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HISTORY
The True Body Project launched a pilot program in 2005 as a summer program of
ArtWorks. That summer 13 teen girls were hired as artist apprentices and worked
for a six-week period to study body, body image, gender, media as it relates to
body and more. Each day they engaged their bodies and minds. And whether doing
yoga or Pilates or swimming or looking at the body in art or listening to a
poet describe her creative process, they engaged in an intense study of self in
order to better understand and connect with each other. With the help of
artistic mentors, they created a literary journal and were co-creators of a
documentary film.
Today, a good number of these girls are making a difference in their worlds.
Whether at art school or as journalists or as advocates for women's rights in
Somalia or by working in sex education for refugees, they are girls who are
becoming women who know what happens when you take care of yourself so you can
raise your voice to help others.
That's why the True Body Project became an independent not-for-profit in 2006.
MISSION
To empower girls to identify and connect to their true bodies, to grow
their authentic voices, and to advocate for the health and safety of girls and
women everywhere.
Since 2005, The True Body Project has conducted intensive summer
apprenticeships, two residential summer camps, weekly classes in Cincinnati and
Columbus, school and community workshops in Cincinnati, Columbus, New York and
LA. We have created two books, an film-festival-screened documentary film, a
website by and for teen girls, an earthwork, and an award-winning theatrical
piece for CincyFringe. We have worked intimately and directly with nearly 200
girls and women and have touched thousands more through our art and performance
efforts. Our summer camps are attended by girls from across the country. Our
programs are now reaching more and more communities.
Many people ask: do you work with at-risk girls? We contend all girls are at
risk, just differently at risk. The statistics are alarming and our work with
teens shows the statistics to be either true or understated. 1 in 4 girls will
be sexually abused by the end of their teen years. 1 in 4 girls will have an
eating disorder. And this is just the start.
We can assure you though that a teen who is cutting or has disordered eating or
is bullying or is drinking to excess or taking pills or escaping into fantasy
does not wish to be doing so. These girls are trying to find a place that makes
sense and they are trying to find ways to cope. We assure you that if you spend
a day with us in a True Body experience, you will hear things that break your
heart AND you will see the strength and beauty and hope and talent of what can
be an extraordinary generation of citizens.
We need your help to do this work. If you like what we do, please consider even
a small donation. You can make a tax-deductible donation via www.pendletonpilates.com. Go to "shop online" and look
for True Body donation. Or you can add your voice on our
RAISE YOUR VOICE link or take our
SURVEY. At the very least, decide if you are taking care of your own
true body so that you can be an inspiring mentor to girls and women in your own
community.
Leadership Training/Curriculum Guides
If you wish to create a True Body Project in your own community, please contact
Stacy Sims at stacy@truebodyproject.org for more information about
the guides and upcoming Leadership Training opportunities. You can purchase
them online at www.pendletonpilates.com.
True Body Website
Visit www.mytruespace.org to learn more about the True Body
Project! True Body teens from the summer, 2006 program created the site to
commemorate their six-week experience. You can read about what they did and the
see the multi-media work they created for a one-time-only performance at the
Contemporary Arts Center.
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