About
Mission
Using a revolutionary play, a book and storytelling-based activism workshops, StopSlut aims to transform rape culture into a culture of CARE– communication, accountability, respect and empathy.
History
StopSlut is a youth-driven movement that grew out of the intense response to SLUT: The Play.
SLUT: The Play, written by Katie Cappiello, was inspired by the real experiences of high school students and developed over two years with teenage actors from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Virginia in weekly creative sessions led by The Arts Effect. The play follows the journey of 16-year-old Joanna Del Marco who is assaulted by three friends during a night out in NYC, and highlights the damaging impact of rape culture on the lives of young people and the importance of being heard.
StopSlut uses this powerful play to ignite social change. The movement supports a youth-initiated response to slut shaming and sexual assault, addresses the inaction of bystanders, the need for sex education that examines dynamics alongside mechanics, and emphasizes the responsibility we all share in perpetuating misogyny through our language, actions and inactions.
Since 2013, StopSlut has grown into a global coalition of students, educators and artists using our tools—SLUT: The Play, SLUT: A Play and Guidebook for Combating Sexism and Sexual Violence, and StopSlut workshops—to spark much-needed conversation and develop unique activism campaigns for their communities. To date, this play and its creative team have toured New York, California, North Dakota, Massachusetts, Washington DC, Minnesota and Georgia; and the piece and movement have reached thousands through independent productions and workshops in NY, NJ, PA, GA, CA, ND, MN, MT, ME, MD, DC, VA, Australia, Mexico and Canada.
Our goal is to inspire young people (the real experts) through theater, storytelling and discussion to create small, strategic changes in their communities that will lead to a cultural shift.
Producer:
The Arts Effect is an award-winning activist arts program dedicated to the development of youth-driven theatrical projects that explore the challenges facing young people worldwide. Founded in 2007 by Katie Cappiello and Meg McInerney, The Arts Effect has created and produced four critically-acclaimed original plays: Keep Your Eyes Open, FACEBOOK ME, SLUT, and A Day in the Life.
Publisher:
The Feminist Press is an independent nonprofit literary publisher that promotes freedom of expression and social justice, most recently with StopSlut. FP was founded in 1970, and recent additions to their roster of groundbreaking activist literature include Still Brave: The Evolution of Black Women’s Studies, Hey Shorty: A Guide to Combating Sexual Harassment and Violence in Schools and On the Streets, The Feminist Porn Book, and The Riot Grrrl Collection.
Bios
Katie Cappiello
is the founding artistic director the revolutionary acting school The Arts Effect, and the writer/director of SLUT: THE PLAY. She is also the writer/director of the original plays KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN, FACEBOOK ME, and A DAY IN THE LIFE. Her works have reached audiences across the country and are currently being produced in Mexico, Indonesia, Canada and Australia. Katie also developed Project Impact and Generation FREE, anti-trafficking arts and advocacy programming for teen survivors and high school students. This year, alongside Meg McInerney, Katie published her first book, SLUT: A Play and Guidebook for Combatting Sexism and Sexual Violence. Her latest plays HER STORY, UNCUT and NOW THAT WE’RE MEN will debute this winter in NYC and DC, and examine female genital mutilation (FGM) and the impact of rape culture on young men respectively. Katie has been honored by The National Women’s Hall of Fame for her work with young people. Katie is one of New York’s New Abolitionists.
Meg McInerney
is founding managing director of the award-winning Arts Effect. Over the past 8 years, she has co-directed four original plays including SLUT: THE PLAY, A DAY IN THE LIFE, FACEBOOK ME and KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN. She worked to develop Project Impact and Generation FREE, teen-focused anti-trafficking initiatives designed to educate communities and unite survivors and activists. In early 2015, with Katie Cappiello, Meg published her first book, SLUT: A Play and Guidebook for Combatting Sexism and Sexual Violence. She has been recognized by the United States Congress and Department of State for her dedication to bettering the lives of girls and women. Meg is one of New York’s New Abolitionists.
StopSlut Coalition
A community of students throughout the country engaging in activism to end slut shaming and transform rape culture into CARE culture (Communication, Accountability, Respect, and Empathy). Youth leaders of the coalition have also helped develop SLUT: THE PLAY and have contributed writings to SLUT: A Play and Guidebook for Combating Sexism and Sexual Violence. Feminist politics have always flowed from people’s real lives, this project came out of young people telling the truth about what has happened to them.
The Arts Effect
is an award-winning activist arts program dedicated to the development of youth-driven theatrical projects that explore the challenges facing young people worldwide. Founded in 2007 by Katie Cappiello and Meg McInerney, The Arts Effect has produced four critically-acclaimed original plays: KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN, FACEBOOK ME, SLUT and A DAY IN THE LIFE. Katie and Meg have brought theater arts programming to public, private, and special educational schools worldwide, and Arts Effect productions and workshops have reached thousands in cities across the US. The work of The Arts Effect has been hailed by Secretary of State Hillary R. Clinton, Gloria Steinem, Eve Ensler, Kathy Najimy, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Amy Poehler, Beau Willimon, Michael Kelly, Senator Mark Warner, Emily Mortimer and more. The Arts Effect has collaborated with national and global organizations including: Feminist Press, Equality Now, Sanctuary for Families, Deaf DAWN, Break the Cycle, Planned Parenthood, National Organization for Women, National Council of Jewish Women, Black Women’s Blueprint and UNICEF.
