Rachel Wayne has personal reasons for organizing Red Soul Days, a semi-annual pop-up art festival that raises awareness about sexual and gendered violence while empowering victims.
“I was bullied as a kid, albeit not badly, but it leaves a mark on you,” Wayne said. “As an adult, I am a survivor of intimate partner abuse.”
Wayne added that her situation is not rare. Many more people are sexually assaulted than ever gets reported to police. One reason is that many people don’t consider themselves victims because they know their assailant or because of the shame they feel.
And that’s where Red Soul Days come in. The series of events in downtown Gainesville use art, music, performance art, spoken word and theatre as means of getting the message out about sex and gender/race and ethnicity issues of violence and discrimination in the workplace, schools, the media, and interpersonal relationships.
The activities begin tonight with what is being billed as Sequins, Stakes and Starships: The Joss Whedon Burlesque Show at Market Street Pub & Cabaret, 112 SW 1st Ave. Doors open at 9 p.m. and the Vaudeville-style show begins at 10. There is an $8 admission, with a portion of the proceeds going to support Red Soul Days and local charities.
Wayne said that the theme was chosen because Whedon is a Hollywood screenwriter and director known for introducing nontraditional characters in his TV shows and films, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly and Dollhouse.
Whedon has been vocal about the need for representation of women, LGBTQ community and people of color and has explored issues of bullying, rape, sexist and racist violence, and substance abuse in his works.
“All of his characters exhibit different types of intelligence. They aren’t just two-dimensional,” Wayne said.
Tonight’s lineup of burlesque performers includes Edith Meowt, Florence Rosé, Ruby Rapture and Angela Knox. Special guests include emcee Brian Fox and one-man band Lucious Lycan.
Red Soul Days continue Saturday at 9 p.m. with Cathartic Music Extravaganza at The Midnight, 223 S. Main St. A DJ will play empowering music to dance to. The event will also include a “collaborative canvas” on which people can draw or paint whatever they choose.
On Wednesday night at 8, also at The Midnight, Red Soul Days present Red Soul Music, an evening of live music performed by female and/or minority artists.
On Friday, Sept. 30, Red Soul Days conclude with an 11 p.m. Downtown Drag Show at Maude’s Side Car Bar, 101 SE 2nd Place (next to the Hippodrome). Wayne said the LBGT community is especially susceptible to bullying and violence.
“They’re a particularly vulnerable population from when they’re kids to when they’re adults,” Wayne said. “There’s a lot of intersecting between these experiences of violence and discrimination.”
All proceeds from the Red Soul Days events go to Break the Cycle, which provides educational resources and advocacy for victims of teen dating violence; the Human Rights Campaign of North Central Florida, which offers educational and support programs for the local LGBTQ community; and the River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding, which provides mediation and workshop services for at-risk youth, domestic violence victims and more.
Red Soul Days, produced by Gainesville-based CerridwenWorks, began in 2014 and included a Survivors’ Art Show and concert by girl-fronted bands.
CerridwenWorks is a new production agency for applied art and cultural education. The agency links educators with artists to produce socially engaging films, plays, art shows, performing arts productions and workshops.
Wayne said she wants Red Soul Days to have an impact on the Gainesville community.
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