GISELA (NIKKI) BRAKE-SILLÁ

Princess Grace Award
Film Honoraria, 2006
The City College of New York (CUNY)

Additional Grants:

2022 Special Project Award

2017 Professional Development Grant

Nikki Brake-Sillá is a Black playwright and filmmaker with an invisible disability, who tried to check out of the hospital with her infant, A.M.A. During the day, she works in a research lab and merges science and art to expose people to inherent bias in the medical system. She weaves stories that give urgency to folx who birth, (Against Medical Advice), COVID frontline workers, (Silos), and exposes the challenges of uterine transplant research trials, (ReWombed). She has been commissioned by EST/Sloan, Revolution Shakespeare, Elevate Theatre, and Black Music City. Nikki received her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and her M.F.A. from the City College of New York. But what gives her the most joy is giving someone their likeness on screen and stage.

Images by Neal Santos and the Barnes Foundation