Programs
HEALTHY COMMUNITY
Femina Potens has always had a deep rooted desire to be a part of raising awareness for a healthy community & promoting wellness through art. And theHealthy Community Program at Femina Potens has been a vehicle for us to make that happen.
In 2007, The Queer Cultural Center, Femina Potens, the Shanti Project and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation secured an Innovative Partnership grant from the Arts Commission to stage a series of 20 arts programs in the Castro exploring LGBT health issues such as living with HIV surviving cancer, working in the sex industry, amphetamine abuse and the emerging field of queer senior health care needs.
In July 2008, the Shanti Project and Femina Potens launched a year-round series of writing workshops for cancer survivors and people with AIDS/HIV conducted by award winning authors Ali Liebegott and Kirk Read.
FP FAMILY AND YOUTH
In Spring of 2011, Femina Potens launched its newest program, FP Family, which is focused on programs, resources, performances, and art for and about queer family dynamics and queer youth.
In Spring of 2011, I entered into motherhood. This opened up an entirely new element of my identity and has been a continual transition both emotionally and physically. This journey has been made even more interesting when coupled with my identity as sex worker and queer. Out of a need to connect with other mom’s who were part of alternative sexual cultures, I organized the Sexy Mamas Social Club. SMSC welcomes mamas and mamas to be of all gender identities who identify as queer, kinky, poly, sex workers or allies. This has been an amazing opportunity to create community and connect with other alternative families in the bay area and beyond.
Upcoming programming for FP Family will include queer family reading circles of progressive children’s books, the creation of progressive childrens books, puppet shows that introduce queer family dynamics to children and more.
SIZZLE
“Sizzle!” is an award winning cross-generational writing and performance program that has presented emerging performers and writers on the same stage with established LGBT women and transgendered artists for the past 5 years.
Our Sizzle program has featured artists such as Jewelle Gomez, Michelle Tea, Jack Halberstam, Dossie Easton, Lee Harrington, Annie Sprinkle, Susie Bright, Keva i Lee, Carol Queen, Meliza Benales as well as emerging artists and first time performers in our legendary open mic. Sizzle has tackled topics that range from kink, sex work, and dirty talk to motherhood, trans-identity, differently abled issues, breast cancer awareness and STI prevention.
FIST FULL OF FILM
Fist Full of Film, is an interactive media arts program that includes film making workshops, intensives, retreats and film screenings that are coupled with film maker and audience interactive experiences. These dialogues provide the audience a behind-the-scenes perspective on the filmmaking process employed by local media artists. Students learn through first hand experience by professional film makers how to make their own films.
ARTGASM
A multi-media visual and performative art celebration that includes exhibitions, visual artist talks, presentations, lectures, and workshops. ArtGasms can happen anywhere! We currently are talking with galleries in LA and NYC about bringing an ArtGasm to a city near you.
To date, Femina Potens has organized approximately 125 curated exhibitions featuring queer women and transgender visual artists ranging in age from artists and collaborators that are 8 weeks old to 70 years old.
For the past 4 years, Femina Potens has curated and installed exhibitions in health clinics, cultural centers and social service agencies frequented by queer clienteles including Lyon-Martin Health Clinic and The Center for Sex and Culture.
