via Write It Out!
Every person living with HIV has a story to tell.
Founded by award-winning Poz playwright and advocate Donja R. Love in 2019, Write It Out! (WIO!) uses art, advocacy, and accessibility to provide a space for people living with HIV and AIDS to tell their stories. Holistically, WIO! uses the power of imagination and healing to help shed the shame of living with HIV and combat stigma. Artistically, through writing initiatives, WIO! strengthens participants’ artistic voices and works to transform society and the theatrical landscape into a more equitable and stigma-free space for people living with HIV and AIDS.
The Program
The Program consists of free virtual writing workshops for a diverse group of adults (18+) from across the country living with HIV. The workshops are 5-6:30pm EST on Tuesdays and Thursdays from September 19th - December 1st. Anyone can apply; the only requirement is applicants must live with HIV. Participants are selected from an open, barrier-free application process. Participants learn the craft of playwriting and discuss literary work about and by people living with HIV. Then, participants create their own short-form play, which includes a rigorous rewriting process after group discussions. This prepares each participant and their work for a rehearsal process with professional directors and actors. The program culminates in an in-person final sharing (public reading) of each participant's work on World AIDS Day in NYC.
