The Scarf of Acceptance
If we could visualize mental illness, what would it look like? To answer this question, we invited people in Bulgaria to get involved by knitting a piece of a large scarf, following our color-coded scheme, in which each color corresponds to a specific mental illness. The idea was to knit in the color of a mental state/condition which one has experienced - whether personally or through the experiences of a loved one; now or in the past.
120 people accepted our invitation. We received single-color and multi-color pieces, small segments, and whole scarves. Some were accompanied by heartfelt messages that grabbed us by our throats - so we decided to display them as well. All knitted parts were assembled anonymously in our 60-meter-long art installation The Scarf of Acceptance. The scarf is a kind of infographic about the frequency of different types of mental health problems in society, but also a strong symbol of protection, acceptance, and a warm embrace, which everyone going through mental suffering needs.
Vagina Matters
In 2021, we worked on translating and adapting our illustrated sex education book for girls, released initially in Bulgaria at the end of 2020, for the UK audience. The English edition of Vagina Matters will be released in the UK in 2022 in partnership with Daye, a gynae health innovator, and Brook, the UK's leading sexual health and wellbeing charity for young people.
Meanwhile, the book has already been read over 100 000 times on our website, and has reached women and girls all across Bulgaria, thanks to our collaboration with over 40 local sexual health ambassadors (psychologists, educators, gynaecologists, social workers, and more).
DECKTATORS
In 2021, we further tested and adapted the gameplay, and developed additional tactics for DECKTATORS - our board game on defending civic space that puts players in the shoes of a dictator, so they get to really grasp the tools and tactics of oppression. The idea was developed during one of our LABS editions that focused on the threats to democracy and civil rights in Europe, and the shrinking space for civil society in the region.
We are currently in the final stage of production of the game's beta version, including the development of the game's web platform. We secured a global advisory board of activists and political scientists, and are preparing for the launch of a crowdfunding campaign in 2022.
Transgender Film Center & Chasing Chasing Amy
Fine Acts became a Founding Donor of the Transgender Film Center, providing dedicated support for the Center's inaugural Trailblazer Grant - a fund to support transgender filmmakers. "Thanks to Fine Acts, we were able to successfully provide artist support to three trans creators whose work has the capacity to entertain, inspire, and influence moviegoers. We are so appreciative of the continued opportunity to collaborate with Fine Acts because they share and support our mission: to elevate the voices of trans creatives in order to foster a safer, more equitable world for all trans people", says Sav Rodgers, Founder of the Transgender Film Center.
Fine Acts is also the Executive Producer of Chasing Chasing Amy, a documentary by Sav Rodgers about the 1997 film Chasing Amy and its cultural impact on the LGBTQ+ community. The film had its own panel during the 2021 Sundance Film Festival - with a special intro from Kevin Smith, where the team talked about the highs and lows of documentary filmmaking during a global pandemic.
