2018: With few resources and a strong desire to launch on International Women's Day, 2018, we produced and broadcast our debut, pilot episode of VoxFem featuring interviews and music by women in Spanish (Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Nicaragua), Amharic (Ethiopia), English (part of our intro), Arabic (Lebanon), Italian (interview with Lesbian activist in Serbia), Greek, Romany (Macedonia), Croatian and Mandarin on multiple platforms that we also set up for this purpose: our website (VoxFem.org), Facebook live, Twitter, Soundcloud and Instagram. We also featured the work of two visual artists (South Africa, Chile) and launched a "HerStory" (#changemakers) feature that highlight women activists who should be known for their work in changing “history.” We provided downloadable transcripts and English translations of the songs on voxfem.org.
Our second broadcast aired on April 25, 2018, anti-fascist day in Portugal and Italy. The world had just lost Marielle Franco (Black, Lesbian Brazilian favela representative), Rim Banna (Palestinian singer- songwriter) and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (Mother of South Africa) and we created a music video dedicated to them. We featured the art of historic Chicana lesbian photographer, Laura Aguilar, who was transitioning from this life on that very day. And our HerStory featured a video statement on the conditions in post-hurricane Puerto Rico from young Boricua attorney and leader, Alexandra Lúgaro.
Annette D'Armata and Lourdes Pérez created a multimedia workshop presentation about VoxFem and the featured artists entitled, VoxFem: “Unearthing the Female Voice” and presented it at University of Bari, Italy, at Emma Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center in Austin, Texas and at National Women’s Music Festival in Middleton, Wisconsin.
2019-2021
2019 was a pivotal year of transitioning the majority of VoxFem from audio to video, toward better accessibility, bringing more women into the team, expanding the mission to include visual artists and filmmakers as well as adding to the growing list of singer-songwriters and
changemakers. On International Women’s Day 2019, we edited and released our first video fully captioned in four languages (Spanish, Italian, Arabic and English), including video messages from our original featured artists and our partners (Chicana/ Indígena, Tejana, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Chilean, Lebanese, Canadian, Italian). This piece was dedicated to the memory of Deaf activist Luce Victoria LeBlanc. Daily, on our social media pages and on Facebook, in particular, we amplify stories related to the threat to and protection of the greatest female voice: Earth.
As there was much interest in Italy after Lourdes and Annette presented on VoxFem at the University of Bari in 2018, Lourdes and Annette developed an in-kind collaboration with Dr. Lorena Carbonara to launch VoxFem Italy in April 2019 and there are now 13, one hour audio episodes available on WondeRadio/Spreaker app and on VoxFem.org. These treasure troves featuring women singer-songwriters from Italy, the US and beyond remained audio only but we have plans to translate and add imagery to these as well as to future episodes when they are able to resume in person with health safeguards in place. The University of Bari has a particular connection with the US/Mexico borderlands as Carbonara and her colleagues translate and teach Edinburg, Texas- born Gloria Anzaldúa and other Native American authors in their department and had a giant mural honoring Gloria painted in their atrium.
We are honored that award-winning Chicana filmmaker Laura Varela joined our team and she has been a joy to work with. In August 2019, months before our planned launch of VoxFem Xicanindia, there was an anti-Mexican mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, the largest mass killing of Latinx people in the history of the United States, affecting everyone, but particularly those of us on the US/Mexico border. VoxFem sent Laura there (her hometown) to cover the El Paso Firme rally held in response to this great loss. Three great Latin American women singer songwriters were asked to lend their voices: Ana Tijoux (Chile), Rebeca Lane (Guatemala) and Marisol “La Marisoul” Hernández, the lead singer of La Santa Cecilia from California. Laura's livestream from the concert helped people feel that we were part of that massive outcry, led by the voices of women musicians and human rights activists.
Together with Laura we created what would be our new intro video on our VoxFem home page as well as our promo for upcoming features in 2020.
2020 started with a buzz of activity, with beautiful, in-person team meetings, film and photo shoots for the podcasts. This served us when, in March, we had to lockdown and work and edit remotely. Understanding that the need for VoxFem was even greater as isolation increased, we are excited that we managed to meet our goal of launching both VoxFem Xicanindia and VoxFem Global Health as well as managed to continue expanding VoxFem International and helping many of our featured artists pivot to livestreaming on multiple platforms (as all touring came to a screeching halt). Lourdes Pérez reached an average of 1.5K viewers weekly with her Friday AM livestream mini-concerts as did Tish Hinojosa's Friday afternoon livestreams and Veronica Castillo Salas, did a bimonthly Saturday afternoon clay work platica/livestream called "La Voz del Barro.” Krudxs Cubensi were the most creative in using multiple devices to give a voice to LGBTQI hip hop artists and activists living in Cuba and Colombia - who we would otherwise never hear from - during their livestreams. May Nasr livestreamed from her home in Lebanon as did Rosalba Santoro from Italy.
In addition to livestreams, we curated regular watch parties of music videos by our featured singer-songwriters (i.e: Teresa Salgueiro, Portugal, and Sona Jobarteh, The Gambia. VoxFem Global Health features original content with naturopathic physician Dr. Annette D’Armata in conversation with health practitioners and cultural workers as well as regular amplified content by health practitioners of color. Our planned topics necessarily shifted as the dual pandemics of racism and COVID-19 began to dominate every aspect of life. See introductory co-launch with IndigenousWays Radio (with live sign language interpretation), interview with author of The Black Family Health-O-Pedia, Dr. Tursha Hamilton, and an update on Dr. D'Armata's deep dive into Integrative Assessment and Treatment of Anxiety.
As racist brutality reached fever pitch worldwide, Odaymar Pasa Kruda created and presented live an entire anti-racist series of classes in Spanish. We also increased amplification of content by Black artists and changemakers on our social media platforms.
2020-2021
In response to effects of continued pandemic on featured artists, activists and audience, we pivoted to an 8-day festival format, producing 2 of the 3 festivals that we scheduled for the year. Festival #1 was broadcast March 5 - 12, 2021 and a festival encore was broadcast April 4-11, 2021. Festival #2 was broadcast August 13 - 20, 2021 and the encore was broadcast September 17 - 24, 2021 on YouTube.
2021 VoxFem Festival #1 featured:
● Danielle SeeWalker (Hunkpapa Lakota, author) and Carlotta Cardana (Italy, photographer), an interview about their new book with all VoxFem hosts.
● Rebecca Flores (Chicana/Tejana, changemaker), Documentary in progress; filmmaker Laura Varela in attendance*
● Dr. Tamara Dickson (Global Health changemaker), interview on Integrative Mental Health & the Healing Power of Storytelling, hosted by Dr. Annette D'Armata .
● Krudxs Cubensi (Cuba, singer-songwriters, visual artists), Launch of VoxFem International Gallery (VFIG) and the VFIG store. Retrospectiva Pinturas 1996 - 2021; Odaymar Pasa Kruda & Olikrude Prendes exhibit, installation and live gallery talk.
2000 Thrasher Ln. • Austin, TX 78741 (512) 389-9881• revolu@resistenciabooks.com • www.resistenciabooks.com
● Angela Han (Chinese-American, visual artist), interview on her groundbreaking exhibit inspired by music of 50 women composers. Angela Han in attendance.
● Irma Aguilar (Emerging Mexican-American, singer-songwriter), interview by Lourdes Pérez on writing and recording her debut, double language, double album "2 Worlds/Mundos.” Irma Aguilar in attendance.
● Dr. Aimee Knauff (author, Global Health changemaker), intimate interview on life with brain cancer, preparing for death, and her new book. Dr. Knauff and interviewer Dr. Annette D'Armata in attendance. Launch of VFIG Bookstore.
● Annie Flore Batchiellilys (Gabon, singer-songwriter), interview and video watch party, promotion of her latest album and multilingual live translation. Annie-Flore in attendance.
*Laura Varela completed a short for Festival #1 on lifelong Chican@/LGBTQ/migrant/ environmental rights activist and former United Farmworkers leader Rebecca Flores, which we quickly realized needed to become a film. We put a film production team together that includes Laura and filmmaker Anne Lewis, Antonia Castañeda, and composers/musicians Lourdes Pérez and Eva Ybarra and the film, “Rebecca Flores: Under the South Texas Sun” is now a VoxFem Original that is in pre-production.
2021 VoxFem Festival #2 featured:
● Opening Remembrance: Honoring the recent loss of sister changemakers Haunani- Kay Trask (Hawai’i), Isabel Sánchez (San Antonio), Carmen Vásquez (Puerto Rico/ Harlem), Nawal el-Saadawi (Egypt), Katherine Johnson (Black/US), LaDonna Tamakawastewin (Good Earth Woman) Brave Bull Allard (Standing Rock Sioux Nation), Fikile Ntshangase (Kwa-Zulu Natal), Alix Dobkin (US) and Gloria Richardson (Black/ US). Hosted by Lourdes Pérez and Annette D’Armata. Live + pre recorded segments, captioning and ASL. Permanent websites launched.
● “A Way Forward: Artists Reckon with the Past.” Readings and a Conversation with Mona Susan Power (Standing Rock Sioux), LeAnne Howe (Choctaw), Ernestine Hayes (Tlingit). Prerecorded live and edited, captioned and ASL. Websites launched.
● VoxFem Spotlight On+ Eva Ybarra. Short film and captioning by Annette D’Armata. Launch of Cinema VoxFem virtual venue space.
● VoxFem International Gallery (VFIG) exhibit opening and gallery talk by Cecilia Sánchez Duarte. Hosted by Liliana Wilson. Pre recorded live, edited, captioned and ASL.
2000 Thrasher Ln. • Austin, TX 78741 (512) 389-9881• revolu@resistenciabooks.com • www.resistenciabooks.com
● Launch of VoxFem Listening Room, hosted by Lourdes Pérez featuring the life and work of Greek composer Eleni Karaindrou. Broadcast live.
● Launch of KrudxsNation, hosted by Odaymar Cuesta and Oli Prendes of Krudas Cubensi. Broadcast live, to be edited, captioned and ASL for Festival encore.
2021-2022
2021 VoxFem Festival #3 featured:
October 31 - Samhain celebration and launch of Luce Centre for Deaf Arts, virtual home paying forward the life and legacy of Deaf artist and changemaker, Luce LeBlanc, featuring Luce LeBlanc Theatre, the permanently endowed Victoria LeBlanc Memorial Scholarship at Gallaudet University, and Luce J. LeBlanc Memorial Library. Live ASL-English interpretation. Extensive permanent website created and maintained.
December 17 - Episode 2 of KrudxsNation, hosted by feminist hip hop trailblazers and visual artists Odaymar Cuesta and Oli Prendes, with invited guest, Wanda Cuesta, one of the original founding members of Krudas Cubensi. In Spanish and Spanglish. Presented live.
2022
Our goal is to do healthy, excellent work at a sustainable growth rate. To that end, we are proud that the VoxFem YouTube Channel now has over 1600 subscribers and video views that range from hundreds (from the beginning years) to 17,000 more recently. Regularly, we update VoxFem.org and social media with new info and promotions for our permanent artist base (now over 70 women featured).
We promoted our youngest VoxFem staff member, Ixchel Cuellar, to News Director. She produced and did the voiceover for an introduction for herself, one for Dawn Jani Birley, one for Shelly Lares and one for 2022 VoxFem Fest general promo.
April 9th-VoxFem sponsored and broadcast a gallery talk by Veronica Castillo (Puebla/San Antonio) at the opening of her AAA3A exhibit in New York. We hope to add captions in English and ASL for this permanent installation.
July 15-Episode 3 of KrudxsNation, hosted by feminist hip hop trailblazers and visual artists Odaymar Cuesta and Oli Prendes, with invited guest, DJ Leydis. The interview dives into her personal story of immigration from Cuba, having to leave a daughter behind, and ultimate success and reunion. In Spanish and Spanglish. Presented live.
Our VoxFem Fest 2022 is currently in progress! Starting on August 5, 2022 and continuing through September 23, 2022, we are presenting the following:
8/5 Dawn Jani Birley (Canada/Finland), Deaf actor and theatre revolutionary. 2 hour show, live + prerecorded segments, ASL interpretation with live social media Q&A. Hosted by Annette D’Armata. Permanent websites launched. Live segments currently being captioned for premiere on YouTube.
8/19 Shelly Lares (Texas-Mexico border), iconic Tejano singer-songwriter and producer, in this VoxFem XicanIndia special feature. Produced and edited by Laura Varela and Annette D’Armata. Pre-recorded with ASL and captions. Our first to premiere on Facebook Live and YouTube simultaneously. Permanent websites launched.
8/26 VoxFem International Gallery (VFIG) exhibit opening and gallery talk by Olga Kovtun (Ukraine), visual artist. Hosted by Annette D’Armata. In Ukrainian and English with English translations, captions and ASL. Permanent websites launched. Artist’s work will be for sale through our VFIG shop with 100% payment directly to the artist.
9/2 Listening Room - Indigie Femme, the singer-songwriter/activist duo of Tash Terry (Dinotah/Black Mountain) and Elena Higgins (Maori/Samoa, Aotearoa). Hosted by Lourdes Pérez. With captions and ASL. Permanent websites in progress.
9/9 Susan McKeown (Ireland), singer-songwriter, oral historian. Hosted by Lourdes Pérez. With captions and ASL. Permanent websites in progress.
9/16 Shelley Barry 19 Year Retrospective Film Festival. Barry (South Africa), distinguished filmmaker, will be live from Johannesburg for a Director’s Q&A.
9/23 Lourdes Perez (Puerto Rico), vocalist-composer-poet and our very own founder of VoxFem, kicks off a celebration of her 30 years in music and ends the festival. ASL and captions.
And, finally, we are thrilled that Lillian Stevens joined us this year as a volunteer and we have asked her to remain as staff, giving her the title, Research Associate.
2022-2023
For year 5, we continued creating, developing and strengthening the ecosystem that the VoxFem Network of artists, changemakers, festivals, programs and virtual venues has become. And, together with Laura Varela, produce VoxFem Xicanindia and the first VoxFem original documentary film, Rebecca Flores: Under the South Texas Sun.
We will continue to improve the VoxFem social media footprint and our accessibility to all, through captioning, ASL, other language translations, consultations on improving visual/audio accessible design.
Festivals, Programs and Virtual Venues: VoxFem Fest 2023 is happening soon on Saturday, August 26th from noon - 8 PM CDT on our channel: www.youtube.com/voxfem.
VoxFem Global Health https://www.voxfem.org/global-health-minute
Luce Centre for Deaf Arts https://www.voxfem.org/luce
KrudxsNation https://www.voxfem.org/vf-krudxsnation
VoxFem Original film on Rebecca Flores https://www.voxfem.org/rebecca-flores-south-texas
VoxFem International Gallery (VFIG) https://www.voxfem.org/vfig
VFIG Performing Arts Center https://www.voxfem.org/vfig-auditorium
VFIG Listening Room https://www.voxfem.org/vfig-listening-room
VFIG Bookstore https://www.voxfem.org/vf-book-nook
Cinema VoxFem https://www.voxfem.org/cinema-voxfem
VFIG Shop (providing 100% sales directly to artists) https://www.voxfem.org/shop
VoxFem International https://www.voxfem.org/vf-international
VoxFem Xicanindia https://www.voxfem.org/new-voxfem-xicanindia
VoxFem Italy https://www.voxfem.org/new-voxfem-italy
NEWEST!! VoxFem Puerto Rico!