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This year marked the 13th Annual SWAN Day and boy was it a fabulous one! While many events faced cancellations due to COVID19, we were so inspired by the ways the arts community innovated to translate the vitality of in-person events to online, accessible spaces.
We seeing all of the new and existing content from incredible women and non-binary artists all over the globe being shared online as well. The many live events, digital portfolios, studio tours, shout outs, and comments circulating online spaces offered so much vital connection in a time of social distancing. Here’s a highlight reel of just some of the thrilling content that was shared!
Highlights from Virtual SWAN Day Spaces:
Through Women’s Eyes International Film Festival: Best Feature Winner "SEEMA", Directed by Macherie EKWA. Check out the trailer for this powerful and devastating film here:
Read & Rant is a new online book club hosted by Athena Project Arts! Click the image below to learn how you can participate:
Spoken word poet Shruti Chauhan is a featured artist this year with the "She Growls UK Poetry Tour". Here is Shruti performing her poem entitled "Relations".
Jasmine Gardosi is also a featured artist for the 2020 "She Growls UK Poetry Tour". Here is Jasmine performing her poem 'She' live at Funkenteleky in Birmingham:
Artist, author, and vlogger Gwenn Seemel shared a video called "Art in the time of Mass Suffering".
Panya Banjoko, a third featured artist from the "She Growls UK Poetry Tour”, performs her poem “Otobong Nkanga, Taste of a Stone”.
Frida Kahlo's legacy has inspired decades of artists to be bold, follow their path, and break down boundaries. Watch as multimedia artist Alexa Meade transforms musician and singer/songwriter Ely Guerra into living, breathing artwork inspired by Frida Kahlo’s work, life and legacy.:
The Resistance Revival Chorus has been hosting live virtual concerts! Click the image below to watch a recording from their last concert!
Megan Hicks is a featured artist this year at the Women's Storytelling Festival Video Viewing Partay! Here she is at the West Chester Story Slam in 2015:
SWAN DAY CT Presented Jennifer Hill (AKA The Murderous Chanteuse) in a Live Stream Concert! Click the image below to watch a recording of this concert!
Stories are our medicine. Listen to Oanh Ngo Usadi's beautiful story via The Moth, featured as part of the Women’s Storytelling Festival. Her story, “Sandwiches & Neighbors”, is about when she and her family arrived in Texas from Vietnam with high hopes and an American Dream.
Femspectives is hosting a fabulous at-home virtual Feminist Film club every Thursday night! Join the party to watch and discuss with other filmmakers and film lovers!
Spoken Soul Festival had a truly incredible lineup of artists last year. Here is one of their featured artists, Reshma Anwar performing her original piece “Runaway”.
HowlRound Theatre Commons plus a group of artists, arts administrators, and others from around the US to discuss how COVID-19 is impacting freelance artists (those who identify as independent contractors) in this powerful panel. The conversation focuses on shared resources (legal, advocacy, how to take your work virtual, finding emergency funding, and financial best practices in crisis) and building and grounding the national community.
Rebecca Jay (Nelems) was the winner of the Women’s Freedom Song Contest with her original song "Stealing Me Back From You". Give it a listen!
Special thanks to: Jamie Bilgo Bruchman of SWAN Day MKE, Sophie Dowllar of SWAN Day Kenya, Jennifer Hill of SWAN Day CT, Deborah Magdalena of SWAN Day Miami, Charné & Rachel of SWAN Day Chicago, Christine Kellogg of SWAN Day Pensacola, Vanessa Gendron of SWAN Day Prague, Sheila Kalkbrenner of SWAN Days Allegany County, Karin Hendricks of SWAN Day Central Coast, Deborah Gaffney of SWAN Day Houston, Martha Richards of WomenArts, Michaela Goldhaber and Bay Area WTF, Brenda Foley of The Bridge Initiative, Kristen van Ginhoven of WAM Theatre, Jennie Webb of Los Angeles Women’s Female Playwright Initiative, Avis Boone of Women in the Arts & Media Coalition, the League of Professional Theatre Women, SAG-AFTRA, The Kilroys, and so many others. You inspire us everyday!
