really, really wonderful. So thankful for your time. So, you know, thank you very much for the invitation, the deep sense of distress of the people we want to convert in a new constitution. And, and, and that needs this, this democratic process. Oh, thank you for the invitation. If in another moment you, you like to talk with me, I'm absolutely for you. Wonderful. Well, we will, we'll definitely stay in touch and we will definitely want to talk to you and, you know, and follow this whole process along with you because it's so profound and it would be just great to follow what's happening. I will be here. Given the fight with the people. Wonderful. Okay, I'm trying to thank you so much. We're so with you on this and we will continue to, to make sure the voice and the will of the Chilean people is heard outside of the country as well. That your voices are heard outside as well. So thank you everybody. Bye-bye. Thanks again. And thank you everyone for watching today. Again, this is what the F is going on in Latin America. We broadcast on code pink YouTube every Wednesday, 12 p.m. Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. And today was a special episode part two of two parts. Regarding the national plebiscite in Chile, October 25th. Today we had the profound joy of talking with Andres Hidalgo from Santiago, Chile. Thanks again, Andres. Look forward to talking with you. Okay. We'll see. Bye-bye.