Sista Creatives Rising Open Call

Sista Creatives Rising (SCR) is a project and concept founded by Black, invisibly disabled mother-daughter duo Claire Jones (age 61) and Amaranthia Sepia (age 24). At Sista Creatives Rising (SCR), our mission is to help creative, marginalized women and marginalized genders gain accessibility and visibility in the arts to facilitate personal healing. SCR seeks to strengthen our community by increasing the visibility of these artists with our disability-accessible virtual film event, “Art & Mind.” This event uses short films, documentaries, and speaking engagements from professionals such as therapists and activists to raise awareness about social issues these creatives face. We make sure to compensate artists and raise funds to create grants for them via our Sistas Uprising Fund Project. As a grassroots project founded by a disabled immunocompromised Black mother-daughter duo, we ensure our work incorporates disability justice principles and accessibility tools so the work we present can be enjoyed by everyone. We teach our artists and team the fundamentals of virtual accessibility so their art can be viewed by the disabled community.
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Successful 2023 Virtual Fundraiser Film Event: “Art & Mind: I Know Who I Am!” Using Funds to Distribute Seven $200 Microgrants to BIWOC and Femme Expressing Creatives Healing Through Art Created by a Disabled Black Mother-Daughter Duo Sponsored by Brain Arts Org and Dancing Queerly Boston. Recipients of FY24 Mass Cultural Council Grant & The
2023 Puffin Foundation Grant

Art & Mind 2023 & Our Upcoming Spring Microgrants

In October 2023, we held our second Art & Mind titled, “I Know Who I Am! Journeys of Women of Color & Femme-Expressing Creatives.” Brain Arts Org and Dancing Queerly Boston sponsored us. The Mass Cultural Council and The Puffin Foundation provided additional funding. We showcased two disability-accessible films: “A 50% Chance of Paralysis: Get Ahead of Life Before Life Gets Ahead of You!” about Claire Jones’ 2022 journey through cancer and spinal surgery expressed through narrative, spoken word, and original music by disabled creative Mel Chilianis, and a documentary with the same title as the event, showcasing five creative women and femmes of color and the healing power of art. These five artists – Afro Descent Puerto Rican Kai Thaís, Mono-Racial Black Creative The Lady Ms. Vagina Jenkins, Chinese Animator Haisi Hu and Nicaraguan-American Musician SabiLewSounds received $200 each, courtesy of Brain Arts Org, which served as the first iteration of The Sista Uprising Fund.

Leading up to and during the event, we fundraised for the Sistas Uprising Fund with a goal of $1000 to develop five $200 microgrants. Through Givebutter.com, we reached $1450+, allowing us to now open our call for grant applications on March 28th – April 28th with a plan to distribute seven grants to artists in the US & Canada.

Amaranthia Sepia & Claire Jones are available for virtual media interviews to discuss the work of SCR and The Sistas Uprising Fund. Please contact SCR via email – info@sistacreativesrising.com, or at (802) 738-056