Ukrainian singer Manita: I want to promote our culture and language, which are modern and vibrant, among Germans

Kelsey Falconer is a Canadian actress and wood worker whose role as Tessa Cooper in The Way Home was not fully revealed on screen, but it shaped the actress’s portrayal of the character. What was important to Kelsey was that she never perceived Tessa through the lens of her mistakes. The character itself is, in fact, very deep and very real — there is no performative heroism in her, but rather the feeling of a real person moving through her own pain and love, making decisions in circumstances she could never have anticipated. An important part of her story is that the writers do not romanticize motherhood, but instead show it for what it can be — and the only thing you feel while watching is an inability to understand how anyone could treat a woman that way when she was not ready for it. Kelsey’s perception of the character and her empathy for her complexity played an important role in the Tessa we ultimately saw on screen. Beyond The Way Home, Kelsey has had roles in several TV shows, including Lenore Hunk on Fargo, Nurse Zoe on DOC, and she plays the title role in the upcoming film Celia as well as the lead role in the feature film Fortescue. Kelsey shared with our founder, Asya Radko, her own perspective on Tessa, the characters she personally connects with in The Way Home, woodworking, creative risk, and the roles she questions whether she would take on.

Devin Cecchetto is a Canadian singer and actress who recently released her first single from a four-song series, with each track representing a different stage of her life. The first release, “Desert Cold,” is a melancholic and nostalgic song with a strong cinematic feel. The song reflects on a period in Devin’s life when she was living in Los Angeles. As the artist herself described it, she felt caught somewhere between “everything around me is so bright and there’s so much going on” and a deep sense of loneliness. Devin spoke to our founder, Asya Radko, about that period of her life, the songwriting process, and her own artistic vision.

AJ Ingson is an American artist and craftsperson working in the fields of digital illustration and woodworking. One of the key aspects of their artistic practice is embracing mistakes and experimentation. When something needs to be changed in his illustrations or projects, they see it as an opportunity — the process of solving problems brings them half of the enjoyment because it allows them to refine their skills and improve their craft. One of their current projects explores genetics and the idea of inheritance through the lens of craftsmanship. They is fascinated by the idea that they can be both similar to their parents and, at the same time, not completely either one of them. AJ Ingson shared with us about the beginning of their creative journey, his current projects, and the values that guide them as an artist.

Sonny McCartney is a photographer who hopes that what he creates will live longer than he does. He describes his journey as passionate. From an early love of graphic design to music photography and eventually opening his own studio in his hometown of Liverpool, every step of Sonny’s 18-year career holds deep personal significance for him. When Sonny was younger, he moved to London because Liverpool did not yet have a photography studio like the one he would later go on to create himself. He believes that the role of a photographer should not cross ethical boundaries and feels that, unfortunately, paparazzi culture has cast a shadow over the profession as a whole. Throughout his career, he has remained committed to his own principles. One of Sonny’s most powerful projects is Don’t Mind Me, which explores mental health and documents the real-life experiences of people who have faced it. Through this work, he both filmed and photographed participants, creating an honest and deeply human record of their stories. Sonny spoke with Asya Radko, founder of Drive Music Media, about his project Don’t Mind Me, his work supporting artists after amputation and people with disabilities, the creation of his own studio, and what exists beyond the frame of his camera.

Angelina Spilnyk is a writer who believes that stories should not be simple. For her, literature is an opportunity to reveal new perspectives, challenge familiar ideas, and invite readers into a world where every layer hides another meaning. She is drawn to complexity, symbolism, and questions that rarely have straightforward answers.Whether writing about memory, migration, war, technology, or identity, Spilnyk explores the connections between personal experience and the broader forces shaping our lives. Her work ranges from therapeutic fiction and poetry to speculative narratives that examine humanity's future and the societies we build.Her stories have appeared in several Ukrainian anthologies, including Light Between the Lines, Beyond Yourself, and Prose of a New Era. Alongside her shorter works, she is currently developing her epic poem Peccata Mundi and her debut novel Steppe Stork.About her literary journey, the challenges facing contemporary Ukrainian writers, the stories closest to her heart, and the mission she carries as an author, Angelina Spilnyk spoke with Drive Music Media.