BCCEC Arts Collective

Wellness in Art

Sex workers have a long history and relationship with art. From being the muse to producing art, our community have contributed to the culture of societies and nations across the millenia!

Continuing in that tradition, the BCCEC Arts Collective are now looking for funding support for development of a multi media arts installation/ production.

Our members are all experienced artists in different genres and bring their expertise with differing disciplines to the project.

Working Together

The following Draft Terms of Reference for the Wellness in Art project have been developed as a starting point for the project participants to work together and are open for revision, edit, addition as the project moves forward;

Wellness in Art

Who we are

The BCCEC Arts Collective are a self directed program under the BCCEC Umbrella. We are part of the BCCEC but controlled by collective members who hold all decision making power and control of use of funding.

Members of the BCCEC Arts Collective set draft Terms of Reference to guide our work together as follows;

Terms of Reference

Wellness in Art Collective – BCCEC – Draft 2022

Vision:

• To boost moral and stimulate wellness from the creative flow and energies of people involved in sex work.

• To recharge of our people, driven by the members of the BCCEC and avoid burn-out and the depletion in personal wellness and self care through art driven projects.

• To create space for those that wish share ideas and objectives to move forward in creating a project that will lead to a possible multi media event to showcase the diverse interests and skills from those within the community.
• To showcase the diverse artistic talents of our community members to each other and the world,
• To create a safe space to connect the general public and the sex work community through a shared appreciation of art,
• To inspire meaningful conversations & connections between these two groups that will hopefully reduce stigma and promote understanding and acceptance of consensual adult sex workers in Canadian society.
• To generate a good income for both the organizers and the artists,
• To expose our community of sex worker artists to a wider audience of art patrons that will purchase our creations,
• To equip organizers with event production skills & network connections that further our career objectives.

Guiding principles

• Work to keep a happy, creative and productive, safe space in place.

• Work to keep group cohesion and productivity flowing.

• Have fun!!

Next Steps and other considerations:

Members felt workshops on specific topics could help to improve our chances of funding and help us to realize our plans. Targeted learning in certain areas could ensure this project is sex worker conceived, developed, produced and delivered.

It was noted that we must choose who we work with carefully. Sex workers have experienced theft of artistic property in the past and are conscious of the possibility that potential workshop hosts might be “anti sex work” or try to under cut our ideas by producing them before us.

With that in mind we discussed;

• We should share our ideas collectively
• Wellness that benefits ourselves like the mini workshops – build on things like that on the regular. As marginalized groups in our society, we can keep building on our skill sets and demonstrating that knowledge can contribute to our funding
• Photographer to teach us about lighting
• Writing techniques, makeup and hair techniques
• Workshop on podcasting
• Canva workshop
• Live setting tutorial – commanding the audience etc
• Posing classes from body builders
• Being up on stage under lights that are moving
• Christopher Logan funding workshop (to be determined)
• Patreon or onlyfans – how do we want to be paid? workshops of experience on different platforms

Funding

Members described a variety of funding stream which can support development, design, promotion, execution and more. Many of these streams require applicants to be an “established” artist. The definition of this term needs to be understood.

Members made some suggestions about ways to raise funds for this project;

• Sell sexy chocolates!
• GO FUND ME! Page.
• Vancity offer some funding for development
• The City of Vancouver also has some funding
• BC arts Council
• Canadian Arts Council
• Alliance for Arts
• BC Government
• Canadian Government – FACTOR grants

Funding will be critical to ensure members can realize their creative visions and afford to work on the project.

The full report on the activities of the BCCEC Arts Collective will be available soon in the report “Cureent Affairs”. Stay tuned to see where this work takes us!!