Nikki Silva

co-host, producer, The Kitchen Sisters

The Kitchen Sisters, Davia Nelson and Nikki Silva, are award winning NPR documentary producers who have been working together for more than twenty-five years. They are the creators of the popular *Hidden Kitchens* series on Morning Edition, the Peabody Award winning NPR series *Lost & Found Sound* and the post 9-11 *Sonic Memorial Project*, co-produced with colleague, Jay Allison. They are currently producing an NPR and online series about girls around the world. As independent producers, they are the creators of more than 200 stories for public broadcast about the lives, histories, art and rituals of people who have shaped our diverse cultural heritage. They are the recipients of numerous awards including the duPont-Columbia Award, two Peabodys, three Audies and many others. They are the authors of *Hidden Kitchens, Stories, Recipes and More from NPR's The Kitchen Sisters*, a 2005 New York Times Notable Book and a James Beard nominee. The Kitchen Sisters are involved in educating and training new voices for public media. They teach at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, the Social Documentary Graduate Program at UC Santa Cruz and give presentations and workshops at universities, radio stations, and public events throughout the country and abroad. They have an active internship program and participate in the public radio community throughout the country. Their non-profit organization, The Kitchen Sisters Productions is dedicated to exploring complex cultural issues through personal stories, bringing seldom heard voices to air, and building community through storytelling. Nikki Silva is also a museum curator and exhibit consultant. She lives with her family on a commune near Santa Cruz, California.