THE IMPOSTER IN THE ROOM

Black Creatives in the Film and TV Industry deal with Imposter syndrome on a daily basis. The feeling of being out of place, not truly belonging and having to justify having a seat at the table is very real. This panel will feature industry and mental health professionals who will discuss what can be done about this issue and identify ways Black Creatives can cope and overcome them.

Moderator: Ruth Unaegbu - Registered Clinical Counsellor & Supervisor
Ruth Unaegbu is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC #12132) and Clinical Supervisor in the Greater Vancouver area in British Columbia, Canada. Counselling allows Ruth to practice within her passion, which is supporting people in their healing and recovery. She specializes in working with actors and other performing creatives, athletes, parents/caregivers and transracial adoptees.

Panelists

Lillian Melo: Production Designer & Set Decorator
Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro City, Brazil, Lillian Melo moved to Vancouver to pursue her dream of working in the film industry. Currently, she works in both the art department and set dec department in Vancouver. She was recently nominated for the Indie short fest award of Best production design.

Sia Foryoh: Actress
Born In Sierra Leone West Africa, Sia and her family fled during the civil war to Guinea. Her parents gave her up to a lady who took her to Senegal. After some time, she was reunited with her family once again. In November 1999 Sia and her family came to Canada as Refugees.
After Attending College and realizing she was not happy in the career she had chosen. She decided to take advantage of a scholarship to attend Vancouver Film School. Upon finishing her program She received another scholarship to attend New York Film Academy.
Sia has worked on Hallmark, CW, voiced characters in the Marvel world and has done stunt work for a few Netflix shows. You can catch her on various YouTube prank shows that have gone viral. This year she will be on stage at the Belfry Theatre.

Simone Blais: Dancer, Director & Doula

Simone Blais is a doula, dancer and director based in Victoria, BC. Her work focuses on reproductive justice for marginalized communities and decolonizing the dance community. She is also the director of the documentary Dance Like Everybody's Watching, which highlights the experiences of Black dancers in Victoria, BC.

Adhel Arop: Director, Producer & Multidisciplinary Artists
Adhel Arop is a Kenyan born refugee and multidisciplinary artist residing in Vancouver BC. Her work ranges from visual to written art, exploring her identity through different forms of expression.​As a teenager, Adhel was recruited into a modelling career. She embraced this opportunity to increase her visibility and platform, offering a vision of beauty and self-confidence that would resonate with other African girls who might struggle to figure out who they are and where they belong.​Adhel's first documentary project, Who Am I, won a competition for funding from Telus Storyhive in 2019, then went on to garner awards, international press and greater attention to the existence of women who were once girls who fought in wars.​When she is not pushing the boundaries of our collective