MADx Celebrate | Perform | Rebel
Donation protected
WHAT IS MADx?
MADx is a celebration of creativity and performance, life and human spirit, and of finding and using your voice in a welcoming and supportive community.
At its root, MADx is about this question:
What does it take to free ourselves from others' ideas of who they would have us be?
Why MADx?
Well, it's a bit mad and it has an x in it.
MADx aims to create a vibrant, supportive space where people can express their struggles, joy, and creativity through short stories, poetry, spoken word, music and other forms of art and performance.
MADx SHORT SUMMARY:,
We live in a world that aims to diagnose and label ourselves and each other, divide us into convenient categories that set limits on who we are, or can become. Yet we have a choice: we can either conform to this false 'myth of normal' and lose ourselves and our voices, or we can rise up, come together and explore and express the full spectrum of what it means to be human in this world.
We are different for a reason; so we can come together and learn from each other.
MADx is about the spirit it takes to be human in a world that sometimes seems well designed to negate and crush that very spirit.
A MADx event includes many people, performing songs and music, stand-up , short stories and poetry, whatever they want to share
THEIR WAY.
MADx is about finding our voice, witnessing each other as we do -
and doing it in a generous way that doesn't rely on using whatever
power we have to put others down, or tell others how or who to be.
We welcome all performers, especially new and first-time performers
and offer a kind and generous community environment.
We support each other fully, and resist labels and categories that threaten to divide us.
MADx is about being real, being seen, being heard, being felt and being a witness to each other.
We want everyone to feel they can join in the fun.
WHAT THE FUNDS WILL BE USED FOR
We want MADx to grow.
With this campaign we hope to raise at least $5,000 to help pay the administrative and legal fees involved in starting MADx, a not-for-profit company, that will facilitate and support performance-based events around the city of Toronto (and eventually all of Canada).
We want to do more MADx events in a variety of different venues, and involve people from a variety of communities and organization doing good work.
We also recognize that first-time performers need support as they prepare to go on stage and share their voice. So we want to set up a simple workshop process to help newer performers feel comfortable expressing themselves on stage. In these workshops, we also want to involve performers who have had some success in the arts - to inspire and guide newer participants.
MADx is an urgent, and much-needed community-based organization.
Because of its simplicity - its potential is endless.
Humans everywhere are feeling increasingly alienated, disconnected, disenfranchised, lonely, dehumanized and forgotten.
We all have a deep need to connect, express ourselves, be seen and felt and MADx creates a space where folks can do that in authentic, creative ways without being judged. And have a good time too!
Sharing, playing, performing and being creative together is an essential part in our own individual health and, by extension, the health and happiness of our larger community.
MADx is a small part of co-creating the kind of world we want to live in.
Your contribution will enable a much-needed community event to flourish and grow.
OUR STORY / OUR BACKGROUND
Kevin Healey is a community activist, facilitator of the Hearing Voices peer support group in Toronto. He founded MADx along with Julie Bull.
Alex Arena joined MADx shortly after she attended one of Kevin's Hearing Voices cafe meetings. She is a singer-songwriter with a passion for writing songs that express hope and resilience. She also enjoys helping others overcome their own struggles and hopes to use her music as a way of inspiring others at MADx events.
Corrina Melles-Orrego is a singer songwriter and poet. She works as a peer support worker and is a regular performer at MADx
Sitting on the board of MADx are Pedro Orrego and Michelle Melles. Their company Parallel Vision Productions has seen numerous projects developed for the big and small screens.
MADx PERKS
We are grateful for donations of any size!
We have a variety of gifts, tickets and opportunities available for those who donate in the amounts of $25, $50, $100.
$25 – A set of 3 MADx pin.
Love buttons and pins? Pin it to your lapel, toque or bag.
$40 - A MADx T-Shirt
$100 – A MADx T-Shirt and special download of music and poetry by MADx artists (including Alex Arena and the Mindful MC's )
$200 - All of the above, plus a special un-VIP spot at the next MADx event.
OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP
Even if you can't contribute, that doesn't mean you can't help!
Please get the word out and make some noice about our campaign!
Please attend our events, be part of our community, volunteer, say hi and get to know us.
Spread the word online - share our campaign on Facebook, Twitter, your blog or anywhere else online.
Talk to your friends – discuss the ideas behind MADx with those you know.
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay on top of everything we do.
A Big MADx thanks to everyone that's been involves so far, including:
The Juliest, MC Seema, Laura R, Amy, Emma, Asante, Brenda, Donna,
Toshio, Tim B, George Z, Ben B, Fan Wu, Richard Sitoski, Val K & Bill,
Dan Rosen, Justin Zucatto, Jer n Jas, Alex, Corrina, Pedro, Lee Vee,
The Mindful MCs, Troy, Elaine, Michelle
Parallel Vision prod. for making the MADx video
And to the owners and crew at The Imperial Pub. Cheers Sammy!
MADx is a celebration of creativity and performance, life and human spirit, and of finding and using your voice in a welcoming and supportive community.
At its root, MADx is about this question:
What does it take to free ourselves from others' ideas of who they would have us be?
Why MADx?
Well, it's a bit mad and it has an x in it.
MADx aims to create a vibrant, supportive space where people can express their struggles, joy, and creativity through short stories, poetry, spoken word, music and other forms of art and performance.
MADx SHORT SUMMARY:,
We live in a world that aims to diagnose and label ourselves and each other, divide us into convenient categories that set limits on who we are, or can become. Yet we have a choice: we can either conform to this false 'myth of normal' and lose ourselves and our voices, or we can rise up, come together and explore and express the full spectrum of what it means to be human in this world.
We are different for a reason; so we can come together and learn from each other.
MADx is about the spirit it takes to be human in a world that sometimes seems well designed to negate and crush that very spirit.
A MADx event includes many people, performing songs and music, stand-up , short stories and poetry, whatever they want to share
THEIR WAY.
MADx is about finding our voice, witnessing each other as we do -
and doing it in a generous way that doesn't rely on using whatever
power we have to put others down, or tell others how or who to be.
We welcome all performers, especially new and first-time performers
and offer a kind and generous community environment.
We support each other fully, and resist labels and categories that threaten to divide us.
MADx is about being real, being seen, being heard, being felt and being a witness to each other.
We want everyone to feel they can join in the fun.
WHAT THE FUNDS WILL BE USED FOR
We want MADx to grow.
With this campaign we hope to raise at least $5,000 to help pay the administrative and legal fees involved in starting MADx, a not-for-profit company, that will facilitate and support performance-based events around the city of Toronto (and eventually all of Canada).
We want to do more MADx events in a variety of different venues, and involve people from a variety of communities and organization doing good work.
We also recognize that first-time performers need support as they prepare to go on stage and share their voice. So we want to set up a simple workshop process to help newer performers feel comfortable expressing themselves on stage. In these workshops, we also want to involve performers who have had some success in the arts - to inspire and guide newer participants.
MADx is an urgent, and much-needed community-based organization.
Because of its simplicity - its potential is endless.
Humans everywhere are feeling increasingly alienated, disconnected, disenfranchised, lonely, dehumanized and forgotten.
We all have a deep need to connect, express ourselves, be seen and felt and MADx creates a space where folks can do that in authentic, creative ways without being judged. And have a good time too!
Sharing, playing, performing and being creative together is an essential part in our own individual health and, by extension, the health and happiness of our larger community.
MADx is a small part of co-creating the kind of world we want to live in.
Your contribution will enable a much-needed community event to flourish and grow.
OUR STORY / OUR BACKGROUND
Kevin Healey is a community activist, facilitator of the Hearing Voices peer support group in Toronto. He founded MADx along with Julie Bull.
Alex Arena joined MADx shortly after she attended one of Kevin's Hearing Voices cafe meetings. She is a singer-songwriter with a passion for writing songs that express hope and resilience. She also enjoys helping others overcome their own struggles and hopes to use her music as a way of inspiring others at MADx events.
Corrina Melles-Orrego is a singer songwriter and poet. She works as a peer support worker and is a regular performer at MADx
Sitting on the board of MADx are Pedro Orrego and Michelle Melles. Their company Parallel Vision Productions has seen numerous projects developed for the big and small screens.
MADx PERKS
We are grateful for donations of any size!
We have a variety of gifts, tickets and opportunities available for those who donate in the amounts of $25, $50, $100.
$25 – A set of 3 MADx pin.
Love buttons and pins? Pin it to your lapel, toque or bag.
$40 - A MADx T-Shirt
$100 – A MADx T-Shirt and special download of music and poetry by MADx artists (including Alex Arena and the Mindful MC's )
$200 - All of the above, plus a special un-VIP spot at the next MADx event.
OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP
Even if you can't contribute, that doesn't mean you can't help!
Please get the word out and make some noice about our campaign!
Please attend our events, be part of our community, volunteer, say hi and get to know us.
Spread the word online - share our campaign on Facebook, Twitter, your blog or anywhere else online.
Talk to your friends – discuss the ideas behind MADx with those you know.
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay on top of everything we do.
A Big MADx thanks to everyone that's been involves so far, including:
The Juliest, MC Seema, Laura R, Amy, Emma, Asante, Brenda, Donna,
Toshio, Tim B, George Z, Ben B, Fan Wu, Richard Sitoski, Val K & Bill,
Dan Rosen, Justin Zucatto, Jer n Jas, Alex, Corrina, Pedro, Lee Vee,
The Mindful MCs, Troy, Elaine, Michelle
Parallel Vision prod. for making the MADx video
And to the owners and crew at The Imperial Pub. Cheers Sammy!
Co-organizers (3)
Michelle Melles
Organizer
Toronto, ON
Alex Arena
Co-organizer
Pedro Orrego
Co-organizer