Thank you so much for all your support so far, we have reached 5% of our goal in just 48 hours! Please keep spreading, emailing, posting the video wherever you can, we cannot do this without you. Keep checking back for more perks – some awesome ones to be released soon!
Love to all,
– The Empty Room
Showing posts with label Theatre. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Theatre. Show all posts
Tuesday, 13 March 2012
Monday, 12 March 2012
Born Free* – The Movement Has Launched
Slavery did not die with abolition, there are more slaves today than any other time in history – and it's even happening right here in Canada.
Slavery is here. It is right in your back-yard. It is there in your grocery store and your laundrette. It is in the wiring of your laptop, your smart-phone and your portable ultra-sleek tablet computer. It's in every newspaper, trash can, and in every cup of designer coffee. An estimated 27,000,000 people worldwide are victims of modern day slavery. It's time we woke up and made a change.
This project is about doing just that.
Born Free* is a collective of performing artists trying to spread awareness about the issue of modern day slavery. Using the tools of our trade – Music, Theatre, Dance, Spoken Word – we are creating a multi-disciplinary performance piece that tells the stories of those affected by this industry, how this issue impacts us in the 'first world', and why it is still happening so long after it was supposedly abolished two centuries ago.
Thursday, 9 February 2012
Born Free*
Coming soon from The Empty Room:
We are proud to announce that work has begun on our newest project, a collective creation piece aimed at raising awareness about the problem of modern day slavery and human trafficking.
Born Free* (*Subject to Status, Conditions Apply) is a collaboration of emerging theatre and dance artists in Toronto that will be work-shopped this coming spring. Stay tuned for more updates, sneak-peeks, and information about how you can participate in combating this cruel and illegal trade.
empty-room.com
We are proud to announce that work has begun on our newest project, a collective creation piece aimed at raising awareness about the problem of modern day slavery and human trafficking.
Born Free* (*Subject to Status, Conditions Apply) is a collaboration of emerging theatre and dance artists in Toronto that will be work-shopped this coming spring. Stay tuned for more updates, sneak-peeks, and information about how you can participate in combating this cruel and illegal trade.
empty-room.com
Wednesday, 25 January 2012
Slavery: The Facts?
Okay, as you know, we've adopted a cause at The Empty Room this year. We are delving into the dark world of human trafficking & enslavement in an attempt to shed some light on this huge issue.
Sound simple? I wish it were.
When it comes to knowing about human rights on this planet of ours, we are living in the dark ages. Just take a look at this research done by some of the world's leading experts about human rights: "Some 12.3 million people are enslaved worldwide..." – this comes from a report by the International Labour Organization entitled "A Global Alliance Against Forced Labour."(1) Seems pretty succinct doesn't it? 12.3 is a definite number, it must be somewhat accurate, right?
Take a look at these statistics then: Siddharth Kara (an expert on the modern slave trade & acclaimed author) estimated there would be 29.9 million slaved by the end of 2009 (2). Twelve point three versus twenty nine point nine million? That's a discrepancy of over seventeen million. And that's just the start of it, "According to the U.S. Department of State’s 2007 Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP Report), estimates vary from 4 to 27 million."(5)
What? Four to twenty seven million? Who comes up with these numbers? So, let me get this straight, the world's experts – the people who seemingly know more about this problem than anyone else – cannot agree on a number with less than a 25.9 million-person margin of error. That's the equivalent of over two-thirds the population of Canada (4) – in errors. That, to me, spells a big problem.
What is known is that since the legal abolition of slavery, the number of enslaved people has not decreased; it has, in fact, gone up. There are more slaves today than at any other point in human history. (3)
Why is there so little said about this in the media? Why is there such poor information about this? It’s no wonder this issue is so easily swept under the rug when the public simply isn’t informed about it. What can we do then? Simply put, we must spread the word, support the few organizations who do make a difference, and put pressure on politicians – starting with our local MPs – to help turn the tide on this $31.6 billion dollar illegal industry (1).
–The Empty Room
www.empty-room.com
info@empty-room.com
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Sources / Bibliography
1) BBC News Website – http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4534393.stm
2) Kara, Siddharth (October 2008). Sex Trafficking – Inside the Business of Modern Slavery. Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0231139601.
3) By E. Benjamin Skinner Monday, Jan. 18, 2010 (2010-01-18). "sex trafficking in South Africa: World Cup slavery fear". Time.com.
4) Statistics Canada – http://www.statcan.gc.ca/ig-gi/pop-ca-eng.htm
Sound simple? I wish it were.
When it comes to knowing about human rights on this planet of ours, we are living in the dark ages. Just take a look at this research done by some of the world's leading experts about human rights: "Some 12.3 million people are enslaved worldwide..." – this comes from a report by the International Labour Organization entitled "A Global Alliance Against Forced Labour."(1) Seems pretty succinct doesn't it? 12.3 is a definite number, it must be somewhat accurate, right?
Take a look at these statistics then: Siddharth Kara (an expert on the modern slave trade & acclaimed author) estimated there would be 29.9 million slaved by the end of 2009 (2). Twelve point three versus twenty nine point nine million? That's a discrepancy of over seventeen million. And that's just the start of it, "According to the U.S. Department of State’s 2007 Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP Report), estimates vary from 4 to 27 million."(5)
What? Four to twenty seven million? Who comes up with these numbers? So, let me get this straight, the world's experts – the people who seemingly know more about this problem than anyone else – cannot agree on a number with less than a 25.9 million-person margin of error. That's the equivalent of over two-thirds the population of Canada (4) – in errors. That, to me, spells a big problem.
What is known is that since the legal abolition of slavery, the number of enslaved people has not decreased; it has, in fact, gone up. There are more slaves today than at any other point in human history. (3)
Why is there so little said about this in the media? Why is there such poor information about this? It’s no wonder this issue is so easily swept under the rug when the public simply isn’t informed about it. What can we do then? Simply put, we must spread the word, support the few organizations who do make a difference, and put pressure on politicians – starting with our local MPs – to help turn the tide on this $31.6 billion dollar illegal industry (1).
–The Empty Room
www.empty-room.com
info@empty-room.com
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Sources / Bibliography
1) BBC News Website – http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4534393.stm
2) Kara, Siddharth (October 2008). Sex Trafficking – Inside the Business of Modern Slavery. Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0231139601.
3) By E. Benjamin Skinner Monday, Jan. 18, 2010 (2010-01-18). "sex trafficking in South Africa: World Cup slavery fear". Time.com.
4) Statistics Canada – http://www.statcan.gc.ca/ig-gi/pop-ca-eng.htm
5) Polaris Project (Detailing US State Department's TIP Report) http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=human%20trafficking%20stats%20per%20year&source=web&cd=5&ved=0CEUQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cicatelli.org%2FtitleX%2Fdownloadable%2FHuman%2520Trafficking%2520Statistics.pdf&ei=PnIbT5Y_r7fRAejI6JoL&usg=AFQjCNGsLd5RP5StE4Vcu6y-0kER3YM8lA&sig2=6oLYBSBOlemrZZV957MqYA&cad=rja
Saturday, 21 January 2012
You know how it is.
Some things just get you down. You know how it is: you hear a stray piece of news or a tossed around remark that just grates you, chips away at something deep down. A headline. A Statistic. An insensitive joke. "No..." you'll say to yourself, "...that isn't funny, that shouldn't 'just happen,' it is a big deal." But you don't. You just sit there, shrug it off, smile through gritted teeth. "I'm not a hostile person, why argue? What's the point? I'm not going to solve anything here anyway, especially not with these people." We've all been there, pissed off, helpless, judgmental. I've been there too. We want to act in principle, but we don't. How can this last? How long will it last? At what point do we become so desensitized to all injustice that we are incapable of acting? Has this happened already? I hope not.
In the coming weeks we will be exploring some issues of injustice that are much closer to home than most of us realize. Things are happening right in our own backyards. This is a call to action.
http://www.empty-room.com
In the coming weeks we will be exploring some issues of injustice that are much closer to home than most of us realize. Things are happening right in our own backyards. This is a call to action.
http://www.empty-room.com
Thursday, 12 January 2012
Homegrown slavery...
Human trafficking affects us here, too.
Why is there so little known about this?
Why is there so little being done?
Why is there so little known about this?
Why is there so little being done?
Tuesday, 3 January 2012
Our New Year's Resolution...
To hell with the old resolutions, this year it's time for change. I recently did some research on an issue I have been hearing a lot about recently – modern day slavery. It turns out this is a bigger problem than it ever has been – and it's not just in far off continents, it's happening right here in Canada, right on our doorstep. Have a look at this website and tell me it's not a big issue: http://www.endmoderndayslavery.ca/
So, in the spirit of the New Year, I think it's time we did something to help – our New Year's Resolution is to find a way to help raise awareness about modern world slavery here in Canada. Watch this space.
So, in the spirit of the New Year, I think it's time we did something to help – our New Year's Resolution is to find a way to help raise awareness about modern world slavery here in Canada. Watch this space.
Wednesday, 7 September 2011
Halloween comes a-haunting...
Hey friends,
This coming Halloween, prepare yourselves for a special treat; on October 29th, the Empty Room will host an evening of ghost stories and spooky tales presented by a cohort of distinguished and emerging Toronto directors. Taking place at the Hub14 theatre (Queen / Bathurst,) the series will be performed as a continuous cycle beginning at sunset. Drop in at any time and stay as long as you dare; one ticket will grant you admittance for eternity (or at the very least, the entire evening.)
More on this later, official press release to follow soon.
Happy haunting!
This coming Halloween, prepare yourselves for a special treat; on October 29th, the Empty Room will host an evening of ghost stories and spooky tales presented by a cohort of distinguished and emerging Toronto directors. Taking place at the Hub14 theatre (Queen / Bathurst,) the series will be performed as a continuous cycle beginning at sunset. Drop in at any time and stay as long as you dare; one ticket will grant you admittance for eternity (or at the very least, the entire evening.)
More on this later, official press release to follow soon.
Happy haunting!
Thursday, 4 August 2011
Summerworks opens tonight!
Tonight, after a tense month and a half, the Summerworks festival triumphantly opens in Toronto. What is more, its looking set to be one of the best yet.
Here's a sampling of shows we cannot wait to see:
Kasper And The Sea Of Houses, by Felicia Zeller
at the Lower Ossington Theatre;
Hero & Leander, music and lyrics by Scott Christian & Wade Bogert-O’Brien
at the Factory Theatre Mainspace;
Danforth, by Adam Hunter Collier
at the Factory Studio Theatre;
Shudder, by Susanna Hood
at the Lower Ossington Theatre;
One, by (various artists)
at the Factory Theatre Mainspace.
There's so much exciting work going on this year, go out there and see some!
Here's a sampling of shows we cannot wait to see:
Kasper And The Sea Of Houses, by Felicia Zeller
at the Lower Ossington Theatre;
Hero & Leander, music and lyrics by Scott Christian & Wade Bogert-O’Brien
at the Factory Theatre Mainspace;
Danforth, by Adam Hunter Collier
at the Factory Studio Theatre;
Shudder, by Susanna Hood
at the Lower Ossington Theatre;
One, by (various artists)
at the Factory Theatre Mainspace.
There's so much exciting work going on this year, go out there and see some!
Wednesday, 20 July 2011
A little dose of inspiration from the legendary Bobby McFerrin...
Post in the comments box, or via Twitter @empty_room_TO
Another year, another Fringe...
Congratulations to all the performers in this year's Toronto Fringe festival; some truly great and inspiring work from all sides of the spectrum. Some of our favourite shows include: Boyfriends (by Alexander Carson & Nick Martin); La Duchesse de Langeais (by Michel Tremblay); Mary's Wedding (by Stephen Massicotte); Sex, Religion & Other Hang Ups (by James M. Gangl); Mister Baxter (by Kate Fenton) and Virginia Aldridge BSc (by Elise Newman.) Now to look forward to next year's selection!
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