UTVS Providence 2009

So I guess I should catch everyone up on the big event this past month - Until the Violence STOPS: Providence 2009.This is the second year we've held a festival as part of the V-Day (www.vday.org) festival season. In 2008, our first year, we were one of only three festivals worldwide (Los Angeles, CA and Paris, France were the other two) and in 2009 we were again one of three (Detroit, Michigan and Nova Scotia will have festivals in the fall). So looks like we're pretty cutting edge in Providence, eh?


Background:
The Until the Violence STOPS festivals grew out of the V-Day season, which was begun by the playwright Eve Ensler (The Vagina Monologues). She started her non-profit organization (V-Day) because each night after her performance of TVM women kept coming up to the stage and disclosing their stories to her - stories of domestic violence, sexual assault, FGM, sex trafficing - and she wanted to do something positive with the energy that the TVM productions created. So, she started the V-Day non-profit organization and allows communities to perform her play, as long as 100% of the proceeds raised from those performances are donated to local organizations that are working to end violence against women & girls. It all begins at the grassroots level, right?

So I've produced the play for the past 10 years all around Rhode Island (think I might be just a bit vagina-ed out? Never.) I've had the great good fortune to meet and work alongside some amazing women in this state that have lent their time, energy and voices to help raise awareness and funds and it's really been a blast. The movement in RI really grew over the years, to the point where I have become rather good friends with Eve and her V-Day crew - who knew? She's travelled to Rhode Island several times over the past few years to speak and lend her energy to our events and it's always fun to get caught up in her energy and passion when she's here. She's a whirlwind, that's for sure! And her staff are loyal, hardworking and just as passionate - they're all easy to love!

So, let's see..... the 2009 festival was really great. We had about fifteen events this year, all taking place from February 20th - March 1st. I was in charge of two of the events - the Good Body fashion show and The Red Tent, the closing event. They were both a lot of fun, and both raised money for the RI Crisis Assistance Center of which I am the Executive Director, so it was important to get the word out about the work we do with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.


Jessica, Sarah and Teddy working at the registration table

The Good Body fashion show was held at The Loft at NYLO - what a great venue! The staff at NYLO were really wonderful and couldn't do enough for us. They donated the space and all the delicious food for the buffet. They even created a special drink for the day - the Twisted Twat!


Backstage at the fashion show - what would I have done with Jae keeping everything running smoothly - thanks Jae!

There were 13 models, ages 15 - mid-50s and all sizes - because every woman is beautiful - no matter her age, the size of her waist or her pocketbook! I think everyone had a great time strutting their stuff on the catwalk and we couldn't have pulled it off with out the great people from Chestnuts Day Spa in Providence and our fashions donated by Sonya's, Dress Barn and Zuzu's Petals.

It was really a lot of fun and I'm glad I got to do this event - it was my very first fashion show, but I hope not my last!

And we made a great team - Jae, Teagan and I!


I'll post more about the fashion show and the Red Tent later....that's all for now.