Tika Simone
Iverna Island
TIKA is an Academy Award–winning composer, creative leader, and founder of Iverna Island. Her work spans sound, narrative, and collaborative creative systems across film, interactive media, and live cultural spaces.
She is known for facilitating conversations at the intersection of creative practice, mental health, and sustainable production cultures, helping teams think more intentionally about voice, listening, and leadership. Drawing from experience working with artists, institutions, and interdisciplinary teams, TIKA brings a trauma-aware, human-centered lens to creative collaboration.
In addition to her composition work, she speaks and teaches internationally on creative sovereignty, nervous system literacy, and building healthier creative ecosystems.
Tika Simone is speaking at the following session/s
The Cost of Silence: What We Lose When Systems Stop Listening
This roundtable explores how silence functions inside creative systems and production cultures, particularly in game development and interactive media. From unspoken burnout and inaccessible pipelines to unheard creative voices, silence often shapes outcomes as much as design decisions do.
The session invites participants into a facilitated discussion on how listening, consent, and psychological safety impact creative quality, team health, and long term sustainability. Drawing from real world experience across narrative, sound, and collaborative creative environments, the discussion will examine how teams can build practices that surface insight before harm occurs.
This is a reflective, discussion driven session focused on shared experience, peer learning, and practical shifts that can be taken back to studios.
Session Takeaway
Delegates will gain practical language for identifying harmful silence in creative teams
Delegates will learn listening practices that support healthier collaboration
Delegates will leave with concrete questions and actions to apply within their studios
Session speakers
