YOUR INNER CIRCLES - An Arts Alliance Against Gender-Based Violence Creating Safer Communities

Thursday 25th November to Friday 10th December

Queensland’s arts community is bolstering the fight against gender-based violence targeting women and children in a unique programme aimed at creating safe arts havens of sisterhood and trust.

Brisbane Creative Enterprise, Chrysalis Projects’ YOUR INNER CIRCLES programme coincides with the annual United Nations Women’s 16-day From Awareness to Accountability Activism campaign which starts on Thursday November 25.

The aim of the UN campaign is to empower women, create stronger communities against gender abuse and reinforce the powerful resource that a strong inner circle of trust can provide when faced with domestic and family violence.

YOUR INNER CIRCLES utilises the arts to form a symbolic circle, initiating a cross-artform creative alliance to create fearless and artful conversations that promote safety and equity in our cultural and community sanctuaries.

’We all have the right to feel safe where we live. We want Brisbane to be the safest place in the world for all women and children. Systemically changing Brisbane’s foundations in community, allowing for the creation of inner circles will allow all women and children to know there is a safe space for them, should they ever need it.’ Chrysalis Projects Rebecca McIntosh says.

YOUR INNER CIRCLES has the support and participation of Micah Projects, which operates Brisbane Domestic Violence Service (BDVS) a not-for-profit organisation committed to providing support to Brisbane women and children, to ensure they feel safe and free from fear of domestic and family violence. With a unique unprecedented commitment within the creative sector some of our major partners include Opera Queensland, WOW (Women of the World) Australia, QMusic with venue and activation partners including QAGOMA, QPAC and Big Sound.

Explaining the reasons behind YOUR INNER CIRCLES, Carmel Haugh, creator of Chrysalis Projects with Rebecca McIntosh, said that within the canon of western art the female body count was high.

“There is a lot to unpack and deconstruct around the depiction or portrayal of violence against women in all art forms, she said.

At its worst, glorifying violence, and at the least, normalising it. This is why the Arts community needs to come together and change the story”

YOUR INNER CIRCLES will officially launch on Thursday 25th of November at 6pm in Bunyapa Park, in the heart of West End with Love TV hosting in Aphrodite’s Love Clam where Brisbane is invited to bring a picnic and enjoy a performance by Opera Queensland and other artists with WOW Australia Executive Producer Cathy Hunt and Micah Projects CEO, Karyn Walsh addressing the gathering.

The YOUR INNER CIRCLES program takes in other community events including the UN Women’s 16 Days of Activism walk organised by Zonta clubs across Brisbane starts at City Hall, King George Square, at 6:15pm on 24th of November.

As part of the 16 days of Activism campaign managed by Zonta, the Story Bridge, Kurilpa Bridge, Victoria Bridge, City Hall and other Brisbane landmarks & monuments will be lit-up orange along the walk which is the colour of the UN’s 16 Days of Activism Movement.

Also, Opera Queensland will share a post a day on social media including a number of arias sung by opera artists.

Ways to get involved include visiting the pop up shop situated at Hope on Boundary Cafe in West End to buy art from local artists and merchandise created by local artists Mia Boe, Jacky Ryan, Natalia Hughes & Mona Ryder including tote bags and posters.

The public can also buy tickets to an intimate performance of Songs of Love and War by Opera Queensland within inner-city West End, happening on Sunday the 5th of December.

Money raised from the Project will be donated to Micah Projects.

The YOUR INNER CIRCLE campaign will be running on Chrysalis Projects Instagram @chrysalisprojects throughout the month of November and December, as well partner’s social media platforms prompting the key dates, locations and events happening throughout Brisbane.

Get Involved. Look out for the Project. Register and Join Events. We invite you to provoke, subvert, unsettle, inspire, empower and start the conversation within YOUR INNER CIRCLES.

Share on your social and tag us – @chrysalisprojects

Key Dates