Gina McGrath is an Asheville based artist, originally from Ohio, who has been practicing object manipulation since 2010 when she was initially intrigued by the possibility of deeper human connections with family. It started with the hoop, as many stories do, then rapidly moved on to poi and into static props as well as fans, and the rest is history. In 9 years of practice and production that intention still holds true.
Since being introduced to the flow arts and object manipulation community, Gina has changed as radically as a person as the art has changed in that time, but her want to better the world through mindfulness practice via active meditation has never been stronger. In her short amount of time in the community, she has taught and performed at over 150 festivals all over the world as well as produced 5 flow focused events with the help of collaborators and benefactors. In her experiences as an attendee all the way to General Manager, she has seen time and time again a need for more intentional and clear communication amongst producers and collaborators of gatherings, leading her to seek out other like minded people in the community in 2017. The combination of the support, inspiration, and need from the collective of like minded and purposed individuals lead to the concrete creation and launch of Consent Culture Initiative for and by FAI in January of 2018. Gina is the Executive Director on the Consent Culture initiative and is currently in pursuit of an Art Therapy License with a focus in Sexual Trauma Counseling. Her hope is to utilize object manipulation as a technique for the healing and processing of traumatic events simultaneously creating a more sustainable future for our community.
MISSION:
My mission in bringing consent culture to the object manipulation and juggling community is to assist in the creation of safer spaces for greater understanding of trauma, personal preferences, and ourselves. When we know how to get clear on our desires and wants we open the space to more authentically and intimately know each other which leads to a deeper and more fortified community. My hope is that this integration with the flow arts community will create a tone and ethos of our tribe that will simultaneously hold individuals accountable while facilitating their growth into more honorable, compassionate, and mindful human beings; Thus bringing more people into the fold as these are universal characteristic goals