Reproductive health charity supports marginalised creatives
Cysters, a grassroots charity dedicated to supporting individuals with reproductive and mental health issues, are calling on people to support their new magazine aimed at spotlighting marginalised creatives.
Cysters have teamed up with Juice Droplet to create their Chronically Creative Magazine focusing on how creative spaces can be used as a tool to heal.
The magazine is an extension of the charity 's work in educating the public about reproductive health so that they can make informed choices around their treatment options and challenge the cultural misogyny behind reproductive health.
Cysters collaborated with Juice to produce a bonus A6 zine as part of Juice Magazine 's 'issue two: mind and body '.
The issue investigates the impacts and associations of mental health, wellbeing, the body, racialised or gendered trauma, and the powerful potential of self-care and community healing for South Asian creatives.
The magazine is a necessary intervention and reflection given the disproportionate infliction of illness, loss, grief, and increased racism on South Asian diaspora populations as a result of Covid-19 during 2020/21.
The magazine is made up of a series of artistic and written works (i.e. drawings, paintings, illustrations, photography, poetry, editorial or opinion pieces, book or film reviews, and interviews) collected from an open-call for submissions from South Asian creatives.
Neelam Heera, founder of Cysters, said: “Given the lack of accessibility and opportunity for marginalised groups in the arts, all artists and contributors needed to be fairly paid. We have seen how the pandemic effected the arts nationally, and this was an opportunity to support creatives in these spaces who are already disproportionately affected by being disabled and from a racialised group.
“From a young age, we are taught that creativity can only look and sound one way: Keats, Shakespeare, Dickens - and that it doesn 't look like us: intersectional, disabled, multifaceted. By supporting us, and this project, we are all doing our part in turning that old story straight on its head - a thought that genuinely brings us at Cysters Joy every day. Payment can act as a method of validation and celebration. ”
Evelyn Miller, Juice Magazine co-founder, said: “When I approached Neelam about 'Chronically Creative ', I was nervous because it was a new space and vision for Cysters and Juice. It 'll come as no surprise to anyone that knows Neelam that all she did was encourage me and thank me for creating this space. It 's strange to experience that when you 're usually told that your ideas and dreams are 'too big '.
“She allowed me to understand how important this was - and Juice was ready to encourage that idea even further by allowing us access to resources (for anyone that hasn 't noticed the incredible design team), applying for funding and exploring what we could do together safely and collaboratively. It was an inherently different creative space to be in, something that I could feel both organisations had been looking for - a way to stretch what we do and support people through art. ”