NFAND Episode 30 - Sarah Sandman, experience designer, graphic designer, TED Fellow

In this episode 30, I speak with the profoundly creative Sarah Sandman. My heart simply opened up to her as soon as I met her back in 2011 at Hostos Community College.

She works with big concepts. She creates experiences, through games and special assignments, where human capital is built and valued by doing the work.

Sarah was selected a 2015 TED Fellow and is Co-Director of Public Displays of Affection, a Brooklyn based agency engaged in works that ignite social and environmental causes through experiential design.

She found a serendipitous partner in award-winning costume designer Andrea Lauer, and together they developed the creative and political protest experience, brickxbrick. Two other partners came on board for Sarah and Andrea, TED Fellow, singer-songwriter, Kyra Gaunt; and TED Fellow and creative producer, Joey Foster Ellis.

Project description Brick x Brick is a public art performance that builds human “walls” against misogyny. During the wall performances, participants wear brick-patterned jumpsuits adorned with colorful brick patches bearing statements of misogynistic violence made by President Elect Trump and his Administration. Placing divisive words on the jumpsuits is a symbol of our resistance and determination to maintain control over our bodies. Linking hands to form community walls of individuals further blocks and subverts the harmful messages that subjugate women. When standing in wall formation, we hold silent space that amplifies our message and builds unity through passive participation with the audience.

The Brick x Brick group, now over 120+ people, will march next Saturday January 21, 2017, in Washington D.C. at the Women’s March.

The mission for the march Brick x Brick marches with the Women’s March on Washington to protest misogyny. We resist patriarchal, heteronormative, discriminatory and oppressive systems and structures of power. We stand in solidarity with an intersection of voices from all socio-economic, geographic, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including indigenous communities, people of color, people with disabilities and LGBTQIA communities. We acknowledge the strides women have made historically; we are continuing the work of those who have stood in resistance before us.

I’m marching with the Brick x Brick brigade next week at The Women’s March and am looking forward to it.

#womensmarch #brickxbrick #womenrightsarehumanrights #women #cliamtechange #blacklivesmatter #brownlivesmatter #alllivesmatter #wallagainstmisogyny #lovetrumpshate #resistneofascism