Representation Project

THE REPRESENTATION PROJECT USES STORYTELLING TO CHALLENGE HARMFUL GENDER STEREOTYPES AND NORMS, SHIFT ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR, AND TRANSFORM CULTURE. WE'RE COMMITTED TO BUILDING A THRIVING AND INCLUSIVE SOCIETY THROUGH FILMS, EDUCATION, AND SOCIAL ACTIVISM.

SOCIAL ACTION CAMPAIGNS AND DISTRIBUTION: THE REPRESENTATION PROJECT ENGAGES IN ACTIVE ONLINE OUTREACH TO SHIFT THE BROADER CULTURE. OUR WEEKLY ACTION ALERTS, A SHORT MESSAGE FROM THE ORGANIZATION ABOUT ISSUES PERTAINING TO THE MISSION, LAUNCHED IN 2013. CURRENTLY, OVER 100,000 PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED UP TO RECEIVE A WEEKLY ACTION ALERT THAT FEATURES THE LATEST RESEARCH ON INTERSECTIONAL GENDER ISSUES, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POSITIVE MEDIA BOOK REVIEWS, FILM REVIEWS, AND COMPELLING ANALYSES OF CURRENT POLICY TOPICS RELATED TO GENDER JUSTICE. THE REPRESENTATION PROJECT CURRENTLY HAS SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER, TIKTOK AND INSTAGRAM. THE REPRESENTATION PROJECT'S SOCIAL ACTION CAMPAIGNS USE ONLINE ORGANIZING STRATEGIES TO RAISE CONSCIOUSNESS AND SHIFT THE ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS OF INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES WORLDWIDE SO AS TO TRANSFORM CULTURE. THE REPRESENTATION PROJECT PARTNERS WITH NATIONAL, INTERNATIONAL, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO CHALLENGE THE STATUS QUO ON GENDER AND ITS INTERSECTIONS WITH RACE, CLASS, AGE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, AND CIRCUMSTANCE. THE REPRESENTATION PROJECT CREATES AND DISSEMINATES ITS MESSAGES THROUGH EDUCATION AND ONLINE COMMUNICATIONS, MAINSTREAM PUBLICATIONS, MEDIA APPEARANCES, SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS, VIRAL VIDEOS, AND SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS. CAMPAIGNS PROVIDE PEOPLE WITH THE TOOLS TO USE THEIR VOICE AND CONSUMER POWER TO CHALLENGE AND DRAMATICALLY CHANGE THE WAY GENDER ROLES ARE PORTRAYED IN ADVERTISING, MEDIA, AND MAINSTREAM CULTURE.

YOUTH PROGRAMS: THE REPRESENTATION PROJECT RUNS YOUTH PROGRAMS TO TRAIN THE NEXT GENERATION OF CONTENT CREATORS. THE YOUTH MEDIA LAB PROVIDES ONLINE SPACES WHERE 1,000+ YOUNG PEOPLE AGES 14-24 LEARN HOW TO CREATE DIFFERENT TYPES OF MEDIA (E.G., FILMS, PODCASTS, BLOGS, ETC.) AND SHARE THEIR WORK WITH OTHER YOUNG CONTENT CREATORS. THE YOUTH MEDIA ACADEMY IS AN INTENSIVE PROGRAM TO TRAIN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN FILMMAKING. PARTICIPANTS MAKE A SHORT FILM - FROM CONCEPT TO STORYBOARDING, FILMING, AND EDITING - WHILE LEARNING ABOUT GENDER JUSTICE ISSUES. THE YOUTH MEDIA SUMMIT IS AN ANNUAL GATHERING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO INTERACT WITH FILMMAKERS AND ACTIVISTS WHO SPEAK ABOUT THE POWER OF MEDIA TO SHAPE AND SHIFT CULTURE.

FILM: THE REPRESENTATION PROJECT'S FIRST FILM, "MISS REPRESENTATION", EXPOSES THE WAYS IN WHICH MAINSTREAM MEDIA REPRESENTATIONS OF GIRLS AND WOMEN CONTRIBUTE TO THE UNDERREPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN POSITIONS OF POWER AND INFLUENCE. THE SECOND FILM, "THE MASK YOU LIVE IN", EXPLORES HOW AMERICA'S NARROW DEFINITION OF MASCULINITY IS HARMING OUR BOYS, MEN, AND SOCIETY AT LARGE. THE THIRD FILM, "THE GREAT AMERICAN LIE", EXAMINES HOW AMERICA'S UPSIDE-DOWN VALUE SYSTEM--BUILT ON THE EXTREME MASCULINE IDEALS OF DOMINANCE, CONTROL, AND AGGRESSION--HAS GLORIFIED MONEY, POWER, AND RUGGED INDIVIDUALISM, INSTITUTIONALIZING INEQUALITY, AND UNDERMINING THE ABILITY OF MOST AMERICANS TO ACHIEVE THE AMERICAN DREAM. THE FOURTH FILM, "FAIR PLAY", LOOKS AT HOW THE GENDER GAP IN DOMESTIC AND CARE WORK IN THE HOME PLACES AN UNDUE BURDEN ON WOMEN AND HARMS CHILDREN, FAMILIES, AND SOCIETY. "FAIR PLAY" COMES WITH A COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULUM FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS THAT EQUIPS THEM TO EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS SEXISM IN THE HOME. IN ADDITION TO THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE FILMS, THE REPRESENTATION PROJECT OFFERS AGE-APPROPRIATE CURRICULA THAT PROVIDE YOUTH WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE AND APPLY THE CONCEPTS PRESENTED IN THE FILMS. TAILORED CURRICULA ARE DESIGNED TO ENGAGE YOUTH AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT THROUGH HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES AND GUIDED DISCUSSIONS.