Everything Under The Sun: Activism And Performance Combine To Spread An Important Social Justice Message

One of the productions from Peacock Rebellion.

What is this? A rebellion? Well, in a way, it is, but it's also not. This all-volunteer organization is the PEACOCK REBELLION, located in the San Francisco Bay area. It started out when a group of activists from the queer and trans people of color community got together, when they were beginning to burn out from their social activist involvements. Devi K, who was among this group and one of the original founders, participated in the discussions, which culminated in the founding of Peacock Rebellion.

Among the discoveries during the initial discussions was noticing that they could more easily reach people through stagecraft, rather than through demonstrations. After recruiting talented individuals from among their friends and fellow activists, they were able to put together their first cabaret show, Agen(c)y: Nonprofit Dreams + Disasters in 2012. They haven't looked back since.

Within Peacock Rebellion are several different programs. The Peacock Institute For Social Transformation provides training for social activists and community organizers. There are two training modes. Brouhaha: Trans Women of Color Comedy Storytelling provides a comedic storytelling workshop series, which puts trans women front and center with the microphone. Brouhaha: QTPOC Stand-Up Comedy is a series of workshops for stand-up comedy and a show, designed to build a group of comedy-activists, who can spread the social justice message in an entertaining way to people who aren't really ready for the rally or march venue.

Peacock Productions produces and provides live shows in entertainment venues. There are severaldifferent types of performance productions available. Agen(c)y: Nonprofit Dreams + Disasters, which is similar to the first cabaret in 2012, on the theme of dreaming after nonprofit control, combined with comedic takes on activist burnout. Brouhaha: Trans Women of Color Storytelling and Brouhaha: QTPOC Stand-Up Comedy provide performances by graduates of the training program. Tenderfest: A Queer People of Color Community Love Extravaganza is another cabaret show, along with healers' fair, which works in the space between the call-out and call-in cultures.

Some of the other programs include Peacock Games, which is in the planning stages, to provide online games as a means to heal trauma and provide collective liberation: Peacock Online Media, also in the planning stages, to provide an online webcast series, The Sock World, about activist sock puppets, who live in a Berkeley co-op; and Bay Area QTPOC Arts Alliance, which provides a protective and confidential space for QTPOC arts producers to share tips, advice, and support to run their programs and groups better.

The Lady Ms Vagina Jenkins performing in Peacock Rebellion's Brouhaha in May

As you can see, there are a wide variety of opportunities for those in the QTPOC to get together and spread their message in an entertaining and fun-filled way. Look out for them and their productions in the SF Bay area. You could come away enlightened - and that's a good thing.