WHAT: An exciting lineup of musicians and comedians, including Rita Wilson, Lauren Graham, Lindsey Stirling and Wayne Brady will be featured in the online event Bold Voices: A Live Music Benefit for WriteGirl on Saturday, May 30th on Facebook Live. Using #QuarantinedNotQuiet, WriteGirl is encouraging creativity and self-expression during this time of physical distancing and quarantines. The event is free, but the special guests will be encouraging their fans to donate to support WriteGirl, a nonprofit creative writing and mentoring organization for underserved teen girls.
Shelter-in-place restrictions and isolation have affected us all, but it has affected girls in underserved communities particularly hard. Many of them are sheltering in place in difficult home environments, and many are struggling with anxiety, depression, and uncertainty about their education and their future. WriteGirl has made a sharp pivot to provide all programming online to continue to serve as a lifeline to these girls, teaching them confidence, resilience, and creativity as they navigate their way through middle and high school, and on to college.
Since early March, WriteGirl has provided 5 online writing workshops for more than 200 teen girls, made 701 personal well-being phone calls to girls, matched 50 girls with their own online writing mentor, hosted 2 college guidance workshops, hosted 12 workshops for incarcerated youth, hosted 4 professional development workshops for teachers and created 6 new digital writing activity workbooks for hundreds of teen girls and college-aged alumni.
For 19 years, we have maintained a 100 percent success rate guiding girls to college, and the Bold Voices fundraiser will help WriteGirl continue to give girls the support they need.
WHY: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, WriteGirl canceled their annual in-person spring fundraiser and have re-invented it in the form of an online music and comedy festival. Funds raised will support WriteGirl’s transition to digital programming, from online writing workshops to college guidance to one-on-one online mentoring, as well as WriteGirl’s programs for incarcerated and system-involved teen boys and girls through their Bold Ink Writers programs.
SPECIAL GUESTS:
WELCOME MESSAGE:
Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls, Parenthood)
HOSTS:
- Keren Taylor, WriteGirl Founder, and Executive Director
- Clare Sera, actress and screenwriter of funny films like Smallfoot and
Blended
PERFORMANCES BY:
- Rita Wilson, actress, singer/songwriter and producer who has released 4 albums and has appeared in TV/Movies such as Now and Then, Jingle All the Way and Sleepless in Seattle.
- Wayne Brady, actor, comedian, singer and star of Let’s Make a Deal and Whose Line Is It Anyway?
- MILCK, LA-based singer/songwriter known for her song “Quiet,” known as the unofficial anthem of the Women’s March movement.
- Molly Kate Kestner, singer/songwriter who has reached over 30 million streams on Spotify, writes for many established artists, such as Kelly Clarkson and Afrojack.
- Clare Means, singer/songwriter whose latest album, Sidewalk Astronomy, debuted at #1 on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter charts.
- Eartha Littt, a DJ who has spun at venues like The Beverly Wilshire Hotel, The Craft Contemporary Museum and Los Globos.
- Lucy Schwartz, a singer/songwriter who has written original songs for many films and TV shows including Twilight, Shrek, Nashville and the international theme song for Parenthood.
INTERVIEW WITH:
- Lindsey Stirling, violinist, songwriter, and dancer who presents choreographed violin performances live and on her official Youtube channel.
WHEN:
Saturday, May 30, 2020
12 PM – 5 PM (PST)
WHERE:
Facebook Live
HOST COMMITTEE:
Clare Sera
Allison Deegan
Susan Dickes
Jenji Kohan
Lauren Levine
Tahereh Mafi
Josann McGibbon
Melissa Rosenberg
Marisa Silver
Robin Swicord
SILENT AUCTION: WriteGirl is also holding an online silent auction through June 6th, featuring a signed vintage typewriter from Tom Hanks, handmade pottery from Seth Rogen, online wine tastings, private online cooking classes and more.