Learn Online From Premier Filmmaker on Abortion Rights: Dorothy Fadiman, Oct 5

For filmmakers interested in reproductive rights, there is no better person to turn to that Fadiman. That's Dorothy Fadiman. And now there is a chance for people from all over the country to do that -- an online webinar that Fadiman will lead on October 5, 2011 at 9 pm Eastern time, 6 pm Pacific time.

The course is called Producing with Passion: Creating Media that Reflects your Vision.

Dorothy Fadiman has made, count them, four films about reproductive justice. She understood early -- before almost anyone was thinking about it -- the importance of capturing the history and dynamics of reproductive rights issues on film. Anyone who wants archival footage will turn to her and her company, Concentric Media.

Words of Choice has written in the past about Fadiman's great work -- such as this blog, Fadiman is first in film on abortion. Her "Power of Choice" trilogy plus one is an amazing resource, and she has made much of it available on line for free -- in English and Spanish. A Facebook page for the "Choice" project keeps people regularly updated on developments on reproductive justice, too.

Fadiman has gone on to make many other films with important content. Stealing America,Vote by Vote is another -- and she also makes it available for free online viewing.

She has also co-authored a book, Producing With Passion. Covered in the book are inspirational and practical tips, such as: Locating a truly original vision already living inside you; Creating a blueprint for your film; Focusing your intention throughout all phases of production and more.

The upcoming online course from the Michael Wiese Film School in California, is described this way:

Dorothy Fadiman will support you in manifesting your own intention from the initial spark of an idea through completion and outreach. Her course affirms the fact that impactful independent filmmaking requires balancing your personal visions with skillful means in handling the challenges of production. Based on 35 years of experience, she will help you identify and tackle the barriers to realizing your intention which you are likely to encounter. Through the course, Dorothy will highlight specific points with illustrative clips from her films.

If you have a passion for reproductive justice and women's rights, and you have an idea that you might want to make a film -- take this course. It's only $60, and you couldn't spend your money better. Read more about it HERE.

Please 'Like' Words of Choice at our (new) Facebook PAGE.

Posted by Cindy Cooper
Pictured above: A cover from the Power of Choice film series by Dorothy Fadiman

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Post 'em, Toast 'em: Guerrilla Girls on Tour

An announcement by Guerrilla Girls On Tour that its poster portfolio is available for purchase, along with poster downloads for free, gives a good opportunity to share the fine work of this creative troupe -- especially since it is not only feminist, but steps up for pro-choice issues, too, as the poster to the right clearly shows.

(Once when Words of Choice went on tour during the election season, Guerrilla Girls On Tour emailed a wonderfully upbeat note with some download handouts, "You Have the Power to Choose: VOTE!" Just the right thing in a moment of harried travel!)

Guerrilla Girls On Tour, as it explains on its website, is "an anonymous touring theatre company of 26 women trained in a variety of comedic theatre techniques who develop unique and outrageous activist plays, performance art and street theatre. We have presented over 200 performances and workshops around the world addressing reproductive rights, war, sex trafficking, hunger, herstory/history/hirstory and violence against women."

With the motto, "Changing the World One Sexist City at A Time," the group undertakes bookings at colleges and elsewhere, where it presents its signature shows. Members use the names of deceased theatre artists -- Aphra Behn is one, Lorraine Hansberry is another -- and wear half-face masks that look a little, well, gorillalike. In fact, you can download a mask for free here.

The Guerrilla Girls on Tour group was formed in 2001 by former members of Guerrilla Girls, a group of women's art activists who began challenging sexism in the visual arts, starting in 1985. The original Guerrilla Girls became known for sharp graphics and the use of wit and irony to jab at the male-dominated art world. Some of its work is even on display at the Museum of Modern Art in NY (2nd floor), and its origins are described in the Lynn Hershman Leeman film Women, Art, Revolution(also highly recommended!)

Guerrilla Girls on Tour has taken up the gauntlet in the theatre world -- challenging theatres to open their doors to artists of color and women (only about 20 percent of new plays produced are by women, if you can believe that!) The group also uses the medium of theatre to raise awareness about societal misogyny through performances and workshops.

Now, Guerrilla Girls on Tour is making available Limited Edition Portfolios of its first 16 posters under the title, "Monkey Business, The First 10 Years." Some can be seen here and others here or maybe here. To find out more about the Portfolio, email: posters(at)ggontour.com.

Upcoming on the Guerrilla Girls On Tour schedule, October 24-29, 2011 at Rollins College with Feminists Are Funny, part of the Winter Park Institute; November 4-30 with Man As Object: Reversing the Gaze at the SOMArts Cultural Center, 934 Brannan Street, San Francisco; November 9 & 10, 2011, at the College of Staten Island, NY with Feminists are Funny, and a poster making workshop; and January 12, 2012,at CERES Gallery in NY, 547 West 27th Street, with a Meet the Artist lecture at 6:30 pm. Click on calendar here.

Where else to find Guerrilla Girls On Tour:
Facebook: GuerrillaGirlsOT
Tumblr: GuerrillaGirlsOnTour
YouTube:In Hungary
Audio Clip: GGOT Song
Photos:Galleries
Twitter: GuerrillaGsOT
My Space:guerrillagirlsontour
Website: www.guerrillagirlsontour.com

Posted by Cindy Cooper
Pictured above: Screen Shot from Guerrilla Girls On Tour Campaign Email

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Hyde Amendment Is For the Birds: Help With Art!

The Hyde Amendment has always been one of the ugly markers of the attack on abortion rights. The first abortion restriction introduced in Congress after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade , the Hyde Amendment sought to slice off a significant segment of the population from access to abortion services.

It did this by preventing federal government funds from paying for the costs of abortions.  Suddenly, the women who needed help the most -- those in economically strapped situations -- could get not get aid for abortion services, even when all of their other medical needs (like pregnancy!) were covered.  It was a sharp turn in abortion access that continues to this day -- 35 years later.  More information about the Hyde Amendment is on the site of the Coalition to Repeal Hyde sponsored by the National Network of Abortion Funds.

The Repeal Hyde project is aiming to raise public attention about the disasterous effects of the Hyde Amendment and to build support for repeal. And now it has developed the ingenious Repeal Hyde Art Project -- and any individual or group can participate.

It's easy, it's accessible, and it's a great way to share information about the wreck known as the Hyde Amendment.  And it's art!

Here's the essence of the project. People from all over are asked to make birds, not unlike the one pictured above, and send them to the Repeal Hyde Art Project in Cambridge, MA.  All of the birds will be collected and developed into an art installation.  The installation, at a location to be announced, is planned for September 30, 2011, so those birds should get in the mail by September 24 or thereabouts.

Templates to make the birds are available at a Flickr site.  Cut out the design, or use it as a template for another bird. Or you can make your own bird, too.  Throw in some extra creativity -- or colored paper and inks, or textured paper (hmm, some interesting-looking wrapping paper comes to mind, or some of those fancy bags lying around from clothing stores! Or maybe the fronts of old greeting cards, or some pages or covers from magazines, newspapers, photos, cereal boxes!  Tampon boxes and a couple of EPT wrappers might be especially inticing. How about the print out of that women's studies term paper? You get the idea. All in all, a great way to recycle!)
 
Then, write your own message on the bird about why you think the Hyde Amendment should be repealed.  Perfect activity for a group, a meeting, a dinner get-together!

And voila!  Send your birds to the Repeal Hyde Art Project by Sept. 24.

Repeal Hyde Art Project
P.O. Box 380192
Cambridge, MA 02238


For more information about the project, email: repeal.hyde.art.project@gmail.com 

Can't wait to see the photos of all of our Repeal Hyde birds combined!  Let Congress know that Hyde is for the birds.

UPDATE: See submissions here. (Hope ours are posted ... although we're theater people not visual artists, they come with a song!)

~~Please "Like" Words of Choice at our new Facebook Page!

Posted by Cindy Cooper
Pictured above, one of the Repeal Hyde Art Project template bird

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