We are really sad to announce that Escapade’s long-time charity, Good Hearted People, has closed its doors. We trust that their clients will find help through other local agencies. However, that leaves us in a bind for a charity to support this year. So, we reached out to a cause that is truly in alignment with Escapade, and have selected the Organization for Transformative Works as the recipient charity for Escapade 19. They are a 501(c)3 non-profit, and all contributions made through the convention will (as in the past) be directly and completely passed on to the charity.
In case you haven’t heard of the OTW here’s a quick overview:
The Organization for Transformative Works is a nonprofit organization established by fans to serve the interests of fans by providing access to and preserving the history of fanworks and fan culture in its myriad forms. It believes that fanworks are transformative and that transformative works are legitimate. Its projects, offered free to all fans, include the Archive of Our Own and the custom-designed open-source software on which is it built; Fanlore, a fandom wiki; legal assistance in defending fanworks; Open Doors, offering shelter to at-risk fannish projects; the peer-reviewed academic journal Transformative Works and Cultures; and the Vidding History Project.
One of the projects that the OTW has taken on recently is right here in Escapade’s backyard. They are facilitating the transfer of the Fanzine Archives (a library of more than 3,000 hardcopy fanzines) from the possession of a local fan to a university library, where they will be preserved, cataloged and cared for.