Stories Are Building!

Hello community.

Yesterday was our first rehearsal for The Nova Project's Naked Truth performance, and let me tell you, the show this coming Monday, will be powerful. 10 students stepping up to speak the truth as they know it...right now.   Super proud of their commitment to self-discovery and building a powerful and safe community through creativity!  Excited to see how they'll continue to keep the NOVA NT movement going!  There is already talk of additional shows in the community, youth-lead grants to fund another production, a NOVA NT zine, and who knows what else! In fact, one Nova student's true appreciation for the Naked Truth was made apparent when I received an email from their parent, who also happens to be a visual arts and graphic design teacher at another public hs, inquiring as to whether or not NT could come to her school to work with their GSA! :) Sheesh, from youth to administrators, parents, and teachers, I've got to say that feels amazing to hear the impact of our work echoing throughout so many spheres of our community, particularly when love (and truth) is at the center. I'll let you know how the The Nova Naked Truth goes this monday...and where we're goin' from there.

For now, I'll keep editing and polishing and preparing at least 3 years of NT stories so that I can begin publishing them here and on our NT website. Stay tuned for the amazing video history of The Naked Truth On Stereotypes (formerly known as Undressing The Other) where we'll feature monthly NT monologues and updates on current and past cast members. 

In the meantime,  check out this brilliant speech that NT Assistant Director Becky Renfrow sent us, reminding us to share story, think critically, and raise consciousness. Listen here and be prepared to be inspired!...

Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story | Video on TED.com

Keep shining!
stephany

New Naked Truth Blog & More!

Welcome to our new and improved Naked Truth On Stereotypes blog! 


I hope you all are well and bright. 

Amid creatively constructive bursts of website development and blogging, I've been diving into video editing in efforts to promote our powerful NT programs while simultaneously preserving the vast array of beautiful truths we've uncovered, collected, and shared throughout the past 6 years of our work.  It's been such a gift to spend time re.viewing and re.membering and re.serving this body of work and preserve these stories.  Keep your eyes out for incredible video footage that is sure to make it's way to both the blog and NT website over the coming weeks as well powerful teaching tools for our future programs!

In other news, Becky Renfrow, Antasia Parker, Jaminah Shannon and I just returned from The Naked Truth On Stereotypes' third year at Central Washington University this past September, and it was truly amazing! Tremendous growth and learning was happening everywhere.  The audiences were engaged and moved by CWU student performances that powerfully stripped down their stereotypes and exposed their naked truths.  The performances prompted several audience members to loudly proclaim their truths to the jam-packed theater following the final performance of the day.  It was truly powerful stuff!  

Becky and Antasia were brilliant as ever in their roles as co-facilitator, taking teamwork, depth, and skill to the next level indeed.  Big thanks and love to Jaminah who shone as our stellar NT support staff and CWU student leader Gracie "Graceful Rivers" Rios and devoted Diversity Education Center Coordinator, Marian Lien for all of their hard work on support and logistics!   

Life is indeed good: and as always, there is much work to be done to make it better.  It is good to be busy indeed. Kick-starting the academic year at CWU has been a fall beginning full of great depths and big steps toward the intentional growth and expansion of our core NT lead/facilitation team, the development of NT youth programming in two low income housing residences, and a student leadership program at The Nova Project alternative public school, in Seattle.  

Now for a moment of ruckus, stomps, and thunderous applause to welcome two incredibly talented social artists and creative facilitators to the team.  The Naked Truth On Stereotypes joyfully welcomes...

long-time NT community member, brilliant naturalist, creative facilitator, musical wordsmith, and recent dual masters degree student, who began his NT journey as a paparazzi in 2007, Todd Nicholas Cooley!!!

& a most talented mover and shaker of magic, matter, and multiple mediums who began her NT journey as an interning participant at Youngstown Programming Committee's NT training in 2009, Mandy Yu!

Mad shout outs of love and thanks to our amazing Assistant Director, Becky Renfrow who is hard at work applying for grants and funding and moving forward on upcoming partnerships both, new and established, at schools,  universities, and community centers around Washington state and beyond.  Without her, this movement would not move.  She is a tremendous ally, advocate, artist, and activist who we all love dearly.  Safe travels back to your heartistry in Arizona.  Thanks for your all you speak and do. 

Together, Becky and I have been hard at work toward the sustainable organizational development of our grassroots collective, Social Heartistry Educators by applying for grants, residencies, fiscal sponsorships, and 501c3 status, while simultaneously thinking outside systems of capital and building powerful relationships and abilities within our ever growing community, in addition to our daily tasks of developing new curriculum, teaching tools, and resources for a wide range of programs, models, and participant/community needs. 

In the coming months look for our updates and announcements here and at the SHE website as we move forward with our organizational development multiple community art projects and programs for social justice and social change we hope to begin in the coming year, including :

• a Seattle area teaching and social artist peer group process, production, and training 
• LOOSE MORAL FIBER a South Seattle community crafting collective & program - creation not consumption!
• an all-ages South Seattle community justice choir  -  sing out for justice! 
• a variety of programs and performances at public schools, community colleges, and universities around Washington state.

Big ups and love to long time friend and community member and award-winning filmmaker Dylan Bergeson who has committed to serving as the official Naked Truth Videographer!  Thanks Dylan!  We are blessed to have you with us!

In the meantime, check out the current NT website that will be getting a steady stream of updates and additions over the next few weeks. I'll be uploading photos, videos, and other useful resources and teaching tools, including a monthly Fashion Show monologue feature from past performances !  

Stay tuned.  Spread the word.  Spread the truth!

stephanY Koch Hazelrigg

Creative Director - The Naked Truth On Stereotypes/Social Heartistry Educators