You too can get involved
Lady Gaga is five shows into her massive Joanne world tour — consisting of 60 shows over the next five months. There are million reasons why Lady Gaga is one of the more genuine and honest artists you can see live, but what she is doing off-stage is equally as admirable.
Come to Mama:
In 2011, Lady Gaga co-foundedThe Born This Way Foundation with her mother, Cynthia Germanotta. BTWF is an American non-profit organization that strives to create a “braver and kind world” for youths. They do this by focusing on an end-goal to create safe-spaces, promote the learning of life skills, and provide opportunities to improve their local communities.
Joanne:
You can catch the BTWF along certain points of the Joanne tour as they will be present at 35 stops. As they state via their website, “they didn’t come for the music — they came for the kindness.” At each city the BTWF is organizing or participating in a variety of events that will support their mission of engaging youth to foster kindness, improve mental wellness, and create more positive environments. Pop-up booths and various information centers will also provide information on how you can lend a hand and make a difference by spreading the power of kindness in your community, and with local organizations in partnership.
Prior to embarking on tour, and in preparation, the BTWF completed a comprehensive study of the factors that impact youth mental wellness — surveying 3,000 people between the ages of 15 and 24, and 1,000 parents. The results were astounding.
Key findings highlighted were:
- Kindness matters. Young people who describe their environments as kind are more likely to be mentally healthy. That’s true for youth in high schools, colleges, and the workplace.
- Peer networks matter. Youth rely on a small set of close friends for support. And while young people also talk with their parents about important issues, parents don’t necessarily understand what’s going on with their children emotionally or what they’re willing to discuss.
- Mental health resources matter. Young people with access to tangible resources are more mentally healthy. Furthermore, youth want to empower themselves with knowledge and skills to support their own wellness — and assist a friend who might be in crisis — but we need to do a better job providing those resources. ~via (BornThisWay.Foundation)
Million Reasons:
BTWF’s Executive Director, Maya Enista Smith, states, “We have three goals — on this tour and beyond: we want to make kindness cool, we want to validate and support the emotions of young people around the world, and — most importantly — we want to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health and lift up stories and experiences.”
Branded the Channel Kindness Tour, Smith, Lady Gaga and team see this courageous effort as not only an opportunity to be kind, but also as one to give back.
At the tour kickoff in Vancouver for example, they partnered with the Elizabeth Fry Center, where a dinner was held with a group of children between the ages of 6 and 16. Each was given a platform to share their story and ultimately write a “Good Luck” note to Lady Gaga as she kicked off the tour.
Diamond Heart:
Whether it’s fighting for equality, women’s rights, taking a stand against bullying or soldiering a foundation for kindness, Lady Gaga is practicing what she preaches — being proud of who you are and being yourself. In doing this, you allow your creative instincts to navigate the open field that is life. Your way.
At the conclusion, the BTWF and Channel Kindness Tour will be giving out eight awards to recognize youth leaders who are transforming their communities through kindness. My award goes to artists like Lady Gaga, who continue to use their platform to make the world a better place. By leveraging her voice, she’s empowering the voices of so many others. In a time where we continuously see unlimited confusion, this is a great example of the arts leading the way.
Even if you are not attending a show, you can still participate in channeling kindness by following the journey (#ChannelKindness) and engaging in #KindFor30 Challenge on social media.
Channel Kindness Tour Stops:
August 1: Vancouver, BC
August 5: Tacoma, WA
August 8 + 9: Inglewood, CA
August 13: San Francisco, CA
August 19: Omaha, NE
August 21: Saint Paul, MN
August 23: Cleveland, OH
August 28 + 29: Flushing, NY
September 1: Boston, MA
September 11: Philadelphia, PA
September 15: Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
September 22: Barcelona, Spain
September 26: Milan, Italy
October 6 + 7: Paris, France
October 9 + 10: London, United Kingdom
October 17: Manchester, United Kingdom
October 26: Berlin, Germany
November 7: Detroit, MI
November 13: Louisville, KY
November 15: Kansas City, MO
November 19: Washington, D.C.
November 28: Atlanta, GA
November 30: Miami, FL
December 1: Tampa, FL
December 3: Houston, TX
December 5: Austin, TX
December 8: Dallas, TX
December 9: Oklahoma City, OK
For more information visit and to follow The Channel Kindness Tour visit: BornThisWay.Foundation
To make a donation visit here:
To follow what the BTWF is working on, read featured stories from partners, community members and fans, check out the: Born Brave Blog
All art featured in collaboration with and approved by: Helen Green. To see more of Helen’s amazing illustration work visit: HelenGreenIllustration.com
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~ follow Jeff Gorra | twitter @JeffGorra |JeffGorra@ArtistWaves.com
