#that staff and volunteers have been getting for YEARS because the centre has a trans director and accepts trans clients

[thedreadvampy]

I legit hate it here on TERF Island you cannot open any newspaper or news site for any reason without hitting an article about the Trans Menace. literally any to the opinion page of the local paper to pick up a link for a column my boss wrote about rising rough sleeping in the city and top line, top of the page, "Sturgeon is using gender bill to fuel culture war."

also on that in particular. take the L my guys. you couldn't even fucking muster a full gallery of transphobes. literally every time there's a transphobic protest they're massively outnumbered by counterprotesters. over and over again, attempts to leverage transphobia for populist electoral gain fail. THE GENERAL PUBLIC DO NOT AGREE WITH YOU.

like Scottish transphobes are addicted to this narrative that trans rights are being undemocratically pushed forward by the government as part of a conspiracy to impose transness on an unwilling nation or something. but open transphobia is not, all told, correlating with a massive upswing in broad public support. the current government were p clear on being in favour of trans healthcare and rights reforms at the last election, and Alba and the Family Party ran almost entirely on a platform of transphobia and what did that get them? let me just check ohhhh it's 0 seats in Scottish parliament and 2 in Westminster, both of whom were voted in as SNP MPs.

The Scottish people are not being silenced or overridden. They're Just Not That Into You. because your behaviour is fucking unhinged and your beliefs are hateful and abhorrent to even people who don't really Get The Whole Trans Thing. and in a time when the cost of living is increasing exponentially, homelessness and hunger have been on a constant rise for years, and the UK government are serving their own interests while cracking down on protest, your top priority as "feminists" is trying to shut down rape crisis centres and women's aid organisations for not being transphobic enough.

#red said #re that last part. my best friend works at the local rape crisis centre and you would not BELIEVE the sustained harassment #that staff and volunteers have been getting for YEARS because the centre has a trans director and accepts trans clients #which is. normal. women's shelters across Scotland have been accepting trans women as clients for well over a decade #and this has at no point and in no way correlated with abuse #anyway terfism in Scotland and the uk as a whole is so fucking astroturfed it's unreal #it's literally like. 500 people being really fucking loud #whenever it comes up in conversation like. in pubs and cafes and places and i overhear people talking #it's mostly. bafflement. like wtf is this about? #and i don't mean like with my Woke Mob of Queers i mean like. old men having a pint and mums having a cuppa.

[brudenellgrooveleeds-blog]

Brudenell Groove meets... Support After Rape and Sexual Violence in Leeds (SARSVL)

Approximately 85,000 women and 12,000 men are raped in England and Wales alone every year; that's roughly 11 rapes (of adults alone) every hour.  1 in 5 women aged 16 - 59 has experienced some form of sexual violence since the age of 16. Despite statistics like these, our Conservative government continues to cut funding for the domestic and sexual violence sectors. On the 8th of March – note, International Women’s Day –  the Spring budget was revealed, announcing an additional £20m for domestic violence services in addition to the £12m generated from the tax on sanitary products (the irony of women paying for their own protective services via a tax on products which many deem a basic necessity for their mental and physical health does, surely, not need explaining). In light of the 31% decrease in funding to women’s services since 2010, this £20m is a drop in the water – prominent direct action organisation Sister’s Uncut are calling it ‘humiliating’, reminding us of the 34 refuges that have closed in the last 7 years and proposing that the remaining domestic violence support services would be ‘forced to fight among eachother for this temporary pot of cash’. Sexual violence services, on the other hand, received nothing. It costs £70m annually to run Rape Crisis England and Wales, which currently has a £10m budget shortfall, yet will not see any of this additional money. Vital services are being forced to close, and those that remain open are being pushed to the limit, because of a shortsighted government which does not prioritise feminist issues. When I met up with Cesca Taylor, helpline volunteer at Support After Rape and Sexual Violence in Leeds (SARSVL), one of the charities we’re supporting with our next party, I ask her if its difficult to separate politics from her work with the charity. ‘I think its really political, for me. I see it as a form of political activism. Hearing people’s personal stories makes you really angry and makes you want to do more. I started SARSVL and then decided to do gender studies as my masters, which is telling. We need to be doing more –  whether that’s directly supporting people or standing up to misogyny.’ SARSVL is Leeds’ Rape Crisis centre, and Cesca explains that it is split into three strands; the helpline, which provides emotional listening support; the counselling service, which provides more therapeutic support; and the advocacy service, which is run by Independent Sexual Violence Advisor Services, who provide practical support to survivors who have reported to the police or are considering reporting to the police. Cesca has been working on the helpline for over a year, a service which is run entirely by volunteers. It’s a women-only service, which means it is run by women and supports any self-identifying woman, inclusive of trans and LGBTQ+. ‘We get asked loads of questions about why we provide a women-only service, and of course we are aware that men experience sexual violence, but the survivors that we support ask for women-only safe spaces because that’s where they feel safe, and that’s what’s important.’ Providing this service as a volunteer is not to be taken lightly. New recruits undertake 12 weeks of ‘really intensive training’ in order to provide the non-judgmental emotional listening support, which is provided over the phone, via text, email and face to face (translators and interpreters are available, including sign language). ‘The helpline is quite heavy, emotionally, so I think you do really need to be a specific kind of person to get involved with that side of volunteering. It’s a big commitment to do it every week, so you really have to have the time to do it – both the shift and then doing your self-care properly.’ Vicarious trauma is taken seriously at the charity, and volunteers debrief after every shift and particularly difficult calls, whilst maintaining complete confidentiality. ‘It’s important to maintain awareness of how the job can affect you, and look after yourself’, and for this they have recently recruited a specialist to spend a day working with the volunteers on self-care mechanisms. 

So what can we do to support SARSVL and their work, besides making a donation? As a collective and at our nights, the best thing Brudenell Groove can do is ‘awareness raising. It needs to be made clear that sexual violence or assault will not be tolerated. Creating safe spaces is so important.’ It’s no secret that misogyny is rife in dance music culture, with under-representations of women both behind the decks and on the dancefloor. One of the consequences of clubs existing as generally male-dominated spaces is the disturbing regularity of sexual assaults that occur in them, to the point where certain acts are deemed so commonplace that they are de-valued as forms of assault, and brushed off as merely an ingrained part of the female clubbing experience. When discussing the issue with female friends, we all admitted to instances of being touched inappropriately or spoken to in a way that has made us feel uncomfortable, yet not mentioning it to anyone at the time because we’ve become so used to experiencing that kind of behaviour in a clubbing environment. This response needs to be unlearnt. It’s precisely these so-called lesser instances that we need to start consistently calling out, as keeping quiet in order not to make a fuss or ruin the fun not only detracts blame from the perpetrators and supports the ludicrous narrative that women should anticipate some level of sexual assault every time they go out to dance, but (in the absence of punishment for the attacker) positively reinforces the act and plants the seed for more serious forms of sexual violence outside of the club. At our parties, Brudenell Groove are trying to encourage people to speak out about abusive behaviour by having designated and clearly-labelled members of the team to talk to if you are feeling threatened and don’t feel comfortable raising it with the bouncers or the staff. In addition, we have begun including a message detailing our zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of bigoted behaviour and assault on our event listings, and have been working with Wire and HiFi, encouraging them to put up signs in the club with a similar message, and commit to a safer spaces policy. Cesca is positive about such measures whilst remaining frank, making clear that ‘ultimately, the way to stop rape and assault is for the perpetrators to stop raping and assaulting. Rape is about power, and is not the victim’s fault.’ ‘Challenging victim blaming is one of the main things we do. During the training to be a helpline volunteer, you are not only provided with the tools to provide the emotional listening support, you engage in full days of myth-busting.’ We agree that the media play a deadly role in perpetuating myths about sexual violence, regularly engaging in victim blaming. ‘During the training you look at a lot of portrayals of victims in the media and find more often than not that the media corroborate with the perpetrators.’ We discuss the notorious Ched Evans case, and how his retrial and the subsequent media coverage (where lawyers were permitted to use statements from the victim’s ex-partners about her sexual preferences as evidence to support the defendant, and demonstrate that she had not been raped) seemed like a step backwards in terms of encouraging victims to report and reassuring them they’ll be believed. ‘No wonder people don’t want to report. Cases like that suggest that if you do you will be picked apart by lawyers and then the media and then you’re back to square one –  then you have to pick yourself up from that in addition to trying to heal. Its awful.’ While the overall situation could be interpreted as bleak, it’s important to remain grounded in practical change. Overall Cesca argues that the most important measure towards decreasing instances of sexual assault will be to implement ‘more comprehensive sex education and consent lessons’ in schools, and welcomes the announcement from Education Secretary Justine Greening earlier in March that Relationships & Sex Education is finally to be made compulsory in all schools. Challenging the attitudes that contribute to people committing sexual violence, such as toxic notions of masculinity and misinterpretations of consent, is vital - and encouraging young people to discuss these issues is the right place to start. It’s important, too, to celebrate and support organisations like SARSVL who are having direct, positive effects on women’s lives. Cesca reels off a list of local charities working alongside SARSVL, which I have included as an appendix – a reminder that there is a network of people working hard and, ultimately, making constructive change. While the success of SARSVL’s services is a difficult thing to measure, Cesca notes that in the comments books at the centre, service users often comment that they ‘feel better’ after a call. ‘Some survivors have spent a lifetime not being believed, which can make you feel worthless. To let someone know that they are believed and they are being listened to is very valuable.’   Cesca is optimistic about the future of SARSVL, and explains how they are developing and improving the charity to meet the needs of the service-users. The counselling service, which is relatively new, has had a large response, and they are planning to recruit new counsellors to help manage the quantity of people who are interested in using it. In addition, SARSVL hope to expand the helpline by opening more lines, with the long term goal of running a 24-hour service. Discussing the potential ramifications of funding cuts, Cesca explains that due to the helpline being entirely volunteer run, even if SARSVL lost all of it’s funding, the helpline, at least, would still run, and that ‘we pride ourselves on this.’ With such an extensive service and commitment to the survivors they support, Cesca and SARSVL have every right to be proud.

 List of Women’s services in Leeds:

The SARC is a place that survivors can self-refer without reporting. It provides services to victims of rape or sexual assault regardless of whether the victim chooses to report the offence to the police or not.

Leeds’ Women’s Aid is a charity which provides support to women and children who have been affected by domestic violence.

Getaway Girls is a charity supporting vulnerable women aged 11-25 to empower and develop skills.

Karma Nirvana provides training to help prevent forced marriages and honour based abuse within the UK and beyond.

Basis Sex Work Project offers information, safety and support for female and transgender women working in the sex industry, living or working in Leeds.

Disabled Survivors Unite focuses on creating change for disabled survivors of abuse and sexual violence.

Rethink Mental Illness is a charity working to create a better life for those affected by mental illness. Interview by Charlotte Bickley

#SARSVL #Leeds

[gyrlversion]

How officers came knocking at the door of a devout Catholic

As a schoolgirl, Caroline Farrow relished discussing politics and current affairs around the kitchen table with her family. 

Her parents, both teachers, encouraged robust debate and Caroline and her elder sister were precociously well informed. 

‘Freedom of speech and expression was drummed into us from an early age,’ she says.

She was ten in 1984, a landmark year when George Orwell’s vision of a totalitarian future was revisited and reappraised. 

Catholic journalist Caroline Farrow, 44, was told by Surrey Police that she had to attend an interview under caution or face arrest after she used the wrong pronoun to describe a transgender woman

Her father explained the novel’s concepts of Big Brother, Newspeak and the Thought Police, and Caroline was fascinated. 

‘But I remember thinking at the time that none of it could ever come true,’ she says.

Now 44, and a trenchant Catholic journalist, priest’s wife and occasional TV commentator, Mrs Farrow was reminded of Orwellian themes last Monday when, in the middle of preparing dinner for her husband Robin and five children, a policewoman rang her at home with a startling demand.

Mrs Farrow was told she must attend an interview under caution or face arrest because she had used the wrong pronoun to describe a transgender woman.

Suddenly the dystopia described in Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four began to feel all too real. Scarcely able to absorb what she was hearing, she felt, in sharp succession, disbelief, fear and anger.

Anger because Mrs Farrow herself had been the victim of a cyber stalking campaign which, at its vile worst, made her fear for her family’s safety – but which, she says, police failed to take seriously.

‘It’s double standards. When the complaint involves the word transgender, police leap into action,’ she says. ‘Something has gone terribly wrong in this country.’

In the event, the four-month Surrey Police investigation into Mrs Farrow, which prompted much controversy last week when made public, was hastily dropped as it hurtled towards full-blown fiasco.

Following a TV debate with Susie Green, the head of trans rights charity Mermaids, Mrs Farrow later called Ms Green’s daughter Jackie (pictured) ‘him’ instead of ‘her’ on Twitter and said Mermaids promoted child abuse

Critics called the probe a waste of time and money at a time when officers are struggling with high levels of knife crime.

The roots of the sorry affair appear to lie in a TV debate. Mrs Farrow, known for her deeply held religious views, and Susie Green, the head of trans rights charity Mermaids, clashed on ITV’s Good Morning Britain about Girl Guides allowing children who have changed gender to join the organisation. 

Mrs Farrow later called Ms Green’s daughter Jackie ‘him’ instead of ‘her’ on Twitter and said Mermaids promoted child abuse.

Five weeks later, Ms Green complained to police.

One of Mrs Farrow’s tweets read: ‘What she did to her own son [the youngest person in the world to undergo transgender surgery] is illegal. 

She mutilated him by having him castrated and rendered sterile while still a child.’

Many might consider Mrs Farrow’s choice of words unpleasant but she is unapologetic. 

She says: ‘I deliberately used the words castration and mutilation to shock because what happens is shocking. I was trying to bring home the harsh reality of what she [Ms Green] did.’

Jackie Green, who was born male and was once known as Jack, began taking puberty-blockers at 12, and went to Thailand aged 16 for reassignment surgery, which is now illegal for under-18s.

Whatever one feels about the tweet’s tone, Mrs Farrow is convinced most right-minded people would agree it wasn’t criminal. 

As anger surfaced, Mrs Farrow was left facing a tirade of abuse on social media which made her fear for her family’s safety

‘Yes, it was strong language but I wanted to make people sit up. I wanted to get the country talking about this. So much is changing in our society. 

‘The notion of what it is to be a woman or a mother is being erased and rewritten by zealots. People are too scared to question what is going on. The tweets might possibly be spiteful but they were not intended to cause alarm or distress.’

Which is why Mrs Farrow was stunned to receive the phone call from the police officer on Monday as she juggled preparing a meal of gammon, roast potatoes and vegetables for her children – aged between four and 14 – with overseeing homework and music practice. 

The message left on her voicemail said: ‘Hello there, I’m calling from Guildford police station… I need to have a chat with you about some tweets that have been sent.’

Mrs Farrow says: ‘My husband said, ‘You know it’s bound to be the trans stuff, you have been talking about this a lot lately and you know the lobbyists are looking to get you.’ ‘

She spoke to the officer later that night. ‘I pointed out that ‘misgendering’ wasn’t a crime and that as a Catholic I believed that sex could not be changed. 

I explained that the country is in the middle of an ongoing national conversation about sex and gender, what it means to be male and female, and I was contributing to that in a professional capacity.’

The officer reiterated that the CPS had ‘authorised us to bring you in for a taped interview’. 

That night, managing only an hour’s sleep, Mrs Farrow tried to make sense of what was happening. Naturally she feared the worst. Who would look after the children if she went to jail? She would be destroyed. Her husband would lose his job.

The following morning, Mrs Farrow instructed a solicitor. She says: ‘My lawyer said it seemed politically motivated but thought the case would be thrown out. 

‘He warned that I was likely to face a tough interview. What was happening felt so unjust, especially as over the past few months I have endured an unimaginable campaign of harassment, targeting not only me, but my entire family.’

A very PC force’s links to trans charity 

Flying the flag: Inspector David Harland calls himself a ‘trans ally’

Susie Green’s powerful transgender lobby group has forged close links with a police force behind a series of hate crime investigations.

West Yorkshire Police launched probes into an award-winning TV writer, a mother of four and a transsexual man following complaints from Mermaids.

But The Mail on Sunday can reveal that the force received ‘training sessions’ from Mermaids, which supports medical intervention for transgender children.

West Yorkshire Police has promoted Mermaids’ work, tweeting one of its leaflets. 

Mermaids has also advised Merseyside Police, NHS staff, social workers, the Scouts and student nurses.

One West Yorkshire officer, Inspector David Harland, declared himself on social media to be a ‘trans ally’, adding that he was dedicated to ‘doing all I can for the trans community’.

In February last year, West Yorkshire sent officers to Wiltshire to investigate a mother of four following a complaint by Ms Green.

Echoing the Caroline Farrow case, Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull was questioned on suspicion of a malicious communications offence after Ms Green reported her for tweeting that Ms Green had illegally ‘castrated’ her ‘son’ by allowing him to have sex change surgery in Thailand at 16.

In April 2018, the force received another complaint, this time from Mermaid volunteer Helen Islan.

She claimed that transsexual Miranda Yardley, who has had gender reassignment surgery, had ‘outed’ Ms Islan’s transgender son by tweeting a picture of Ms Islan with her family, which included the child. West Yorkshire referred this incident to police in Essex, where Ms Yardley lives.

In a third case, West Yorkshire officers gave Graham Linehan, co-creator of the hit TV comedy Father Ted, a verbal harassment warning when transgender activist Stephanie Hayden reported him for referring to her as ‘he’ on Twitter.

A force spokeswoman said it was ‘committed to ensuring that anyone who feels targeted due to race, sexual orientation, religion, disability or gender identity is listened to’.

It should be noted that her stalkers were motivated not by her views on transgender issues but in part by the tragic case of Alfie Evans, the baby at the centre of a legal battle last year over turning off his life support. 

It was a morally fraught case that aroused fierce debate, and Mrs Farrow joined the global campaign to keep him alive.

Mrs Farrow often comments on social issues and her deeply held conservative religious views have made her many enemies on social media. 

Incensed by her intervention, opponents set up a blog solely for the purpose of attacking the journalist and her family.

On May 3 last year, five days after Alfie’s death, a Twitter account posted a link to her home address with the sinister message: ‘If anyone fancies having a chat with the illustrious Mrs Farrow…’ 

Even more distressing, someone posted a link to her children’s school.

Many of the abusive messages were sexually degrading, referencing her Catholic faith. 

At one stage, trolls warned that their ‘agents’ were on their way to her village. Some of the most upsetting attacks involved her children and comments made about their appearance. Mrs Farrow says there were even attempts at extortion.

‘I was ordered to delete all my social-media accounts and pay the LGBT lobby group Stonewall £1,000 if I wanted the blog to cease operation. 

‘They also got hold of our email addresses and set up accounts with pornographic websites in our name, and pictures. I had to cancel an order for £772 of sex toys.’

On January 8 – more than two months after Mrs Farrow made a formal complaint to police – one of the suspected trolls was questioned. But Mrs Farrow was later told no action would be taken.

‘I felt really let down. I have suffered so much with this, my mental health has deteriorated and I told the officer that this is the sort of thing that drives people to suicide. I was being hyperbolic, but then things turned nasty.

‘The policeman said he needed to report me to social services because I said I was suicidal. Social services called a few weeks later and after chatting to me said I was fine and they would not take it further. 

‘Yet Susie Green makes a spurious complaint and, bingo, the police are straight on to me.’

Surrey Police said Mrs Farrow’s claims of harassment were fully investigated but ‘we were unable to find evidence that meets the threshold for criminal proceedings’.

Last Tuesday, the Farrows’ 14-year-old daughter had a starring role in a school recital. Mrs Farrow says: ‘I knew I was going to have to tell her [about the police interview] but I waited until after her concert. 

‘She burst into tears at the idea that I could face jail, but regained composure when I said that it was highly unlikely.

‘I felt so guilty having to burden her with it and taint such a wonderful evening for her but I also knew that it wouldn’t be fair for her to find out from friends.’

The next day, Ms Green withdrew her complaint because she said she did not want to give Mrs Farrow a public ‘platform’. Instead of contacting police, she announced her decision on a television show.

Mrs Farrow believes police are only too willing to appease Ms Green and Mermaids, which she thinks is looking for a test case to codify misgendering into law. 

Hers is not the first transgender ‘hate crime’ police have pursued. So far none of them have ended with a successful prosecution.

‘Orwell’s novel was a cautionary tale and an example of why we always need to be thankful for and guard our freedoms,’ says Mrs Farrow. ‘I never once envisaged I would face jail for refusing to state that man cannot be woman.’

Surrey Police said: ‘We requested Caroline Farrow attend a voluntary interview to understand her intent in relation to the tweets. Details of this invitation were publicly shared and there has been criticism of our decision to investigate.

‘We have been in contact with both parties as we have a duty of care towards both, and there was concern for their welfare as a result of publicity. 

The victim will withdraw her allegation and has explained her reasoning. Without the support of the victim, it’s unlikely a criminal case could be brought.’

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[theatreworksstkilda]

It's beginning to look a lot like a Theatre Works season.

The mammoth task of programming Theatre Works’ 2019 season is almost done and dusted, and it’s been one hell of a ride.

The process has been extraordinary, energising, enveloping and eye opening.

So where are we at?

You may already know that we have publicly announced Chapter 1, 2019. There are two more Chapters to come, which will be announced in early 2019. We are also actively considering works for 2020 and beyond.

As a result, our programming decisions have not been as straightforward as we would have hoped for!

I’m writing this blog post to provide you with an update, of sorts, and some context to continue our public conversation about Theatre Works.

To begin with, let's talk numbers.

Theatre Works received 130 submissions:

103 Because Now submissions were received (the program supported through our 2019 Catalyst funding)

65 Because Heart submissions were received

54 Because Now/ Because Heart 2020 submissions were received

The previous time Theatre Works led an EOI process, in 2015, we received 45 submissions. We could never have anticipated such strong interest in the program.

Applications were submitted from both inside Victoria and outside of Victoria:

Victoria: 113

NSW: 2

ACT: 3

South Australia: 2

Western Australia: 3

Queensland: 4

United Kingdom: 1

Germany: 1

I personally conducted 45 discussions with artists, to assist in the preparation to submit their EOI and to discuss works in more depth. The average discussion length was thirty minutes. I tried to conduct the majority of the discussions via Zoom, to ensure I could stick strictly to time allocations and to allow an even playing field for artists outside of Melbourne and interstate.

In preparing and finalising the 2019 season, Theatre Works conducted 34 interviews with applicants. The average interview time was one hour.  As I said, we are still in a process of considering works for 2020, and we have conducted another 10 interviews, so far, for the 2020 season!

So, what have we learnt?

1. Theatre Works remains deeply under resourced as one of the main engine rooms of independent theatre, and we need to do more to tell our own story and to secure our own future.

I am regularly astounded by a belief and perception that Theatre Works is well resourced and significantly well-funded.

It makes me draw the conclusion that perhaps Theatre Works is a victim of its own success. Or, perhaps we don't do enough publicly to advocate for our genuine position and to articulate our current reality authentically.

What we have is our independence, our longevity, and our commitment to our mission in abundance, BUT, we remain significantly under-funded.

In a nutshell, we receive three amounts of funding to support Theatre Works annually:

$30k from the City of Port Phillip

$147k from Creative Victoria

$76k from the Commonwealth Catalyst fund

This total, $253k, equates to 38% of annual income. On top of this, fundraising and donations equate for an additional 10% of annual income.

So, the rest of Theatre Works’ income is earned income through ticket sales, venue hire and bar.

Quite simply, Theatre Works needs to generate income. It’s not a theoretical exercise. If we don’t generate money, our artists don’t generate money, and our future is at risk.

Perhaps something which is not well understood is that Theatre Works is a tenant, and we have annual bills to pay.

We rent the Parish Hall and have done so for over thirty years. At the start of any year, we have to make sure we are going to generate enough cash during the year to pay our many bills (including the ongoing rent, maintenance and costs to keep the hall open and safe.)

I state all of this, because it feels important for applicants to know that some assumptions that are made about Theatre Works are wrong.

We are in a fight for our very independence and future, and the next few years will determine if we do actually survive and thrive as we so desperately want to. We need the community to support us, and more broadly to make a stronger commitment to the independent constituted orgs (I’m referring to ourselves, to La Mama, Footscray Community Arts Centre etc- the companies that are independently constituted.) We are not just service organisations. We stand for so much more; and it's time that we all claimed that space.

2. We know how make a small amount of money go a long way.

In 2019, Theatre Works will support 13 productions through the grant program that we receive from the (now defunct) Catalyst fund for $74k. We give ALL of the funding to artists – that’s right, ALL, we don’t hold onto a single cent.

We do this, in part, to seed investment from other partners (such as further grant investment from Creative Vic, Australia Council and City of Port Phillip for specific shows), and also to boost crowdfunding capabilities and philanthropic support.

We also do this because the artists we want to work with need the seeding. There isn’t enough arts funding (full stop) to support independent artists and the visionary productions that we believe in.

Theatre Works is constantly working over our capacity. Our anticipated Venue usage in 2019 will be 377 days, because we will present a number of double bills and special events in 2019.

I have mixed feelings about how much we stretch ourselves as a company, as a venue, and our capacity to deliver on work. It feels as if we are obligated to try and do as much as possible, because we have what most artists require: space and resources. To not make them available feels negligent. But I also know that we can’t keep on going the way we’re going. We need to increase our donations and other forms of funding, so we can better support our program. But it feels like chicken and the egg, we don’t want the theatre to sit empty, and we don’t want artists to miss out on opportunities.

3. Programming happens not just through the formal EOI process, but through ongoing discussion with our community and within our own company.

The process of connecting with our community and listening to what is happening around us is ongoing and it never stops. Each day we are learning more about what our immediate neighbourhood is interested in and what our neighbourhood requires. I’ve been Artistic Director since June and each day in the job I’m finding out more and more about the current Theatre Works audience and more importantly the potential Theatre Works audience.

But also, we are surrounded by important conversations. Conversations with our Associate Artists, companies and artists we work with, our staff, our board and our volunteers, who also have important things to say and to contribute; and this is part and parcel of the programming framework.

Programming a season is more than just a public expression of values. It’s more than an articulation of priorities. Programming a season should be the visible heartbeat of a company, and by its very nature give life to the company. A season must provide balance, and energy. A season at Theatre Works must be self-sustainable and self-propelling. For this reason, it should always take place in a larger and more engaged conversation within a company and community.

4. This is a not a grants process, it’s not a competition and it’s not a job application process. What we set out to do is recalibrate a theatre company.

The process to program our season has taken much longer than we expected. In part, because we have ended up supporting so many more artists and works than we had initially anticipated.

This has meant we had to reshape our budgets, consider the capacity of our staff and forensically interrogate each application. Dianne Toulson (Theatre Works General Manager) and I had to present a framework to the Theatre Works board that would make them feel secure and sure about the future.

It was difficult because many artists wanted to know (quite simply) if they made the cut. It’s difficult to explain that it’s never as simple as that. We often have multiple works we are considering for each slot, and we are always doing everything we can to be rigorous, transparent, and ensure the best outcomes for our artists, our community and Theatre Works.

5. Audience is inevitably the most important consideration in our immediate future; and we need to improve our frameworks around thinking about audiences.

Many EOIs struggled to identify how the work will connect with an audience (and for that matter, an audience that can sufficiently fill the 140-seat theatre each night.)

We need to be more willing and ready to speak about potential audience; and we must be ready to think outside of the “opening night bubble” and to ask the critical question: how will we fill the seats with honest to god, real breathing people?

In 2019, for instance, we are making an active decision to present more work for children, young people and families. In Chapter 1 2019 are: the Arena Theatre production Robot Song, Holly Austin’s Dr Alphabeat and our new hip-hop youth initiative Pay It Forward. All three works are central to ensuring new people, young people, get to the theatre and become engaged with our vision.

And that programming is already paying off. We have sold a record number of tickets for Robot Song, and that season is already one third sold.

In designing our Midsumma program, for instance, we are attempting to present a more inclusive version of what it means to be Queer, by celebrating the butch and trans community through The Butch Monologues or telling the story of fat gay pride through Cake Daddy. In this way, we are catering to a variety of demographics. The specificity in community is helping us sell the works. Yesterday, we sold 30 tickets in on day to Butch Monologues, in part because there is a community ready and willing to support it.

It feels basic and somewhat redundant to say we need to think more about audience; but we need to. Theatre Works knows this instinctively. If we can sell more tickets next year; we will be in a very different position. If we can sell a lot more tickets, well we can support artists much more wholeheartedly. This call to action is in fact quite simple. If we believe in independent theatre, we need to promote each other’s works more, we need to get more people into the theatre, we need to be more entrepreneurial.

I recently had an accidental encounter with a successful Broadway producer. She told me to only ever give complimentary tickets to hairdressers and taxi drivers, “because they talk about work,” and “will actually tell other people if they like the show.” The success of her career had been defined by getting the right people to see the work early. One of the questions is how do we get beyond the bubble, the hype of our community, and how do we begin to build stronger and more consistent audience numbers? Quite simply, if we don't, I can't imagine Theatre Works being open in eighteen months time.

6. We have learnt so much

We’ve learnt that programming always takes longer than expected. If I had my time again, I would have said no timelines to this process. We tried to do an eight-month process in two months, and it’s been frustrating that we haven’t been able to get back to artists as quickly as we would have liked.

We learnt that to program a season requires more than just submitting and reviewing an expression of interest. For instance, once we have received the EOI, we need to do a level of our own research. This may include watching videos, reading reviews, talking to artists and venues, and exploring works from many different angles. To help determine how we may sell or market a work; we need to consider it from many different angles.

7. Finally, we need to say thank you.

It’s been an honour to read so many amazing proposals and to get to know so many artists and works. I feel literally full to the brim with information and ideas.

For every work that we have programmed in our 2019 season, there are two, or sometimes three other works that are now sitting on the bench. These are works and artists that we not only feel confident and passionate about, but they are works that we believe deserve a home.

This process has been tough, and we want to sincerely say thanks to everyone who has contributed.

It's also Christmas. An enforced break, time away from our computers and downtime for the parish hall. It would be remiss of me to not fully acknowledge the small and incredible Theatre Works team - our staff, our board, our volunteers, and our associate artists.

Many thanks to the artists who have made Theatre Works 2018. Many thanks to the artists who have been part of this process. Many thanks to everyone who supports Theatre Works, now and into the future.

Happy Holidays. In the immortal words of Bing Crosby, Mele Kalikimaka, it's the Hawaiian way to say Merry Christmas to you. It's also my favourite carol. (Controversial, I know.)

Warmest Regards

Bryce (and the Theatre Works team.)

[fashiontrendin-blog]

Meet the inspirational women changing the world through beauty

http://fashion-trendin.com/meet-the-inspirational-women-changing-the-world-through-beauty/

Meet the inspirational women changing the world through beauty

Here at GLAMOUR, we know that beauty sometimes gets a bad rep. It’s ‘superficial silliness’, ‘vanity’, and ‘shallow’. But we know the word ‘beauty’ encompasses far more – and can have a much greater impact on people’s lives – than these haters realise.

That’s why we spoke to these four women, who all run their own beauty/ lifestyle brand, about why and how they’re helping different communities, and changing the world around them. Prepare to be seriously inspired.

“I’m helping transgender people show who they truly are”

Jessica Blackler, Founder, JECCA Make-Up.

After school, I studied at the Delamar Academy of Hair & Make-Up, doing Doctor Who-style prosthetics and theatrical beauty for film and TV. I started showcasing my work on Instagram, and soon, I was getting requests for make-up tutorials. But I was surprised that so many of them were from men who were transitioning into women.

In 2015, I started giving one-on-one lessons to trans people and opened a small studio space in London. It was important to create a safe space where they felt comfortable and could discuss things they may not have wanted to talk about with friends or family. I wanted them to feel accepted and be open with me. And they were.

For most of my clients, it was the first time they’d ever experimented with make-up, and as women, it’s easy to forget how daunting and complicated it can be! The most common problem for my clients was covering beard shadow (where facial hair growth can be seen under the skin), so I showed them how to layer concealer and foundation to look natural, while still covering the tiny dark hairs.

Soon, I’d built up over 200 transgender clients, and sometimes I’d be in the studio for three or four hours with just one. It was demanding, but incredibly rewarding. Make-up plays a huge role in the male-to-female transition, and it was amazing showing people how to present themselves as the person they knew they were inside. But it became impossible to keep up with demand, and I was receiving hundreds of messages from people who couldn’t make it to the studio.

So, in 2017, I decided to launch my own brand, Jecca Make-Up, so that my products could reach all the transitioning people that I couldn’t. I conducted months of market research, using my clients as a focus group to test my products. Our first product was the Correct & Conceal, a colour corrector offering long-lasting coverage for beard shadow, birthmarks and acne.

Jecca Make-Up is less than a year old, but thanks to partnering with L’Oreal in June this year, we’re constantly developing products to offer unisex solutions. Next summer, we’ll be introducing eye and lip colour, and I can’t wait to expand our range to help our customers feel confident in their own skin. I now get messages every day saying, “Your products have changed my life”, “The trans community are so overlooked in cosmetics, and thanks to Jecca, we feel seen”, “I feel like I can be myself now.” And that’s exactly how everyone should feel – that they can be who they truly are.

“I’m giving people with disabilities the chance to earn a living”

Camilla Marcus-Dew, Co-Founder, The Soap Co.

Ever since I was a child, growing up in Bournemouth, I’ve spent a lot of time with young disabled people. My niece, Iesha, has cerebral palsy, and even as a kid in school I noticed how wrapped up in cotton wool she was. She was over-protected and stifled, and people didn’t realise how capable she was. When I started working at the charity Leonard Cheshire Disability after university, I saw the same thing was happening to the young disabled people who worked there, too.

I realised that many people with disabilities have the will to work, but the employment market doesn’t recognise them as able. So, I decided to combine this with my passion for the environment and making beauty more eco-friendly – and, in September 2015, The Soap Co. was born. It’s a luxury, ethical skincare brand. I wanted it to be completely transparent, ensuring customers knew what’s in our products, who made them, where our ingredients came from, and what happens to the packaging when you’re finished. We started selling hand washes and lotions, and now our range also includes bath and body oils, exfoliating soap pebbles and gift boxes.

We now have 115 employees, over 80% of which have a disability or longterm physical or mental health condition. They’re always at the core of our organisation.

One of our employees went blind at the age of 20 very suddenly due to a genetic condition. Within just three weeks, he couldn’t see much more than holding his phone an inch from his eye. He was an electrician and couldn’t carry on working. He now works on our reception desk. Another man was 47-years-old when we employed him – he suffers with severe epilepsy, and The Soap Co. was his first ever job. He told me he finally had a reason to get out of bed in the morning.

I’m so proud of what we’ve achieved as a brand – from helping disabled people have that crucial autonomy over their own lives, to reducing our impact on the environment – but we know there’s room for improvement. For example, we need to work on the recyclability of our plastic pump mechanisms in certain bottled products. But as long as we’re still striving to be better, I know I’m doing the right thing.

“I’m fighting our country’s hidden crisis – hygiene poverty” Jo Jones, Co-Founder, Beauty Banks.

Growing up in London, I’ve seen people sleeping on the streets my whole life. But it wasn’t until my friend, who’s a head teacher, told me about his pupils borrowing deodorant, razors, and even sanitary towels from staff, that I realised poverty didn’t just mean a lack of food, but a lack of hygiene, too. Girls were too scared to tell their parents that they had their periods, because they couldn’t afford towels or tampons. Boys who felt ashamed in class, because they knew they had body odour. Something had to be done.

From a career in beauty PR, I’ve seen how many products go to waste – and so has my friend and colleague, journalist Sali Hughes. We saw an opportunity to marry the gap between the people who don’t have anything, and those that have an abundance. We thought, “if everyone gave a few toiletries they didn’t need, then we could give them to those in need.” We came up with the name ‘Beauty Banks’, my friend Lauren at Top Shelfie Illustrated created our logo, and Sali shared the initiative to Instagram. Soon, boxes of donations were arriving for me at work. We’d spend hours sorting them into parcels for different homeless shelters and food banks, our friends and families helping us deliver them all over the country. It’s incredible to see how Beauty Banks helps people – especially young girls and boys – feel more clean, confident and happy. We received a huge ‘thank you’ card from a school, where each pupil wrote a personal message about their struggles, and how much happier they felt at school. But it’s also really moving to see awareness being raised. A little girl told us she was going to use her toiletries to ‘make slime’, but her mum and dad told her she shouldn’t waste them when she could donate them to us instead, and help people feel good about themselves.

But we’re only just scratching the surface of an enormous problem. Our country is in a hygiene poverty crisis. Just this week, a school got in touch saying: ‘We need your help, kids can’t keep borrowing off their teachers.’

We’re currently setting up our website and in the process of registering as a charity, but until then, keep up to date and find out how to donate on our Instagram, @thebeautybanks. It may feel like we’re a long way off a solution, but together, we can help people living in poverty to achieve their most basic of human rights – to be, and feel, clean.

To read Sali’s feature on Beauty Banks, pick up the Autumn/ Winter issue of GLAMOUR magazine, on sale 13th September.

“I’m giving people with learning difficulties a platform to express themselves”

Becky Sheraidah, Founder, ARTHOUSE Unlimited

I studied fine art at university, and after graduating and becoming a freelance artist, I started working one day a week with adults who had learning disabilities at a day centre. The work they’d create was amazing – everything from painting to designing product packaging. But because of their learning disabilities, which meant they needed constant supervision, and sometimes couldn’t properly understand or communicate, no one had any expectations of their skills – and neither did they.

I wanted to create a business out of this gap in the market, and in turn, give people with disabilities like Down’s syndrome and cerebral palsy the chance to earn a living from their work.

So, I set up ARTHOUSE in Hertfordshire, a social enterprise with a small studio space where artists would do workshops with people with learning and physical difficulties. We catered for everyone – there were men and women as young as 21, with ages all the way up to 70-something. They’d create jewellery, wall art, homeware, but especially popular were the soaps, candles and reed diffusers – which we still sell now. The artists create all the product packaging and design, and even work with different suppliers on making the actual scented product.

When galleries and stockists, such as the Royal Academy of the Arts, started noticing what we were doing at ARTHOUSE, sales increased. Now, we’re established as a registered charity and have our own board of trustees and our own team of staff, volunteers, suppliers and in-house tutors, and we’re stocked in over 430 shops across Britain. We have collaborations coming up with Lush, the V&A, and a range of soaps, mugs and bags has been rolled out in Oxfam this month.

People are always so surprised when they learn it’s adults, often with severe learning difficulties, who have produced this beautiful work. And a lot of the time, the artists themselves can’t believe it either, and it’s hugely moving to see their joy when they defy their own self-doubt. We’re soon launching a range called ‘Lady Muck’, including bath milks, body butters, moisturisers, and the neon pink and gold foil packaging was designed by Peter, one of our artists. Five years ago, he didn’t believe he could be creative at all, and now he’s designing packaging and even held a sell-out exhibition.

1.5 million people in the UK have a learning disability, yet their opportunities for valued work are so limited. By giving these people a space to express who they are, and earn money from their work, we’re saying to them: ‘You are valuable’. And there’s nothing more worthwhile than that.

[megadarkbouquettidalwavethings]

Bac Giang keeps blood donors in the family

VietNamNet Bridge – The Le family have been living in Tien Luc Commune for more than 200 years. They are not only one of the biggest families, but also one of the biggest blood donating groups in the locality.

No shortage: Giving blood has become a family tradition in rural Bac Giang Province. — Photo syt.bacgiang.gov.vn

“When we donate blood, we take more than what we give. We get a free health check, our family bonds are strengthened and we also enjoy the reward helping others in need,” Le Van Phung, a member of the family, said.

“Unfortunate incidents can happen to anyone at any time. For many people, the line between life and death becomes very thin and all that they desperately need is blood. By donating blood, we can save their lives,” said Phung.

There are four families in Tien Luc who are frequent donors – the Le, Nguyen Van, Nguyen Dinh and Tran Van. Each family donates a total of about 50 units of blood (each equivalent to 250ml) every year. In 2017, the whole commune donated a total of 203 units.

Phung said family meetings, reunions, funerals and ancestor commemoration were chosen for “communication work” as he describes blood donations.

In rural areas, it is customary for families to hold a year-end meeting to sum up the achievements for the 12 months, including children’s studies or the construction of a commemoration structure for the whole family.

In recent years, reports on blood donations have also become part of discussion and frequent blood donors are honoured. 

The Le family is one of the biggest families in the region with more than 300 households. The family started donating blood eight years ago.

“Initially people had little understanding about blood donations. Locals thought that by donating blood they would lose the nutrients in their body,” Phung said.

First: Tran Van Do (standing, centre) from Hiep Hoa District is a pioneer blood donor. — Photo nihbt.org.vn

It was a common belief that a drop of blood was equivalent to nutrients contained in six bowls of rice.

Phung joined the commune’s Red Cross group and tried to change this perception through research and reading newspapers. He found out that blood donations did not harm the donor’s health, but they did help save other people’s lives.

He first encouraged his own small wife and children to donate blood. They were all excited about the idea. Blood donation became a topic of discussion in his family and the spirit spread quickly to other relations.

Nguyen Dinh Lam from the commune still vividly remembers first donating blood in 2008 while attending a training class in Bac Giang City. At the beginning, he felt a bit worried and unsure, yet after the volunteers explained, he joined in. After donating blood, he felt “more healthy and refreshed” because he felt glad that his blood would be used to save other people.

Lam has donated blood twice a year for more than eight years. Apart from Lam, English teacher Nguyen Dinh Phuc has also donated blood regularly since 2005.

Lam said that people in his big family donated blood in the hope of saving people in need. “When we meet at the end of the year, blood donors are honoured. This is a big motivation for us.”

According to Le Van Tien, head of Tien Luc Commune’s Red Cross, there is even a competition between four of the big families to see which can donate the most. All want to have the honour.

“We are proud of families that have many blood donors because it means that the family is healthy. The locals here donate blood voluntarily. Every time they go, the clan rents a car for them to travel to the blood collection location. They use “attendance money” they received to hold small party together,” said Tien. 

Tran Van Do from Hiep Hoa District in Bac Giang Province, an exemplary blood donor, was one of the first to help.

In 2006, this mountainous district with a population of only 200,000 had a total of 256 units of blood in storage.

“It was hard at first, as the perception of locals on blood donation was generally negative. Many leaders didn’t encourage their staff to donate blood, some families would not encourage their children,” said Do.

Yet Do was determined to change the perspective. He asked the local authority to hold training classes with trainers from the Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion to raise awareness of local people and civil servants. He also went to communes to talk to locals and give them advice.

Since 2011, the amount of blood donated in Hiep Hoa has leapt to an average of 1,600 units per year.

“Hiep Hoa has a high number of blood donors and Do played an important role in this achievement,” said Ma Thi Thin Nga, head of the provincial Red Cross. 

Nguyen Truong

Source: VNS

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