Overview

CALLING ALL SEX WORKER PERFORMERS, WRITERS, ARTISTS AND CREATIVE MEDIA MAKERS...

From beautiful burlesque, to majestic music, to powerful poetry, various art forms have been important parts of sex worker justice advocacy, and art is also a great way to highlight the diversity of talents so many sex workers have.  Sex worker artists have in fact had a vibrant face on this movement and have been a unifying element in resistance campaigns across the globe.

Sex worker created grassroots alternative media forms- such as blogs, documentaries, and radio shows provide valuable insight into the multiple realities that exist in the sex industry and issues affecting sex workers as well as the broader society.

Come join us!  Workshops and their participants are welcome! We are still in the process of accepting proposals, but we expect a variety of exciting and informative panels and workshops, covering topics such as creating your own alternative media, art as a form of advocacy, working as an entertainer in the sex industry, visual and performing arts, media relations, website design, Internet advocacy and networking.

Desiree Alliance performance parade 2006
Photography by Jenny Price

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Presentations (List subject to change)

Storytelling with Stephen Elliot

Kirk Read: All Level Performance Workshop

Rachel Schreiber: “Before Their Makers and Their Judges: Prostitutes and White Slaves in the Political Cartoons of the Masses”

Desiree participant public art action meeting and workshop w/ ACLU lawyer and Las Vegas artist Laurenn McCubbin. Action takes place on Thursday night at 8pm

Anna Saini and Mariko Passion: Using Art to Survive and Transgress Violence

Taking Your Sex Worker Art on the Road and to the Next Level with Candye Kane, Cameryn Moore, Stephen Elliot, Kirk Read and Mariko Passion

Jenny Price

HOOK Collective: Yet To Be Named

Modern Hooker Comic Strips

Laurenn McCubbin: Speaking to Las Vegas in the Language of Las Vegas

Carol Leigh: Sex worker Media Library

Juba Kalamka

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Invitation to Present (Note: Deadline has passed)

We are interested in presentation proposals about a variety of topics related to art, the media, or entertainment in the sex industry.  Proposals for practical workshops, panel discussions and performance based demonstrations are all welcome.

Proposal suggestions include: 

• Creating  blogs, radio show, documentaries, and other forms of alternative media

• “Golddiggers, Bitches, Hos and Hip Hop”

• Published writers willing to do a how to … workshop

• Becoming a media spokesperson for the sex worker rights movement

• Youtube & other video advocacy outlets

• Conducting media interviews and being interviewed

• Organizing press conferences

• Website design, management and maintenance

• Creative Phone Sex/Webcam Techniques, selling erotic stories

• Porn: working for studios, making your own, safety issues

• Creating your own sexual films and selling them!

• Burlesque workshops, demonstrations, and discussions

• Visual artists: must provide easel or have a plan for vertical and portable plan for display (bring clips, pins, etc).

A Proposal should include:

• Title for your presentation

• Affiliation with an organization or social justice movement you'd like to have listed (not required)

• A short paragraph with your background and experience, or interest, in sex work or the sex workers rights' movement

• A bio which will appear in the program and on the website (approx 200 words)

• A  jpg publicity image 300 dpi for catalog/website

• An Abstract of 500 words or fewer (for program/website)

• Minimum amount of time needed for presentation (is it okay to combine you with another artist?)

• Tech support/equipment/AV needs

• Website links where your work can be viewed: youtube or myspace where you music or actual performance ability can be seen

We encourage proposals from sex workers, college and university students, researchers, professors, harm reduction workers, social justice activists, performing and visual artists, people with web design experience, and people with experience in media relations as well as creating alternative forms of media.  We welcome proposals from people of all gender identities, ethnicities, socioeconomic levels, and sexual orientations.   

A GROUP STREET THEATRE PERFORMANCE will take place on Tuesday, July 27^th from 6pm-9pm and ALL ARE WELCOME TO PARTICIPATE  as a performer (in sexy whoretastic costume) or act as ally/security (w/o costume) to our performance entourage.  Photographers and filmmakers are also invited to document this piece.  Lawyers are also invited to help with possible police, casino management issues.  Participants should be aware that they will be photographed and/or documented in a happening which is a fun DA conference sort of sex worker pride parade.  We will have a mandatory group meeting on Tuesday posted during the conference and later we will hit the Las Vegas Strip to ask them why what stays in Vegas is STILL illegal??

BANDS, ACOUSTIC ACTS, SINGERS…The opening plenary could use an artist to set the tone of the conference, there will be a big party nite for the closing of the conference as well as another possible bar venue performance to slot your work.  Please submit press kits and CDs.

In some cases, panels will be suggested if more than one good proposal gets submitted on a specific topic.

Proposals must be submitted by March 1st, 2010 to be considered, and all submissions will be notified of acceptance by March 30th, 2010.   

Electronic submissions are encouraged!  Email yours to Mariko.passion[at]gmail[dot]com, subject heading, "Arts Proposal", and CC Desiree2010[at]desireealliance[dot]org.

Those without internet can send materials to Mariko Passion, 5042 Wilshire Blvd #202, LA, CA 90036

Please let us know in advance if you need extra time or if you need to be notified of acceptance earlier.

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