Barriers to Bridges: Building Solidarity through Storytelling

***This evening will be centered on women/femmes/gender non-conforming peoples of color***

Join Akin and Women of Color in Solidarity (WOCS) for a special evening of healing through food (potluck dinner!), community, and storytelling. We are partnering to raise funds and awareness in support of WOCS' 2018 Annual Conference.

This event is open to all self-identifying women/femmes who are interested in practicing vulnerability, compassion, and empathy as powerful tools for the personal and collective journey towards better understanding ourselves and how we engage with others. Together, we will explore the theme of solidarity amongst women of color by engaging in conversations that aim to answer important questions - how can we overcome some of our differences? What does solidarity look like? How do show up for one another across divides?

There will be an interdisciplinary lineup of performers throughout the evening, curated by Dead Gowns Art Collective, so come prepared for a multimedia event!

Details:
- Tickets: Sliding scale $5-10 (to cover costs for the space)
- Please bring a food or beverage contribution of your choice for the potluck dinner
- We are kindly requesting donations for WOCS 2018 Annual Conference through Eventbrite or in person!

A full schedule for the evening + performances will be released soon!

About Akin:
Akin is a digital storytelling platform that collects, shares, and elevates anonymous short stories submitted by real people from around the world. Through storytelling, we aim to inspire dialogue, foster genuine human connection, and empower the creation of new realities as told or witnessed by our storytellers - ordinary people who endure and achieve extraordinary things over the course of their lives. By taking the stance that nothing about the human experience is insignificant, Akin strives to give birth to that first spark - that realization for everyone, especially those from marginalized communities who've been made to feel invalidated, erased, or left out of mainstream narratives, to view their stories and in turn, themselves, worthy of sharing.

About Women of Color in Solidarity:
Women of Color and Solidarity seeks to create a global movement that places healing and solidarity at the forefront. We believe that as a collective, women of color have the ability to navigate systems of oppression in a way that seeks to not only dismantle them but to recreate new systems that honor love, liberation, and freedom. Every time women of color come together, a part of the world heals.

About WOCS Conference:
Our conference engages women of color in workshops and conversations that amplify us to not only connect our different struggles but to provide ways to heal through them. We have been disconnected and fragmented by historical and present trauma. It is crucial that we do not lose sight of the most important element to our survival as women of color- connectivity with ourselves and with each other. With guests and activists from across the country and throughout the globe, our conference has set a new agenda for women of color to network and connect beyond their immediate blocks.

About Dead Gowns Art Collective:
Dead Gowns Art Collective is an events-producing collective focused on interdisciplinary, multimedia events that empower both performers and attendees. Based in multiple cities, Dead Gowns embraces positive, inclusive conversation, and is excited to support Akin and WOCS as artistic liaison and media team for this event.