About me
Mariam Riaz Paracha is an interdisciplinary artist, educator, and storyteller whose work explores the intersections of identity, community, and creative expression. With an MFA in Theater Education from Emerson College, her thesis project Body Book merges essays, poems, and drawings into a deeply personal exploration of the body as a Desi female. Mariam's creative career spans spoken word, animation, documentary filmmaking, and arts education. As the founder of Spoken Stage, a platform that promotes freedom of expression through performance, art and storytelling she has created platforms that center marginalized voices. She recently co-directed Niswan Nama: Women, Theater, Activism, a documentary spotlighting women's theater activism, and served as the art director and co-founder of The Glassworker, Pakistan's first hand-drawn animated film. Her workshops are rooted in participatory art-making and guided by the belief that storytelling can heal, empower, and ignite change. She emphasizes critical thinking as a means to question, play, and innovate, encouraging participants to explore new perspectives through creative exploration. Drawing from her diverse experiences, she crafts workshops that transform personal narratives into dynamic performances using theater, writing, and visual art techniques.