Bridging Gaps From the Past to the Present and to the Future
Available For Engagements
Amaranthia Sepia & Claire Jones are available, together & separately, for paid virtual speaking engagements, virtual workshops and documentary screenings. Download their fee sheet and contact them for inquiries. Also open to volunteer opportunities - read our fee sheet to learn more. See testimonials at the bottom of the page!
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Speaking Engagements
Learn About Our Keynotes & Workshops, Centering Disabled, Chronically Ill and/or Immunocompromised Attendees
Work with us for a Virtual Disability Accessible keynote or workshop! All include captioned videos, brief image/artwork descriptions and self-id directed by Amaranthia Sepia
Our Sista Creatives Rising Keynote Topics!
More Coming Soon!
Art & Mind: The Healing Arts & Accessibility
For Organizers & Activists Wanting to Learn Virtual Accessibility Tools
“Art & Mind: The Healing Arts & Accessibility” delves into “Art & Mind,” Sista Creatives Rising’s virtual film and art event centered on supporting and funding creative marginalized women & marginalized genders. Claire Jones & Amaranthia Sepia showcase clips of their 2023 event, “I Know Who I Am! Journeys of Women of Color & Femme-Expressing Creatives,” to discuss and teach how to incorporate disability accessibility at every step while developing virtual events. They emphasize the importance of virtual events for the disabled & immunocompromised community as COVID continues to cause significant issues with in-person interaction. The presentation teaches organizers that they must continue to create events that intentionally include and uplift disabled people. SCR's insight has been gained from lived experience.
Previously, this was presented as a 45-minute keynote and 15-minute Q&A at Straight Up Care’s virtual Peer Day in July 2024. A shorter version of this talk was given at Socially Distant Art in 2023, a virtual residency centering on disabled artists & accessibility practices.
Attendees Will Learn:
- Gain insight from a disabled mother-daughter duo with lived experience who knows how to develop content, collaborate, and gain feedback from disabled audiences
- Learn how to implement essential disability accessibility tools into virtual events and personal projects, such as captioning, ASL, self-ID, and alt-text
- View visual and written examples of accessibility tools put into action through a creative lens
- Gain insight into COVID’s ongoing effect on society, the disability rights crisis it’s caused for the disabled community, and beyond
- Understand the necessity of providing virtual events to tap into a more varied and inclusive audience
Workshops To Choose From!
Image 1:Text: IN COLLABORATION WITH NAMI New Jersey National Alliance on Mental Illness“ART TO THE RESCUE!” WORKSHOP AMARANTHIA SEPIA (SHE/HER) BLACK DISABLED ARTIVIST SEND A TIP TO SUPPORT! PAYPAL LINK IN BIO - USER: INFO@SISTACREATIVESRISING.COMID: Graphic has a blue watercolor outline. In the middle is a large square graphic with colored pencil sketches of blue, hot pink, white and purples.
Image 2:Text: ABOUT THE WORKSHOP:UTILIZING ART & WRITING TO MANAGESENSORY OVERLOAD & ANXIETYHAVE YOU EVER BEEN OVERWHELMED IN PUBLIC SITUATIONS, CROWDED SPACES, BY NOISES SUDDEN OR IRREGULAR, OR ACCOSTED BY BRIGHT LIGHTS AT TIMES? WHAT HAPPENS?DO YOU FREEZE? DO YOU WANT TO LEAVE? DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER OPTIONS? OUR ARTISTIC GUEST AT THE CAFE THIS MONTH, GRAPHIC ARTIST AMARANTHIA SEPIA, IS GOING TO LEAD US IN SOME EXERCISES THAT WILL HELP US LET CREATIVITY COME TO THE RESCUE.
Image 4:Text: ABOUTEmo Bunny"EMO BUNNY" IS AN ALBINO CARTOON BUNNY GIRL NAMED SARAH; IT'S A COMIC-STYLE EDUCATIONAL SERIES MADE BY AMARANTHIA SEPIA AT 17 YEARS OLD WHEN THE ARTIST'S MENTAL HEALTH JOURNEY BEGAN."EMO BUNNY" AIMS TO HIGHLIGHT THE STRUGGLES EXPERIENCED BY PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS.SARAH SUFFERS FROM ANXIETY, PTSD, AND PANIC ATTACKS, WHICH ONLY THE READER CAN SEE AS MONSTERS. THE MONSTERS ARE MEANT TO CREATE A VISUAL TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE DAILY STRUGGLES OF ANXIETY & TRAUMA
Image 1:Text: IN COLLABORATION WITH NAMI New Jersey National Alliance on Mental Illness“ART TO THE RESCUE!” WORKSHOP AMARANTHIA SEPIA (SHE/HER) BLACK DISABLED ARTIVIST SEND A TIP TO SUPPORT! PAYPAL LINK IN BIO - USER: INFO@SISTACREATIVESRISING.COMID: Graphic has a blue watercolor outline. In the middle is a large square graphic with colored pencil sketches of blue, hot pink, white and purples.
"Art To The Rescue" is a 1-hour workshop led by Amarathia Sepia, teaching attendees how to utilize art and music as a sensory experience in order to create self-soothing and self-reflective artworks. Featuring original illustrated artworks within the slideshow, this is a highly interactive workshop aimed at those with mental illness and/or neurodivergence, and those struggling with anxiety.
The first workshop was in collaboration with NAMI New Jersey in June 2024/or neurodivergence, and those struggling with anxiety.
Art To The Rescue!: Creativity While Managing Illness
Let creativity come to the rescue! A three-week workshop hosted by both Amaranthia & Claire, attendees learn how to tap into their creative selves while overwhelmed by ongoing illness, anxiety, or stress. Participants learn how to use expressive art and creative writing as self-comfort to address disabled experiences in an inaccessible world. We’ll utilize free-flowing art to put our stress, anxiety, and lived experiences on paper by focusing on three key topics: Physical, Emotional, and Sensory Overload. No previous art experience is necessary.
Freedom Festival Semi Finalist. SISTA CREATIVES RISING PRESENTS Art & Mind An “I Know Who I Am” Virtual Fundraiser & Film Event Documentary About Cancer A 50% CHANCE OF PARALYSIS: Get Ahead of Life Before Life Gets Ahead of You! Art by Amaranthia Sepia Additional coloring by Linlin Yu. A nude voluptuous brown woman holding a red cane with a white handle in front of her, stands at the edge of a clear pond shaped like Earth.
Claire, an older Black woman with a shaved head, receiving assistance from two physical therapists, their heads censored with sunflowers drawn by Amaranthia. One is on her left and one is on her right helping her walk the first time after spinal surgery. Claire is using a walker, and is wearing a large brace that covers her neck and torso. Claire is also wearing a hospital gown. Everyone is wearing a mask.
Claire is wearing a white kimono style cardigan with an orange, brown and red flower pattern. She is wearing a white halter jumpsuit under it. SHe is standing between two medium sized pine trees with the sun shining down on her. Both of Claire's arms are raised. In her left hand is her white flower patterned cane and a pink tiny Japanese coin bag.
Freedom Festival Semi Finalist. SISTA CREATIVES RISING PRESENTS Art & Mind An “I Know Who I Am” Virtual Fundraiser & Film Event Documentary About Cancer A 50% CHANCE OF PARALYSIS: Get Ahead of Life Before Life Gets Ahead of You! Art by Amaranthia Sepia Additional coloring by Linlin Yu. A nude voluptuous brown woman holding a red cane with a white handle in front of her, stands at the edge of a clear pond shaped like Earth.
Our Semi-Finalist Film is Available for Virtual Screenings Paired with a Q & A or Panel!
Our 2023 film, "A 50% Chance of Paralysis: get Ahead of Life Before Life Gets Ahead of You!" was recently a semi-finalist selection for Freedom Festival International. The film showcases Claire Jones and her journey through a lymphoma diagnosis, which almost took away her mobility. Led by her and her daughter and a majority BIPOC team, the film follows Claire's journey to recovery. as she becomes one of the 1% that can walk again after high-risk spinal surgery. The film raises awareness about Black experiences in the medical system and the lack of diversity in the medical industry.
Perfect to showcase at colleges, medical groups, and orgs who want to learn about Black experiences in medical care and disability justice!
Documentary Screenings So Far!
Nexus CP's
Northstar Black Cooperative Fellowship 2024 Graduation
a 10-minute version of "A 50% Chance of Paralysis" was chosen to be a showcase at Nexus Community Partner's Northstar Black Cooperative Fellowship Graduation on May 15th 2024.
This version featured the opening narrative and two spoken word performance pieces from the film, "BEING BLACK: being human" and "I Reclaim."
The Black Violet Revue's "RECLAMATION" Spring 2024 Virtual Film Event
Another shortened version of the documentary was compiled into a virtual showcase led by Drag King Mondo Millions.
ABOUT:
"The Black Violet Revue is a Virtual Variety show that showcases BlackQueerDisabled performers. It is accessible for all and can be watched from the comfort of your own home. This show is made independently by BlackQueerDisabled performers in an activist act to demonstrate what is possible when accessibility and intersectionality are considered. "
Testimonials
I listened to you ladies when you were on the (Reduce The Stigma) podcast. I believe it was titled invisible disability, something I hadn't known before! Thank you for teaching me about that! I found out I have both invisible and visible 😃 Additionally, I love how you introduce yourselves (self-description for blind/low vision folks). It makes total sense as to why we would introduce ourselves this way! I'm going to start incorporating this in the peer support groups I facilitate when introducing myself!
C.H - Peer Support Specialist at Straight Up Care
Attended "Art & Mind: The Healing Arts & Accessibility" Presentation
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