2024 CUJ Year in Review

Calling Up Justice was prolific this 2024.  We launched a new education initiative, developed a new digital encampment space where we produced virtual protests, play readings, and book clubs, produced over 300 hours of excellent live stream and online content, modeled for photo projects and produced a pop up art gallery in Portland and supported a BIPOC disabled Burlesque Dance Festival in Seattle. Jesenia was honored as an Emerge fellow, Claudia was featured by the National Endowment for the Arts, and Maiamama digital experience was featured at Lamama Theater in New York, Ry helped launch our new watch party program.  We had so many positive partnerships and collaborations. We published many essays, stories, and audio projects to our website. Apps like Followers Forever grew user base and we kept experimenting with new technologies for accessibility and artistic expression. This year we were held by our community and this fills us with the strength of interconnectedness. 

Special thanks to our Team! Read this Appreciation Post here and scroll below to find links to the many programs and events that were made possible by their creativity and action.

2024 EDUCATION

In 2024, Calling Up Justice provided a diverse range of educational offerings focused on digital production, accessibility, and Disability Justice. These programs empowered participants with technical skills, community engagement strategies, and justice-centered learning. We worked with professional organizations, universities, and held community based peer education sessions. Individual practice members also held individual consultations throughout the year. 

  1. Rapid Response Tech Team Bootcamp Classes
  • Livestream organizing – Claudia Alick 
  • OBS livestreaming – Maiamama
  • TikTok live streaming peer exchange – Claudia Alick
  • Basics of Digital Production Management– Claudia Alick
  • Live chat and forum moderation – Jesenia 
  • Bookkeeping basics – Nathanael 
  • Disability Justice & Accessibility Trainings
  1. Accessibility through the Lens of Disability Justice – Long Wharf Theatre (Claudia Alick)
  2. DIS/REP – 6-week Disability Justice peer education (Claudia Alick & Curiosity Paradox)
  3. Refocusing Dance Education: The Gathering – 6 facilitated sessions with disabled dance experts (Claudia Alick)
  4. Disability Justice lecture – University of Rochester (Claudia Alick)
  5. Backbones Youth Summer Program – Engaging disabled youth (Claudia Alick)
  6. Disability Justice Training – MOMRising (Calling Up Justice)
  7. Calling Up Justice Across Space and Time – PS4LF Convening (Jesenia & Claudia Alick)
  8. Building Our Worlds: QTBIPOC Entrepreneurs – Panel discussion (Claudia Alick)
  9. Emerge 2024 Fellowship – Speaker session (Claudia Alick)
  10. Emerge 2024 Symposium– Presentation (Jesenia)

2024 EVENTS 

In 2024 we produced plays, festivals, memorials, videogames, open mics, presented and created visual art, did roving performance art, modeled, performed, directed, designed, coded, stage managed, access doula’ed, hosted, and more. 

  1.  6 virtual protests executive produced by Jesenia and co-produced with Claudia Alick, tech support from Maiamama, and One Free Community participants. Jesenia made this innovative accessibility and social practice project her focus with the Emerge Fellowship with the Longmore Disability Institute.  This cross platform performance took place on twitch, gathertown, tiktok, and youtube.  
  2. 100K Praises Videogame designed by Claudia and Maiamama and commissioned by Erik Ehn and presented at LaMama Theater NYC
  3. Claudia Not Safe for Platforms– Digital One Person Show/Birthday Party 
  4. Why Mask at StaceyFest -Jesenia and Claudia in person roving performance
  5. Why Mask SF Moma Disability Portraits Day – Jesenia and Claudia modeled for portraits and did in person roving performance 
  6. Why Mask Portland– pop-up art exhibition, live streamed open mic
  7. Accessible Virtual Pride. Gathertown Space, Workshops, Vendor Booths, Art Gallery, Open Mic, and Live Streamed variety show. 
  8. Mouthwater Dance Festival 
  1. Celebrating the Life of Atinuke “Tinu” Abayomi-Paul-Sunday 
  2. Disabled and Here: Photoshoot Day 
  3. Maiamama digital design and engineer of Access and Artistic Research/ A Dialogue Between Lucy Cotter and The Curiosity Paradox
  4. Claudia Spoke at the Leonardo 57.2 Criptech & the Art of Access Special Issue Launch Event
  5. Maiamama and Claudia Trek Table x Geekish Network 11 episodes
  6. Claudia spoke on the Trans Narrative Podcast
  7. Claudia MC’d the Disability Culture is Here: Virtual Talent Showcase, Panel, and Community Dance Party-Friday, 
  8. Jesenia 2024 Quarantine Residency 
  9. Claudia directed Terri Hudson’s one person show All My Pretty Fictions I Left Neither my Bed Nor my Room public presentation 
  10. Claudia directed, set designed, and produced ISTWA a two long Haitian afrofuturist play reading. Maiamama recorded the show.  
  11. Watch Parties

NETWORKING

  1. Disability Intimacy: Essays on Love, Care, and Desire by Alice Wong
  2. DISABILITY INTIMACY Book Party
  3. TCG: Rise Up
  4. NET Virtual Mapping Session
  5. Lead Hybrid
  6. Superfest Kickoff Event with Alice Wong!
  7. Dance/USA’s Deaf and Disability Affinity Group
  8. Circle of Solidarity: Embodied Practice, Shifting Paradigm
  9. Sins Invalid – Stages of Grief: Crip Hearts on Fire
  10. Claudia served as an advisor for the National Theater Project

APPS and SPACES

2024 Publishing and Podcasts

Podcasts

Non-fiction essay

Fiction

Search Calling Up Justice