What's New

The Art and Practice of Disability Justice: Allied Media Conference Track
New 2010 Sins Invalid Artists In Residence Program
Call to Visual Artists

THE ART AND PRACTICE OF DISABILITY JUSTICE
A track at the Allied Media Conference
June 18-20, 2010 in Detroit, Michigan

Do you want to talk about disability, activism and culture? Sins Invalid and the National Youth Leadership Network are partnering to create the first ever track on Disability Justice at this year's Allied Media Conference!!

Sins Invalid is seeking submissions for workshops that share strategies of resistance and celebrate disability and queerness to include in this track – we'd love to hear your thoughts!

Track Description: More and more, activists are thinking about that the way we embody our liberation and the possibility of living in a world that recognizes interdependence as necessary for survival. This kind of thinking is a fundamental part of an emerging analysis – Disability Justice. Disability Justice asserts that movements must hold the complexity of all peoples’ experience. This complexity must include disabled people and the way our lives are shaped by disability oppression/ableism.

Activists nationally are using art and media-based strategies to develop an analysis and a practice of disability justice. The goal of this track is to deepen and share those strategies. This track is open to people with disabilities and allies that centralize a disabled people of color and queer framework. We know that many people may be new to this framework and that is not a problem! We encourage folks who have thought about disability politically and folks who are just starting to.

Through the Art and Practice of Disability Justice track, we will deconstruct the dominant media framings of ability and engage in dialogue around what is disabling and the medicalization of the body; we will share and create media that occupies the cultural intersections of race, disability and gender; we will practice inclusion and self-care, exploring the connection between production and capitalism; we will use community performance as a method for community organizing.

For questions or to submit an idea for a workshop, email info@sinsinvalid.org or call 510-689-7198.

All new for 2010!
SINS INVALID ARTIST IN RESIDENCE APPLICATION
Applications Due April 26, 2010
{Download the Application}

Sins Invalid is launching a brand new Artists In Residence (AIR) Program, in which four to eight emerging artists will be invited to partner us in developing their craft over a period of eight months, with a series of monthly workshops culminating in a performance in December 2010.

Workshops will be held in San Francisco and/or the East Bay.

Who should apply:

People with disabilities, or who are a part of the disability community. Sins Invalid defines disability broadly to include people with physical impairments, people who belong to a sensory minority, people with emotional disabilities, people with cognitive challenges, those with chronic/severe illness, and others whose bodies do not conform to our culture(s)' notions of “normal” or “functional.”
Writers, spoken word artists, poets, singers, musicians, dancers, playwrights, actors, and performance artists who are interested in evolving their work into something they are confident and proficient in.
People who are interested in merging art, politics and sexuality, and developing their consciousness in the context of community.
People of color, LGBT and gender-variant folks, and allies.
Artists In Residence MUST be able to commit to meeting the third Sunday of every month, from April through November.

To Apply: Fill out the application, and return it, along with two examples of your work, to info@sinsinvalid.org, or mail it to Sins Invalid, P.O. Box 2329, San Francisco, CA 94126-2329.

Complete applications must be received by April 26, 2010. For questions, or if the written application is inaccessible, call 510-689-7198 to apply over
the phone. You can also email questions to info@sinsinvalid.org.

Sins Invalid will offer transportation support to Artists In Residence, available upon request on a case by case basis.

CALL TO VISUAL ARTISTS
{Download the Call to Artists as a PDF}

Sins Invalid is seeking submissions from visual artists from LGBTQI communities and/or communities of color on the topic of disability and sexuality. We invite submissions for the purpose of inclusion in future visual art exhibits, possible online features, possible publication and certainly for relationship-building.

Sins Invalid began as a performance project that incubates and celebrates artists with disabilities, centralizing artists of color, queer and gender-variant artists as communities who have been historically marginalized. Our work includes an annual show, community-based performance workshops, political education workshops, and a growing online presence. We define disability broadly to include people with physical impairments, people who belong to a sensory minority, people with emotional disabilities, people with cognitive challenges, those with chronic/severe illness, communities impacted by the medicalization of their bodies, including trans, gender variant and intersex people, and others whose bodies do not conform to our culture(s)' notions of "normal" or "functional."

Please include a short personal statement (1 page max. please) including (1) how your work relates to issues of sexuality and disability; (2) how you identify in terms of race/ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation and disability; (3) a description of type of work that you are submitting as well as its dimensions (i.e., three 8x10 inch black and white photos; a 1'x1.5' bronze sculpture depicted in photo; a 3 minute DVD playable in the following format, etc.) (4) exhibition history – where and when the work that you are submitting has been shown before.

PLEASE NOTE: Submissions are limited to 10 work samples. Please include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you want your work returned to you.We are excited to see your work! Please submit a CD, DVD, hard copy, or emailed attachment(s) of your work to: Sins Invalid Submissions, c/o 1370 University Ave. #316, Berkeley, CA 94702, U.S.A. We will contact you to confirm receipt of your work.

Please feel free to email any questions to info@sinsinvalid.org or call (510) 689-7198.