The OKAY Initiative is a movement to normalize talking about emotional and mental health. To shift the norm, we’re getting as many voices as possible to say -and sing- in as many ways as possible that talking about emotional and mental health is OKAY.
The OKAY Initiative is centered around the song OKAY which is about the need to speak up when you’re not OKAY. The song was written by a teen who lived through a mass shooting.
The creative team is working with this teen (who wishes to remain as anonymous as possible) to create a music video for her song. In addition to her video, we are soliciting cover versions of the song from a wide range of artists.
Kathleen Wallace, Project Manager
Kathleen is an award-winning writer-actor-producer-teacher and founder of Seanachie Communications Inc, a storytelling company. Work includes the original web series The Evagelists [world premiere Raindance Web Fest, 2015] and Settling Up, as well as a queer sex ed series for the Center for HIV Educational Studies and Training. Theatre credits include Amanda in Private Lives [Walnut Street Theatre]. She was a founding member of Amios Theatre Company and a member of the VR Writers Room podcast. She holds degrees from Yale and the National Theatre Conservatory. Member: Actors Equity, NYWIFT, The FilmmakeHers.
Bobby Cronin, Composer
Bobby is an award-winning composer/writer for theatre, short film, web, dance, and more. Projects include: Mary & Max [based on the clyamation film] with bookwriter Crystal Skillman [World Premiere: Theatre Calgary, Fall 2018; European Premiere: Austria’s Theatre Linz, Fall 2019; winner 2018 MUT Critics Award in Germany]; Till Soon, Anne with bookwriter/lyricist Christine Toy Johnson [residency at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center]; The Concrete Jungle, [2011 commission London’s ArtsEd (President: Andrew Lloyd Webber); world premiere London, June 2012; short-listed for the New American Musical Theatre Prize]. Commissioned in 2003 to write a pop song for winner of Italy’s TV singing competition Lo Canto. Creator: Inspired Benefit Concert Series for animal rescue organizations across the U.S. & UK. BA: Yale. Member: ASCAP & Dramatists Guild.
Heather Taylor, Director
Heather is an award-winning writer, director and co-founder of the creative studio, Cereal Made. She was a 2018/19 resident of the Bell Media Prime Time TV program at the Canadian Film Center sponsored in part by ABC Signature Studios. Career highlights include her first feature film, The Last Thakur, which premiered at the London International Film Festival; her sci-fi web series, Raptured, which had over a million views; and Stitched, her award-winning horror short.
