About the Tapestry Project

Otessa Ghadar, creative mind behind OJBG, Kicks Off Interactive New Media “Tapestry” Project and “Go Orange” campaign at D.C. Capital Pride Parade

Grab your chance to meet Otessa in person for dinner in D.C.!

Otessa is proud to announce the launch of her interactive New Media “Tapestry” project, part of her “Go Orange” campaign to coincide with this year’s Capital Pride Parade in Washington D.C. on Saturday, June 8, 2013 (event coverage will be aired the following week for those that miss it). The decision to unveil Tapestry, a new media vlog collection project, during the annual LGBT event came spontaneously after receiving lots of positive feedback from Orange Juice in Bishop’s Garden viewers from around the globe who wrote to Otessa, telling her that OJBG is filling a vast void for LGBT youth by creating a space in the new media for them. The “Go Orange” campaign and the Tapestry project aim to create a positive and safe space for LGBT youth online and they are a direct result of the overwhelmingly positive feedback from OJBG viewers, particularly when it comes to dealing with the issues of underrepresented youth the main stream media are leaving behind.To kick things off in style, Otessa had her own “Go Orange” float during the Capital Pride parade and conducted and filmed interviews with top influencers in the LGBT and LGBT youth community. The interviews aim to manifest a positive and encouraging message to LGBT and underrepresented youth in general around the world. The project is all about spreading a message of increasing pride and lowering fear. OJBG has viewers in over 140 countries, many of them in areas where LGBT issues are either ignored or persecuted. The Tapestry project aims to amplify their voices and that of the burgeoning LGBT youth movement around the world. Tapestry will be a safe vlog (video contribution) collection space where anyone can post and share an experience without fear of being judged. Tapestry will collect vlogs from youth of all walks of life. The project is a call to action, an invitation to submit stories and a way to share the experiences of youth who are often forgotten, cast aside or simply ignored. Tapestry will become a forum where LGBT youth can connect and form a compassionate community online. Tapestry will not be limited to just the LGBT community but wants to turn the spotlight on all kinds of under-represented young people and their stories–whether this involves women’s stories, life as a minority, or the challenges of being a first or second generation immigrant.

To encourage contributions, Otessa will host one particularly interesting contributor to Tapestry for dinner in D.C. each month for the rest of the year to get to meet her or him in person when they are in the D.C. area. For those contributors who will not be able make it to D.C. Otessa will meet you via Skype or other online medium and send the chosen contributor a special gift. Otessa herself will choose one contribution each month for the “Go Orange” campaign over the next several months. (Sorry, but just to keep it fair, selection of the contributor will be solely at Otessa’s discretion)

We want to hear from everyone – and we mean everyone!

This project is all about creating a space where you, the viewers, become storytellers themselves and the tradition of storytelling is kept alive with the new media.

Who’s going Orange?

Acclaimed musician. Jen’s song “This is Me” will be the sound
of the Tapestry.

Singer-songwriter and star of Orange Juice in Bishop’s Garden, Ellen Winter. Ellen will join us at this year’s Capital Pride Parade.

Beloved OJBG cast members Aleca Piper, Andrew Cohen and Desirae Zentz are also going Orange!

Liz Parker, Ashley Mumford, and everyone here at OJBG Headquarters.

Marcus Dowling, Washingtonian and freelance journalist (Washiongton City Paper, The Pink Line Project, Brightest Young Things, 93.9 WKYS).

Even more RENAISSANCE MEN & WOMEN & WUNDERKINDS from DC, NY, LA and beyond who are TBA.

We’ve made new t-shirts calling people to “Go Orange!” which we will be selling online and will donate a percentage of our sales to LGBT youth supportive organizations. We’ve also developed a special “Go!” App to be used during and after Pride for people to show they’ve “Gone Orange.” Users from all over the world can submit pictures of themselves showing their support for their communities and put their cities on the map.

The Tapestry video will be screened in select locations and will be made widely available online. To participate or for further interest, please email reply@twentytwentyproductions.com.