Starting this fall, UCLA students will have the opportunity to learn a thing or two from Professor Palmer.
Actress and entrepreneur Keke Palmer is teaming up with the university’s School of Theatre, Film and Television for a new 5-year Artist-in-Residence collaboration – one that will see I love the boosters A leading star in quarterly workshops on campus. Central to this partnership is Palmer’s digital media platform, KeyTV. The foundation, which it launched in 2022, has produced 29 original projects from an exclusively BIPOC pool of creators.
“UCLA TFT is a place where artists learn how to practice, experience trial and error, and get projects off the page,” Palmer said. “This is also KeyTV’s mission. We know that education is key to democratic opportunity and I am eager to learn from and support UCLA TFT students. Pursuing higher education is not easy, especially at a prestigious institution. I look forward to listening to them, encouraging them and offering them more than one chance at success.”
The From Block to Broadcast initiative aims to support student production and distribution through KeyTV. Launching during the 2026-27 academic year, Palmer’s mentorship will be linked to TFT faculty training. Palmer will lead quarterly workshops covering promotion, distribution strategy, business ownership, professional sustainability and personal brand development. In return, KeyTV will distribute a minimum of three student projects per year, pending quality review, and will provide students with first-hand experience in packaging, marketing and digital audience engagement.
Palmer, who stars in the Peacock comedy “The burps.” It can be seen in theaters at Boots Riley’s I love the boostershas been building KeyTV since its launch nearly four years ago. She recently introduced a six-week immersive program for young creatives from underrepresented communities.
“Diverse voices matter more than ever,” said Dean Celine Parreñas Shimizu. “People of color and underrepresented people have always created countercinemas and social movements grounded in cinema as a technology of resistance. Bringing an artist of Kiki’s caliber into the spaces where our students learn to develop their stories will inspire them to see and believe what is possible when you are willing to work hard and are committed to teaching and uplifting each other.”
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