Algo U thinks inside the box for V-Day

The SooToday.com photo shows, Penny Martin and Jennifer Rowe, two of the performers who will be seen in the Vagina Monologues this weekend.

News Release

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V-Day Algoma University College joins global effort to stop violence against women and girls

In association wiht the V-Day 2006 college campaign, Alguma University is proud to present a benefit production of Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues to be performed at Shingwauk Auditorium in Algoma University on March 2, 3 and 4, 2006

Last year over 1100 communities hosted V-Day benefits around the world raising funds and awareness towards ending violence against women.

From Oklahoma City to London to Cairo, V-Day benefits celebrated the work of local women at the community level.

These highly successful events raised over $4 million through performances of Eve Ensler's award-winning play, The Vagina Monologues.

This year, members of the Algoma U community have rejoined this global movement as part of the V-Day 2006 College Campaign.

For the third time, V-Day Algoma U will present a benefit production of The Vagina Monologues at the Shingwauk Auditorium on March 2-4, 2006 at 8 p.m.

Proceeds from this benefit production will be donated to Sault Ste. Marie's Women in Crisis Centre.

What is V-Day?

V-Day is a global movement to stop violence against women and girls.

V-Day is a catalyst that promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money and revitalize the spirit if existing anti-violence organizations.

V-Day generates broader attention for the fight to stop violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM) and sexual slavery.

Through V-Day campaigns, local volunteers and college students produce annual benefit performances of Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues to raise awareness and funds for anti-violence groups within their own communities.

In 2005, over 2500 V-Day benefit events were presented by volunteer activists in the U.S. and around the world, educating millions of people about the reality of violence against women and girls.

Performance is just the beginning.

V-Day stages large-scale benefits and produces innovative gatherings, films and campaigns to educate and change social attitudes towards violence against women including the documentary Until the Violence Stops; community briefings on the missing and murdered women in Juarez, Mexico; the December 2003 V-Day delegation trip to Israel, Palestine, Egypt and Jordan; the Afghan Women's Summit; the March 2004 delegation to India; the Stop Rape Contest, the Indian Country Project, and Love Your Tree.

In Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, V-Day commits ongoing support to build movements and anti-violence networks.

Working with local organizations, V-Day provided hard-won funding that helped open the first shelters for women in Egypt and Iraq, sponsored annual workshops and three national campaigns in Afghanistan, convened the "Confronting Violence" conference of South Asian women leaders, and donated satellite-phones to Afghan women to keep lines of communication open and action plans moving forward.

Through the Karama Program based in Cairo, V-Day works to build in-depth networks ending violence against women and girls in Egypt, Sudan, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.

The V-Day movement is growing at a rapid pace throughout the world, in 81 countries from Europe to Asia, Africa and the Caribbean, and all of North America.

V-Day, a non-profit corporation, distributes funds to grassroots, national and international organizations and programs that work to stop violence against women and girls.

In its first year of incorporation (2001), V-Day was named one of Worth Magazine's "100 Best Charities."

In eight years, the V-Day movement has raised over $30 million.

The 'V' in V-Day stands for Victory, Valentine and Vagina.

What is the College Campaign?

The College Campaign is a catalyst for mobilizing college communities to heighten awareness about violence against women and girls.

By creating this global community, the College Campaign strives to empower women to find their collective voices and demand an end to the epidemic levels of violence and abuse on their campuses and around the world.

V-Day Algoma U is a local effort within the worldwide context of V-Day's 2006 College Campaign.

What are "The Vagina Monologues?"

Hailed by the New York Times as "funny" and "poignant" and by the Daily News as "intelligent" and "courageous," The Vagina Monologues, which was first performed off-Broadway by Ms. Ensler, dives into the mystery, humor, pain, power, wisdom, outrage and excitement buried in women's experiences.

Ms. Ensler has performed the play to great acclaim throughout the world - from Zagreb to Santa Barbara, from London to Seattle, from Jerusalem to Oklahoma City.

Villard Books/Random House first published "The Vagina Monologues," which includes a foreword by Gloria Steinem, in February 1998.

A special V-Day edition of the play was released in February 2001.

What is "Think Inside the Box?"

"Think Inside the Box" has been V-Day Algoma U's slogan since the 2002 College Campaign.

Much like our Vagina Warriors -- the women and men who pursue an end to violence against women and girls -- the slogan is quirky, cheeky, irreverent, and most of all, revolutionary.

Instead of thinking outside the box, alienated from the things we know, it encourages us to return to a deeper wisdom based in relationships and interconnection.

According to director Amanda Zuke, "to think inside the box is to acknowledge and celebrate the women's experiences and women's wisdom portrayed in the play: if the vagina is the centre of female commonality, there's no better place to begin."

"The Vagina Monologues" will be performed at the Shingwauk Auditorium at Algoma U at 8pm on March 2nd to 4th.

Tickets are $10 and may be used for any one of the performances.

Opening night will feature a "Bring a Friend for Free" promotion: one ticket is good for two seats, Thursday night only.

Tickets are available through the cast, Algoma U's Student Services office, or at the door.

To learn more about V-Day Algoma U, call (705) 254-5072 or email organizer Amanda Zuke at [email protected].

To learn more about V-Day, the V-Day College Campaign or the V-Day Worldwide Campaign, visit www.vday.org