FUND FOR CHANGE
Donation protected
Dear colleagues, family, friends, supporters creative endeavors and the disabled/aging community. Did you know that it's disability aware this month?
When our country went into lockdown during the pandemic, much like everyone, I was forced to stay indoors. Though this did damper my mood can lead to great anxiety, the time allowed me many minutes, hours, days, weeks of contemplation. I began asking myself what do I really want people to receive from my work? How can this work make a difference? What is my end game? From these questions the REVERENCE: We 3 was created. These works are large scale investigation of inclusion in our society as well as a celebration of the Disabled, Aging, LGBTQ plus communities which I believe are the epitome of intersectionality. The community that I represent, the Disabled and Aging community is one that's widely overlooked and underrepresented unless it's to turn a profit Dear colleagues, family, friends, supporters creative endeavors and the disabled/aging community. Did you know that it's disability aware this month?
When our country went into lockdown during the pandemic, much like everyone, I was forced to stay indoors. Though this did damper my mood can lead to great anxiety, the time allowed me many minutes, hours, days, weeks of contemplation. I began asking myself what do I really want people to receive from my work? How can this work make a difference? What is my end game? From these questions the REVERENCE: We 3 was created. These works are large scale investigation of inclusion in our society as well as a celebration of the Disabled, Aging, LGBTQ plus communities which I believe are the epitome of intersectionality. The community that I represent, the Disabled and Aging community is one that's widely overlooked and underrepresented unless it's to turn a profit or flaunted as inspiration porn. Having always been an advocate, I find my advocacy extremely important to my life and the lives of those in my community and it's with great sincerity I say we cannot be shown as inspiration unless you're willing to display our challenges. By facing what our community goes through, you, in effect, are facing how society has failed our community. In order for there to be active and effective change we need to be able to have uncomfortable conversations.
As many of you know, and for those of you who may not, I work anywhere from three to five jobs at any given time. These jobs pay simply for my cost of living. Any performance that I give it's only made possible through grants I spend hours applying for and the donations of individuals who support not only myself, the work I produce, but the community I represent as well. I now reach out to those who know me and the integrity behind my work and character, to share, and, only if you can, donate to the newest install of the REVERENCE Performance Series - REVERENCE BY THE SHORE.
RBTS questions the accommodations for inclusion. I am questioning whether or not efforts toward accessibility or accommodations for inclusion are really inclusive or are they merely enough to satiate our right to be included while still practicing exclusionary tactics.
REVERENCE BY THE SHORE is a performance where I am dependent on individuals walking by to move a series of planks to help me mov beyond the endpoint of a Mobi-Mat to the hard sand by the shoreline where I will stay in position for no less than three hours wearing only my signature headdress and mask while having my entire body covered with flowers. At the end of the performance, the flowers will be removed and banded together were a 16 inch lock of my braided hair(I knew I saved this for a reason). The flowers will then be sent out into the ocean in honor of those who have fought and continue to fight for inclusion, equity, and equality across all communities to promote true inclusion for active change.
My fundraising goal for this particular performance is $2500. Below I have listed what the funds we'll go toward:
1. Travel: Myself and two caregivers will be driving from
Atlanta, GA to Miami, FL in my accessible van. Funds will
be used to pay for gas during travel as well as pre travel
check.
2. Lodging for three to four individuals that accommodates
my accessibility needs.
3. Props and Supplies: Funding to cover the cost of creating
movable bridge planks and flowers for the tribute. Tiny
bottles with the names of those who have contributed can
also be included in the tribute upon request.
This is an extremely tumultuous time in our country and the financial struggle is real. I would never expect anyone to give what they simply do not have. However, I know the work being produced currently in my life it's extremely important and deserves to be seen because it can make a huge change and how we are viewed societally and how we exist in our society. The only way this work can be seen will be by way of grants received or through the support of individuals who really want to see this work progress.
250 people donating $10 apiece would see this work through to Miami. If you cannot maker contribution, I completely understand but do you ask that you share my project with those you know would be willing to support this work moving forward.
Thank you for your time, your love, your support, and your consideration.
With Warmth,
Jessica Elaine Blinkhorn
Short Proposal:
"The principal object of reverence is something that reminds us of human limitations." - Paul Woodruff
"Reverence: We 3" will be a performance series held in Capital cities with roots in the Civil Rights Movement. As a wheelchair user, I will be using my form as an object of reverence and placing myself in front of inaccessible areas. While in position, I will be MASKED and dressed in white and joined by two empty wheelchairs representing the memory of my siblings and those who have fought and continue to fight within the disabled community for equality and inclusion. I will look forward and will deny myself any assistive technologies providing comfort for 3 hours. During this time, individuals will be allowed to bring flowers to place in the unoccupied wheelchairs. Following the 3-hour performance participants will remove the petals from every flower and scatter them around the performance area in “smudging” ritual of inaccessibility and refocusing the need for access in the location of the performance. The ending action is subject to change given the performance location. All performances will be photographed and documented in film. The documentation will then be used to create a documentary short that discusses the need to change the universal standard and emphasizes the lack of accessibility we still face even with the Americans with Disability Act.
How will your contribution help??
All interested parties will receive a budget request to assist in costs of performance. Non-profits and community-based organizations are limited in the funds that they can distribute and the number of artists they can distribute those funds amongst. In a budget this is what I would present and this is what any funds raised will go toward:
1. Travel: Because airplanes do not accommodate wheelchair users and the number of wheelchairs damaged in flight continues to increase, I travel in my 2016 Dodge Grand caravan which is a wheelchair accessible vehicle. $50 in gas will get me 425 miles. If a location is further than 425 miles from my home base I will factor in the cost of traveling in a budget submitted to interested parties.
2. Lodging: If driving exceeds one day or 8 hours, in travel hotel stays will be necessary and will raise budgetary costs. Furthermore, I will present the cost of lodging while on location to interested parties in a budget.
3. Additional Care Costs: Due to my yearly state issued care budget, I am only given 9 hours a day for care. There is no expectation for interested parties to cover 24 hours of care while I am on location or in travel to location however, I will factor in 6 additional hours into my costs to cover overtime at time and a half.
4. Artist Fee: In a perfect world I would present these performances for free but, in this world, I represent one of the most underrepresented and underemployed demographics in the country and then factor in being an artist, I have to be proactive and budget a 25% artist fee to every budget package presented to interested parties.
photo credit to: The sexy scissoring daddy, Nicky Knodle - Instagram: @nickynodle
The man holding down Taos, J Matt Thomas - Instagram: @jmattthomas
If I'm leaving anyone out and your picture are being used, please contact me ASAP! Artists deserve credit when credit is due, always remember that detail and people will want to work with you!
When our country went into lockdown during the pandemic, much like everyone, I was forced to stay indoors. Though this did damper my mood can lead to great anxiety, the time allowed me many minutes, hours, days, weeks of contemplation. I began asking myself what do I really want people to receive from my work? How can this work make a difference? What is my end game? From these questions the REVERENCE: We 3 was created. These works are large scale investigation of inclusion in our society as well as a celebration of the Disabled, Aging, LGBTQ plus communities which I believe are the epitome of intersectionality. The community that I represent, the Disabled and Aging community is one that's widely overlooked and underrepresented unless it's to turn a profit Dear colleagues, family, friends, supporters creative endeavors and the disabled/aging community. Did you know that it's disability aware this month?
When our country went into lockdown during the pandemic, much like everyone, I was forced to stay indoors. Though this did damper my mood can lead to great anxiety, the time allowed me many minutes, hours, days, weeks of contemplation. I began asking myself what do I really want people to receive from my work? How can this work make a difference? What is my end game? From these questions the REVERENCE: We 3 was created. These works are large scale investigation of inclusion in our society as well as a celebration of the Disabled, Aging, LGBTQ plus communities which I believe are the epitome of intersectionality. The community that I represent, the Disabled and Aging community is one that's widely overlooked and underrepresented unless it's to turn a profit or flaunted as inspiration porn. Having always been an advocate, I find my advocacy extremely important to my life and the lives of those in my community and it's with great sincerity I say we cannot be shown as inspiration unless you're willing to display our challenges. By facing what our community goes through, you, in effect, are facing how society has failed our community. In order for there to be active and effective change we need to be able to have uncomfortable conversations.
As many of you know, and for those of you who may not, I work anywhere from three to five jobs at any given time. These jobs pay simply for my cost of living. Any performance that I give it's only made possible through grants I spend hours applying for and the donations of individuals who support not only myself, the work I produce, but the community I represent as well. I now reach out to those who know me and the integrity behind my work and character, to share, and, only if you can, donate to the newest install of the REVERENCE Performance Series - REVERENCE BY THE SHORE.
RBTS questions the accommodations for inclusion. I am questioning whether or not efforts toward accessibility or accommodations for inclusion are really inclusive or are they merely enough to satiate our right to be included while still practicing exclusionary tactics.
REVERENCE BY THE SHORE is a performance where I am dependent on individuals walking by to move a series of planks to help me mov beyond the endpoint of a Mobi-Mat to the hard sand by the shoreline where I will stay in position for no less than three hours wearing only my signature headdress and mask while having my entire body covered with flowers. At the end of the performance, the flowers will be removed and banded together were a 16 inch lock of my braided hair(I knew I saved this for a reason). The flowers will then be sent out into the ocean in honor of those who have fought and continue to fight for inclusion, equity, and equality across all communities to promote true inclusion for active change.
My fundraising goal for this particular performance is $2500. Below I have listed what the funds we'll go toward:
1. Travel: Myself and two caregivers will be driving from
Atlanta, GA to Miami, FL in my accessible van. Funds will
be used to pay for gas during travel as well as pre travel
check.
2. Lodging for three to four individuals that accommodates
my accessibility needs.
3. Props and Supplies: Funding to cover the cost of creating
movable bridge planks and flowers for the tribute. Tiny
bottles with the names of those who have contributed can
also be included in the tribute upon request.
This is an extremely tumultuous time in our country and the financial struggle is real. I would never expect anyone to give what they simply do not have. However, I know the work being produced currently in my life it's extremely important and deserves to be seen because it can make a huge change and how we are viewed societally and how we exist in our society. The only way this work can be seen will be by way of grants received or through the support of individuals who really want to see this work progress.
250 people donating $10 apiece would see this work through to Miami. If you cannot maker contribution, I completely understand but do you ask that you share my project with those you know would be willing to support this work moving forward.
Thank you for your time, your love, your support, and your consideration.
With Warmth,
Jessica Elaine Blinkhorn
Short Proposal:
"The principal object of reverence is something that reminds us of human limitations." - Paul Woodruff
"Reverence: We 3" will be a performance series held in Capital cities with roots in the Civil Rights Movement. As a wheelchair user, I will be using my form as an object of reverence and placing myself in front of inaccessible areas. While in position, I will be MASKED and dressed in white and joined by two empty wheelchairs representing the memory of my siblings and those who have fought and continue to fight within the disabled community for equality and inclusion. I will look forward and will deny myself any assistive technologies providing comfort for 3 hours. During this time, individuals will be allowed to bring flowers to place in the unoccupied wheelchairs. Following the 3-hour performance participants will remove the petals from every flower and scatter them around the performance area in “smudging” ritual of inaccessibility and refocusing the need for access in the location of the performance. The ending action is subject to change given the performance location. All performances will be photographed and documented in film. The documentation will then be used to create a documentary short that discusses the need to change the universal standard and emphasizes the lack of accessibility we still face even with the Americans with Disability Act.
How will your contribution help??
All interested parties will receive a budget request to assist in costs of performance. Non-profits and community-based organizations are limited in the funds that they can distribute and the number of artists they can distribute those funds amongst. In a budget this is what I would present and this is what any funds raised will go toward:
1. Travel: Because airplanes do not accommodate wheelchair users and the number of wheelchairs damaged in flight continues to increase, I travel in my 2016 Dodge Grand caravan which is a wheelchair accessible vehicle. $50 in gas will get me 425 miles. If a location is further than 425 miles from my home base I will factor in the cost of traveling in a budget submitted to interested parties.
2. Lodging: If driving exceeds one day or 8 hours, in travel hotel stays will be necessary and will raise budgetary costs. Furthermore, I will present the cost of lodging while on location to interested parties in a budget.
3. Additional Care Costs: Due to my yearly state issued care budget, I am only given 9 hours a day for care. There is no expectation for interested parties to cover 24 hours of care while I am on location or in travel to location however, I will factor in 6 additional hours into my costs to cover overtime at time and a half.
4. Artist Fee: In a perfect world I would present these performances for free but, in this world, I represent one of the most underrepresented and underemployed demographics in the country and then factor in being an artist, I have to be proactive and budget a 25% artist fee to every budget package presented to interested parties.
photo credit to: The sexy scissoring daddy, Nicky Knodle - Instagram: @nickynodle
The man holding down Taos, J Matt Thomas - Instagram: @jmattthomas
If I'm leaving anyone out and your picture are being used, please contact me ASAP! Artists deserve credit when credit is due, always remember that detail and people will want to work with you!
Organizer
Jessica E. Blinkhorn
Organizer
Atlanta, GA
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