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WHO WE ARE
Steven Lawrence
is an award-winning producer-director and media strategist whose work has often focused on the arts and human rights. Part of the MTV launch team, he served as the channel’s senior producer-director of long form programs, creating groundbreaking documentaries about Artists United Against Apartheid and the Soviet underground rock scene, and introducing viewers to world music & hip-hop. After leaving MTV he started Yerosha and produced three films for director Michael Apted: The Long Way Home, about Russian rocker Boris Grebenshikov, and Married In America 1 & 2, an ongoing documentary about 9 diverse couples wed in 2001. Steven also co-produced and directed the innovative VIS à VIS documentary series for PBS, which used digital video links between people in different parts of the world to explore timely issues.
As co-founder and VP of cultural programming for Link TV: Television Without Borders from 1999-2010, Steven created its pioneering world music and world cinema strands, and produced many of its original programs. One of his recent productions, Sarabah, tells the story of Senegalese rapper Sister Fa and her grassroots campaign to end female genital cutting. Steven’s work has received an IDA Documentary Achievement award, three Cine Golden Eagles for feature documentary, the Special Jury Award from the Locarno Film Festival and the Golden Butterfly from Movies That Matter. See News for details about his latest work.
Helen Garrett
is an innovative marketing and brand development professional with deep expertise in celebrity engagement, advertising, digital campaigns, and creative services including graphic design, video production, photographic projects and collateral development. Helen has years of experience leveraging celebrities to promote causes via social media campaigns, PSAs, events and music projects.
As Director of Creative Services and Special Projects at Amnesty International USA for many years, Helen developed and produced numerous breakthrough campaigns, media projects, fundraising initiatives and celebrity driven campaigns, some of which contributed to major human rights victories including the UN’s adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty in 2012. In addition she initiated and co-executive produced two best-selling benefit albums: Instant Karma: the Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur (the music of John Lennon) and Chimes of Freedom (the music of Bob Dylan). Her projects for Amnesty raised millions of dollars and garnered multiple awards.
Since leaving Amnesty in 2012 she has consulted for Oxfam America, Compassion and Choices and Amnesty International (London headquarters), and done celebrity recruitment and engagement for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, where she was the Special Projects Manager for their 25th anniversary. Helen’s latest projects are posted in News.