Kausar Mohammed is a distinguished equity facilitator, actress, and comedian. Her highly-interactive presentations offer an insider’s view into the film and television industry through the eyes of a queer, Muslim, woman of color.
As a co-founder of SHIFT, a women of color-led collective offering racial and gender equity education and consulting, and drawing from her own experiences in Hollywood, Kausar disrupts norms by unapologetically centering historically marginalized identities.
Kausar's impactful career spans TV, film, and live comedy, including her celebrated queer, Muslim romcom THE SYED FAMILY XMAS EVE GAME NIGHT, which premiered at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival. She also starred in the 2023 horror comedy movie, APPENDAGE and the films, LITTLE and WHAT MEN WANT.
On television, in addition to portraying superhero Dr. Meena Dhawan on the CW's THE FLASH and Shila in MO, Kausar's voice work as Yaz in JURASSIC WORLD: CAMP CRETACEOUS and the series follow-up, JURASSIC WORLD: CHAOS THEORY, has gained a dedicated fan base as has her Cleo De Nile character on MONSTER HIGH.
Kausar is a founding member of Los Angeles-based The Get Brown sketch comedy troupe, where she continues to create comedy that pushes the boundaries as to what it means to exist as first generation Americans today. She brings a uniquely transformative perspective, grounded in the performing arts and anti-oppression work, to her engaging and entertaining workshops, discussions, and art.
Normalizing Our Narratives As Queer Muslims
This presentation includes an exclusive screening of the groundbreaking queer, Muslim rom-com short film, THE SYED FAMILY XMAS EVE GAME NIGHT (12 min.) followed by an in-depth talkback of its filmmaking process and a compelling discussion on the vital importance of claiming all of our identities. The film, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, went on to screen at over 50 film festivals worldwide, garnering the acclaim of festival-goers and critics alike. The film explores themes of sisterhood, family, belonging, and breaking tradition, as well as Muslim and LGBTQ+ Muslim representation and joy.
What Horror Means to BIPOC and Queer Creatives
Kausar’s lens on the horror film genre sees it as “a pathway to critique the world around us. It puts a face and name to the societal issues plaguing us and imagines narratives to take them down.” In this interactive presentation, we explore what “monster” means to us, who historically have been called monsters, what impact this has on structures of power including media, policy, and pop-culture -- and employ creative writing exercises to redefine and reclaim our fears. This workshop is particularly poignant for affinity groups and folks from historically-marginalized communities (ie. BIPOC, queer, etc.)
Finding Identity Through Comedy
From social media to TV and films, socially-critical comedy is not only thriving but also playing a role in social justice efforts. Comedians who shine the light on society's problems while making us laugh are capable of empowering and mobilizing people, creating awareness about injustices, and injecting hope and optimism into seemingly hopeless problems. Comedy also provides a platform for underrepresented and marginalized voices to be heard In this workshop, Kausar integrates comedy with liberatory identity exercises to help participants connect with their authentic selves and challenge biases. Using improv exercises and personal storytelling, the workshop is also great for empowerment and team-building exercises.
