Title of Event: A Staged Reading of Permission Perform: An Articulation of Your M/other
When: Saturday, July 11, 2009 8:00 PM
Location: Food for Thought Books Collective
Description: Based on the interviews of 40 women, Permission Perform creates a space for self-identified single, teen and welfare mamaz to tell the truths of their celebrations and struggles. Permission Perform was accepted into the 2007 WORD Multicultural Theater Festival and was performed for two sold out shows upon its opening.

Permission Perform explores the themes of m/otherhood, home, welfare and safety. A project headed, collaboratively written and co-directed by tk (tanya karakashian). This special reading will feature new multi-media elements and new readers including talented local mamaz and youth. Join the fiery voices and presences of Noalanii Karakashian (Multi-media artist and youth), Malis Loeung (Community Member and Mama) Nashema Ileeana Morales (Dancer/ Educator/Mama), Zoe Rosenthal(Educator, Artist and Mama) Irene I-SHEA Shaikly (Percussionist/ Vocalist/ Teaching Artist/ Mama) and Adeeba Afshan Rana (Poet and Performer) for this one-time event!

Tickets are being pre-sold at Food for Thought Books Collective. Community members are encouraged to pre-purchase seats at 10.00- 30.00 per seat (sliding scale) and barters of food or flowers are being accepted.

Can't make it? Buy a seat for someone else. We are eager to gift tickets to community mamaz!

We will be building an on-site community altar to honor our community mamaz. Audience members are encouraged to bring items to honor their mamaz.

This event is co-sponsored by MotherWoman and Food For Thought Books Collective.

This reading is a benefit for To tell you the Truth, a truth and healing grassroots initiative. To tell you the Truth combines awareness raising, healing arts practices, critical media analysis and truth-telling; working with participants as they explore violence on personal, institutional and systemic levels and articulate an anti-violence agenda that comes from their experiences.

To tell you the Truth is currently working on two projects:
The 2010 Radical Femmez of Color Pin-up Calendar:
This calendar highlights national femmez of color as they take the power of media into their own hands and represent themselves as the sexually empowered beings they are. Intended to raise visibility while subverting traditional forms of sexism the calendar will also highlight the work that each participant is doing to heal and end violence within their communities.

The Punani Project: Based on the Panocha Platicas model currently practiced at Young Women United (NM).
The Punani Project will begin monthly programming in September. The Punani Project promotes positive female sexuality. The word Punani has several international and national cultural references- it is said that the Punani bean is used to honor the goddess of fertility and that the word Punani can be translated as "glorious blossom". We build upon this positive expression of female sexuality in our monthly meetings. The Punani Project is an intergenerational, awareness raising, discussion space where participants are encouraged to embrace their sexuality as an act of resistance and share their stories through the integration of healing arts practices.

For more information about To tell you the Truth or about the Permission Perform reading please contact tk (tanya karakashian) at truthandhealingproject@gmail.com or check out their cause on Facebook!