Friday, March 23
7pm-10pm: Yoni Ki Baat
Yoni Ki Baat is a growing collection of authentic, bold, vivid, tender, powerful, and poignant stories written and narrated by South Asian womxn, trans and gender nonconforming community members. The narratives highlight special challenges and opportunities relevant in this socio-cultural context. Reception follows.
Sponsored by Dubois Cary Law Group
Saturday, March 24
12pm-1:30pm: South Asian Professional Women’s Network (SAPWN)
This year’s SAPWN focuses on women freelancers in the local South Asian community. Join us to hear our panelists’ experiences, and share your own tales of taking a risk and venturing out into the new, uncharted waters of being your own boss. Get and give advice on finding clients, building a business, and connecting with the community to create a support system. Gather to network, share advice, and exchange ideas! Read more. . .
Sponsored by Sanaya Set
2pm-5pm Gupshup: South Asian Arts & Letters Program
Join us for an interactive multimedia program, featuring film, performance and visual art, and readings. Highlights will include:
Maple
Directed by Jasleen Kaur | 47 mins | Canada | 2017 | Reserve your FREE tickets
This documentary tells the story of Maple Batalia, a 19-year-old health sciences student, aspiring actress and model, who was gunned down in a university parking lot in 2011. Her passion for life was unparalleled, and she had an impact on everyone she encountered during her short life. Winner of the 2017 TSAFF Audience Award for Best Documentary.
Hug Me!
Performance Art by Sukeshi Sondhi
Sukeshi Sondhi’s recent installations and performance works reflect on issues of nostalgia, transience, displacement, and their influence on the female identity. Her artistic process engages in multiplicity, ritual and repetition while employing domestic objects to evoke the invisible presence of the marginalized female. Hug Me! is a continuously evolving interactive performance work that involves the artist interacting with domestic objects as well as the audience. The iron ore objects have been collected through the artists’ on going association with a lohar (black smith) family in New Delhi. Read more. . .
The Story of You and I
Storytelling with Richa Dubey
You don’t have to be a storyteller to tell the most important story of all—yours. Just bring along an object that is close to your heart. All we ask is that it is culturally and personally significant to you. Talk about it for a couple of minutes. Share a slice of your thoughts and life with and engaged audience for another couple of minutes. Share their lives. Open that old cupboard. Open your heart. And share. Read more. . .
7pm-10pm: Yoni Ki Baat
Yoni Ki Baat is a growing collection of authentic, bold, vivid, tender, powerful, and poignant stories written and narrated by South Asian womxn, trans and gender nonconforming community members. The narratives highlight special challenges and opportunities relevant in this socio-cultural context.
Sunday, March 25
12pm-2pm: Community Speaks–Immigration Stories
Do you have a story to share about immigration and visa issues? If so, this is your moment! During this 13th year of Aaina, Community Speaks (CS) is providing a platform for you to speak up about issues of immigration in the current political environment, where you can broaden the dimensions of debate on this issue, find answers to your questions, and raise your voice in the community. Read more. . .
2pm-4pm: You, Us, and #MeToo : A Community Discussion
Join Ruchika Tulshyan and Aparna Rae in a moderated discussion exploring what the #MeToo campaign means to the South Asian community and where we may take it from here. Bring your voices and your stories or simply come be witness in solidarity. Read more. . .