The past year has seen a new wave of radical pop-cultural expression emerge. The PopChange Salon Series — presented by Counterpoints Arts’ Popchange initiative — are curated exchanges with change makers, storytellers and the entertainment industry to explore opportunities for harnessing pop culture for real social change. Hosted by K Biswas (The Race Beat), and building from the recent New Brave World report (Sachrajda & Zukowska, 2021), the Salon Series focuses on areas with momentum for narrative change in the UK — TV/film, gaming and comedy — with particular reference to themes of racial justice, migration and displacement.

The themes of the five salons PopChange is hosting over 2021-22 (details will be updated here):

• 14 July 2021- Racial Justice, Pop Culture and Social Struggle (online)
• September 2021- Stand-up Comedy and the Critical Conversation (online)
• 18 November 2021 – Bringing Lived Experience into TV/Film (online)
• 27 May 2022 – The Power to Create: Pop Culture and Narrative Change (@ Southbank Centre)