You may have noticed that I am a huge fan of Growing Up XX… Real Girls… Real Stories… The Emancipation Tour. Well this time around, I am not telling you about an upcoming show, but rather I am calling all musicians and DJs interested in joining this fabulous group of young women bring their stories to the world.

Tanya Lee, creator and director of Growing Up XX is looking for two female guitarists, a bass guitarist, a keyboardist, and as she says “a mind-blowing ‘Spinderella’ that can scratch, has complete mastery of the turntables that can keep a beat and has showmanship”. Musicians must be 18 to 24 years old.

If you are interested, please e-mail Tanya Lee by June 30, 2006 by 5pm at growingupxx@yahoo.com. Auditions will be scheduled for the first week of July, and all rehearsals will take place in Brampton, Ontario.

Why not check out the site for the show? www.growingupxx.com

Go girls!

It’s that time again, Nathalie-Roze Fischer has put together a second Crafternoon Tea (CT2) - “A spunky craft & fashion market, how-to hive and charity tea-room all in one!”. The event will introduce you to over 40 craftista-designers, and provide you access to many one-of-a-kind pieces that will WOW your friends and family.

Admission is by minimum donation of $2 for targeted charities, and the tea room funds raised will go towards a very worthy cause, Scarborough Women’s Centre (www.scarboroughwomenscentre.ca).

When: Saturday, May 27th 11am-6pm

Where: Bellefair United Church, 2002 Queen Street East, Toronto, ON (Across from Kew Gardens)

For further information, please go to www.nathalie-roze.com and click on the Crafternoon Tea button.

I have to admit, that when I saw the press release in my inbox with XX in the title, I had to stop for a minute. I thought it was just another piece of spam, until I really read it the title three more times.

Growing Up XX… Real Girls… Real Stories… The Emancipation Tour (www.growingupxx.com) is an upcoming cabaret-style show, born from the mind of Tanya Lee, activist and single mother. When Lee came across UN statistics on girls through personal research, and then subsequently looking up Canadian statistics, she was blown away. In a effort to bring to light real issues girls encounter, both to other young women and adults alike, Lee created Growing Up XX.

The show is a series of short performances, monologues, spoken word, etcetera, written by girls who have had it happen to them. These performances cover the joy of sweet 16 to the pain and suffering experienced because of bullying; from first love to date rape. This show is the roller coaster ride of being a girl.

Their mission: “To tour globally and become social entrepreneurs for all girls no matter their creed, socioeconomic background and colour of their skin”.

The shows are happening April 14 and 15 at the Brampton Heritage Theatre, 86 Main Street North in Brampton. Tickets are available through the box office, which can be contacted at 905-874-2800. The funds raised through the shows will help them in their goal to tour and bring their message to the masses.

DON’T LET BRAS BE THESE GIRLS ONLY SUPPORT!!!

When I was in high school, we had to read Obasan, a tale written from the perspective of a girl, Naomi Nakane, during the Japanese evacuation and internments in Canada during World War II. This book not only brought a piece of shameful Canadian history to light for me, but also opened my eyes to a wonderful writer - Joy Kogawa.

I am happy to say that Joy Kogawa will be reading from her sequel to Obasan, Emily Kato (previously entitled Itsuka), Thursday, March 9th at 5pm at the Church of the Holy Trinity, located behind the Toronto Eaton Centre. Admission is free. For further information, contact Anton Wagner at awagner@yorku.ca.

To read about the plight to save the Kogawa’s childhood Vancouver home, from which the writer and her family were evacuated, go to www.kogawahouse.com.

Ever consider you might not be able to pick up that book that all your friends are raving about? Ever shake your head at the book burnings of the past? These things are still happening today, even in our own backyards.

The Book and Periodical Council’s Freedom of Expression Committee organizes Freedom to Read Week, “an annual event that encourages Canadians to think about and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom, which is guaranteed them under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Freedom to read can never be taken for granted. Even in Canada, a free country by world standards, books and magazines are banned at the border. Books are removed from the shelves in Canadian libraries, schools and bookstores every day. Free speech on the Internet is under attack. Few of these stories make headlines, but they affect the right of Canadians to decide for themselves what they choose to read.”

You can get involved! There are numerous events taking place throughout the country, as well as opportunities for you to make a difference. Set up a local event, contact your local government, make people aware by speaking out loud about what isn’t being said!

Go to www.freedomtoread.ca to get more information on what’s happening and where. If you don’t speak out, who will?