Upcoming Event Nov 6th 7pm EST

Upcoming Event Nov 6th 7pm EST

Film Screening + Artist Talk Thursday Nov 6th

On Thursday, Nov 6 we’re screening Playing with Fire: An Ecosexual Emergency (in person only) at 7 pm EST, followed by a virtual artist talk + Q&A at 8:30 pm EST with the filmmakers Beth Stephens & Annie Sprinkle (hosted by The 109 Gallery + WEAD). In-person guests will stay in the gallery and join the Zoom projection so everyone can be in the same conversation.

Share along. It’s a strong fit for those interested in performance art, ecology, queer community topics, and broad community audiences curious about a playful approach to ecological and socio-political activism.

Event at a glance

  • Thurs, Nov 6

  • 7:00 pm EST – Film screening at The 109 Gallery (in person only)

  • 8:30 pm EST – WEAD-hosted Zoom artist talk + Q&A (in person + virtual)

  • RSVP (in person or virtual): Link to RSVP     Zoom Link

  • Arrive a little early 20-10 mins before 7pm to get settled in. The 109 will provide light refreshments you are welcome to bring your favorite snacks or beverages. Setting is a warm communal vibe, with a variety of seating options including soft chairs, stools, wooden chairs, floor sitting with blankets and cushions. This is an 18+ event

    Presented in collaboration with The 109 Gallery & Women Eco Artists Dialog (WEAD)     www.weadartists.org

    This event is part of our current exhibition Bodies and Borders: Ecologies of Consent featured online as well as select works being shown at The 109 Gallery.

    Check out our gallery     online here and read more about the exhibition on our exhibitions page.

WEAD and Gallery 109 are delighted to welcome

Beth Stephens and Annie Sprinkle 

Originators of the 'Ecosex' Movement

"Ecosexuality is a conceptual art innovation that we have developed since 2008. It shifts the metaphor from "Earth as Mother" to "Earth as Lover" to inspire a more reciprocal relationship between humans and the non-human realms. By incorporating this concept into our films, we engage our viewers' imaginations, add humor, and celebrate the Earth’s delights to draw meaningful attention to urgent environmental justice issues."

-Beth Stephens & Annie Sprinkle

About The Film

Beth Stephens & Annie Sprinkle directed this joyous ecosexual documentary born from the ashes of California’s devastating fires. When lightning ignites the redwood forest surrounding their home in Boulder Creek, longtime lovers Beth Stephens and Annie Sprinkle are forced to evacuate —and their lives are forever transformed.

Blending loss and grief with art, humor, and community care, the film unfolds through an ecosexual lens (imagining the Earth as a lover) while weaving stories from formerly incarcerated firefighters, an Indigenous scholar, fire artists, neighbors, a witchtherapist, a fire-play massage fetishist, and a fire tassel twirling burlesque queen.

Playing with Fire explores how climate catastrophe intersects with social justice, and is a powerful portrait of resilience in the face of a world in flames. It becomes a love letter to resilience, queerness, and the Earth as the couple navigates trauma, social fires, and climate crisis. Can we learn to live with fire instead of fighting it? This mythopoetic doc film dares to imagine a future aflame with love.
https://sprinklestephens.ucsc.edu/playing-with-fire-2/