SEX WORKERS ALLIANCE IRELaND X A4 SOUNDS
6TH DEC 2023 | a4 sounds gallery
Ahead of International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers the Sex Workers Alliance of Ireland are holding a banner-making and screenprinting event at A4 Sounds.
This year SWAI are organising this event to encourage sex workers to harness community outrage through the power of creative expression in a supported environment, with the theme inspired by Laura Lee’s statement ‘Supporters of the Nordic Model have blood on their hands’.
On the day there will be banner-making, screen-printing and performances! We’ll also be raising funds through donations and a raffle with some saucy prizes! All proceeds will go towards SWAI’s voucher fund.
WHAT'S HAPPENING!
SCREEN PRINTING
WORKSHOP | 3-6PM
Print your own Tee from 2 amazing designs available on the day!
No experience needed! You’ll be guided through the screen printing process by our amazing facilitator Leea Berry.
Feel free to drop in anytime but do allow at least 30 mins per print.
Leea Berry | Facilitator
Leea is a Domina and activist. After suffering extended and cruel harassment and eventually eviction by the Gardaí under the Nordic model in Ireland she decided something must be done. She joined SWAI to work to fight stigma and work toward the decriminalisation of sex work in Ireland.
BANNER MAKING
WORKSHOP | 3-6PM
We will be making a banner that says “Supporters of the Nordic Model have blood on their hands” and asking people to express their feelings about the current laws in Ireland that force sex workers to work on their own to work legally.
We will provide markers, fabric and inspiration for anyone who wishes to participate. This is open to sex workers and allies.
Mardi Kennedy | Facilitator
Mardi is a sex worker rights activist originally from Melbourne, Australia. She has worked in community development roles with marginalised folks within the trade union movement, a sex work & allies organisation and locally with the LGBTQIA+ community across Northern Ireland.
PERFORMANCES
SOCIAL | 6-8PM
After all our hard work we’ll get to relax and enjoy some performances by Nicole Gavagan and Claire Bear!
Nicole Gavagan | Poetry
Nicole is a Portuguese-Irish artist known for her work in poetry and performance. Her work is written with deliberate intent to be provocative and to shed light on social and economic issues.
Instagram: @prima.pvssy.bitch
Claire Bear | Live Music
Your dad’s favourite homeless transexual escort and noise musician.
Instagram: @str8_g1rl
WORKSHOP TIPS
WHAT TO BRING?
Bring a t-shirt or tote bag
If you don’t have a t-shirt or tote bag handy, we will have a small amount available for you to buy – however they might sell out fast, so we recommend bringing your own.
You can also print onto a cushion cover or pieces of fabric if you want – just make sure the fabric is at least 30x30cm so the designs fit.
ARRIVE EARLY!
The last print will be pulled at at 5:30pm!
This is to allow enought time to dry and seal prints so they are ready to wear! Please arrive early to avoid disappointment on the day.
AVOID STRETCHY FABRICS
If you want your print to turn out well & last a long time it’s best to bring a clean cotton or cotton blend t-shirt, with a smooth surface.
We’ll have irons on the day, but if you want to avoid the boring bits, pre iron before you come along!
WED 6TH DEC | 3PM - 8PM
WORKSHOPS / PEFORMANCES / SOCIAL
3:00PM
6:00PM
6:30PM
7:00PM
7:30PM
Banner Making & Screenprinting
Garden Social
Nicole Gavagan
Raffle
Claire Bear
This event is free to sex workers. All proceeds go towards SWAI’s voucher fund.
This event is masked indoors.
Our accessibility information is below.
THE TEAM
Sex Workers Alliance Ireland (SWAI) is a sex worker-led and community-focused non-governmental organisation in Ireland. SWAI’s mission is to work with sex workers of all genders, current, former, indoor, outdoor, and online, to develop and strengthen their human rights and safety in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
SWAI is dedicated to the decriminalisation and de-stigmatisation of sex work, community development, and informed awareness of sex work in society. We want to eradicate whorephobia.
We do this through peer engagement, outreach, education, advocacy, and partnerships, to affect change in policy and legislation that sex workers want, to improve their health, safety and wellbeing.
Instagram: @swaiireland
Twitter: @swaiireland
Blue Sky:
LinkTree: @swaiireland
The Cosmos, The Earth and Us is a 6-month performative exhibition where the actors will change and the work will unfold in real time. It is an experiment in developing new modes of collaboration and presenting different perspectives in an attempt to model a world that is collectively imagined.
The work takes place within WOWTE’s The Common Thread which is a series of experiments and happenings that serve as an ongoing public discussion, drawing out shared themes and engaging audiences in an ongoing conversation about the goals and strategies of social change: what kind of society do we want and how should we get there?
www.weonlywantthe.earth
Read More: a4sounds.org/wowte
ACCESSIBILITY
Full Accessibility Document: We will add a link here to our full accessibility document when full details of the event are finalised.
What we will do
- This event takes place indoors and is masked.
- FFP2 masks will be available at the door.
- Performers may be unmasked when performing.
- Air purifiers with HEPA filters will be running throughout the event.
- A CO2 monitor will be in the gallery.
- Doors will be opened during breaks and between performances to ventilate the room.
- All A4 staff are fully vaccinated.
- All staff, event team and performers will take an antigen test on the day.
What you can do
- Please take an antigen test before coming to the event.
- If you can’t afford one right now there will be some available at the front door.
- If you test positive for Covid-19, or you feel unwell in any way please stay at home.
- If travelling by public transport or taxi please wear a mask for your journey.
Walking
- O’Connell Street: 14 mins from The Spire (directions)
- Phibsborough: 11 mins (directions)
Luas
- Parnell Stop (Green Line):
10 mins (directions) - Dominick Stop (Green Line):
12 mins (directions) - Broadstone Stop (Green Line):
12 mins (directions) - Abbey Street (Red Line):
17 mins (directions)
Accessible Parking Spaces
There are 30 accessible parking spaces nearby our studios between 2 and 8 mins away.
Map: https://rb.gy/sd41wu
Parking 2-3 mins away:
- Nelson Street: 1 space, 210m
- Hardwick Place: 1 space, 220m
- Eccles Place: 2 spaces, 220m
- Eccles Street: 3 spaces, 230m
- Hardwicke Place: 1 space, 220m
Arriving at A4 Sounds
- When you arrive at the gallery there is a kerb outside as part of the pavement which you may need to navigate depending on the direction you arrive.
- There is a small slope at the entrance at the desk where the material of the floor changes from cement to a tiled surface.
- The door will be open and there will be a staff member to greet you at the front desk.
- The front desk will be immediately in front of you approx 1m from the front door.
The Gallery
- Our gallery is located on the ground floor and is accessible.
- It is located about 5m from the front door.
- There is a small ramp into the gallery space.
- The floor is tiled.
- The room is painted a dark colour and will be low lit.
- Our garden can be accessed via the gallery.
Bathrooms
- Our bathrooms are gender-neutral.
- There is one accessible toilet in our outdoor garden area. It is a portaloo.
- There are three indoor bathrooms which are not accessible.
- The indoor bathrooms are located on the first floor via a flight of stairs (approx 22 steps) so may provide difficulties for folk with movement impairments.
The Garden
- The door to the outdoor area is straight across from the gallery door, and a distance of approx 5m.
- The outdoor area has heating which can be turned on and off to suit your needs.
- The outdoor area has a garden with a covered seating area with wooden benches, wooden and plastic stools.
- There are additional wooden benches which are not covered.
- To the back of the garden there is a mezzanine accessed by approx 15 steps with wooden benches
Overview
- This event will take place in our gallery and is masked
- Performers may not be masked when performing.
- The event will be seated and standing.
- The event is casual and informal
- There will be a break at 6pm between workshops and performances.
- Please feel free to also take breaks whenever you need throughout the day.
Screen Printing Workshop
- Guidance will be given for the duration of the workshop
- This will take place in our gallery
- The workshop is standing.
- If busy it may involve some queuing. Seats will be available in the space.
- Some parts of the workshop can be done seated : Ironing and Sealing.
- The workshop has 3 main steps: Ironing, Printing & Sealing your prints.
- Ironing: Involves holding an iron which will be hot and moving it across fabric while standing or sitting.
- Printing: Involved standing at a printing press and pulling ink across a screen. You will use a squeegee which may be heavy for some folk. You will hold the squeegee with your hands and use it to drag ink across the screen.
- Sealing: You will seal your print by placing it under our flash dryer for 4 mins. The flash dryer is very hot but you do not need to touch it or go very close to it and the heat will be directed away from you.
- If you find any of the steps difficult a member of the team can help you or do that step for you
Banner Making Workshop
- Guidance will be given for the duration of the workshop
- This will take place in our gallery and be seated
- Seats provided are white plastic canteen chairs with cushion pads.
- There will be tables
- The workshop will include painting on to a fabric banner
- Participants will also be invited to make patches to be added to the banner using paints, makers, fabrics and pins
- This is a casual drop in and out space.
- You can take breaks when and as often as you need to.
- (More information to be added)
Garden Social
- This takes place in our outside area.
- There will be some light snacks & refreshments available. Please feel free to bring along your own food or snacks too.
- Alcohol is allowed (BYOB). Please bring along your own beverages.
- Drinks & Snacks to be consumed in our garden area only.
- There will be heaters and a covered area in case of bad weather.
- Available seating is wooden benches, wooden stools, plastic stools.
- You can take breaks in our garden anytime you like.
Sound, Lighting & AV
- The gallery will be bright during the workshops.
- We may dim the lights for the performances
- Lights are LED and RGB lights
- There will be electronic noise music played on a PA System
- Performers may be using microphones
- There may be some harsh or repeitive noises during the live music
- There will be a projection on a large screen