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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!

Featured by:

Straight Up Care Logo
Northstar Black Cooperative Fellowship Logo
Boston Public Library Logo
Reclamation by The Black Violet Revue Graphic
YWCA Central Massachusetts Logo
AWP Association of Writers & Writing Programs 2024 Logo
Voices of Women Virtual Summit 2023 Logo
NAMI New Jersey Logo
The Painted Brain Logo
Ramp Your Voice Conference 2024 Logo

Speaking Engagements

Vilissa Thompson's Ramp Your Voice! June 2024 Conference

Showcasing several Black-disabled changemakers leading and raising awareness about the barriers we face in our communities, "Ramp Your Voice!" is centered on creating a safe, uplifting space to highlight topics affecting the Black-disabled community, founded by renowned Black disability activist Vilissa Thompson. On June 7th 2024, Amaranthia, Claire, Natasha Nelson and Morénike Giwa Onaiwu discussed “Black Disabled Family.” 

 

Claire & Amaranthia break down their experience with coming to terms with learning about their disabilities around the same time in 2022 - all while managing Claire’s lymphoma diagnosis only a few weeks later. The duo dives into the healing power of art and writing and how it's been crucial as they navigate this identity together.

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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

A photo of Amaranthia, a young Black woman (on left) and Claire (older Black woman on right) sitting on a couch in their living room. They are sitting on a couch covered in red fabrics. At the top of the couch is a giant golden Japanese fam with artwork of Japanese cranes on it. In front of the fan are three fake sunflowers. On the white wall behind the couch hangs some Japanese decorative prints.Amaranthia leans into her Mom. She is wearing a black & white geometric patterned headband with her long black locs to the left side of her face. She has a slight smile and has rounded glasses on. She has a red tartan pinafore on with a red turtleneck underneath and a black cardigan. Claire is wearing a red headwrap, large red glasses, a red and white round beaded necklace and an African style kimono with the same color scheme. She is wearing a black shirt underneath. Claire also has bronze earrings. She also has a slight smile on her face.

Our Sista Creatives Rising Keynote Topics!
More Coming Soon!

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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!

Blue Skies
"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.
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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!

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A photo of Amaranthia standing (young Black woman on the right with locs) and her Mom, Claire (bald Black woman sitting on the left) with her cane. They are posing in front of stairs ion their home while wearing black fashionable outfits. Amaranthia is holdng the SCR logo poster above Claire's head.

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."
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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. "
(Image description: In white and black text, with stylized pink purple tinted title:   RECLAMATION  By The Black Violet Revue  A Virtual Showcase of the BlackQueerDisabled Community  MARCH 29- APRIL 15, 2024  GET YOUR TICKETS: Blackvioletrevue.anywhereseat.com)
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Testimonials

Blue Skies sourced from Wix
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

"Curls and Curves"a digital painting. Three voluptuous Black women with thick natural hair.

Contact

General Inquiry
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