The Natural Ass Sessions – Bushwick, NY from Danielle Bernstein on Vimeo.

The bikes that you see in the video were actually plugged directly into the sound system, so if there were no bikers, there was no energy to power the microphone and thus, no music. The system was really interactive, with color coded lights that showed how many watts were being produced and if the bikers needed to push harder, slow down, or cruise. There was a strong connection between the performers and the bikers and if the songs were not getting people amped up, you could actually see the power decrease. Overall there was so much enthusiasm from the bands and the bikers that it really inspired a lot of people to get up and ride. This is a project that will greatly aid in the anti – fracking and clean water movement. It has great potential to reach a diverse group of people and once the technology to make it happen is more available, some of the un-renewable energy sources used in the shipping of the bikes could be greatly cut down, making these events almost entirely off the grid from conception to execution.

Ultimately the message I took away is that we can each make a difference in our collective energy consumption by simply riding a bike. What I was really amazed by was how much energy is used and never harnessed as a renewable resource. Think if we had every gym in the US producing clean energy? The possibilities are endless.

This week was the test run for a much larger event Powered by Natural Ass is taking place in Union Square on June 26th. We hope you can be there!

Kickstarter is the product of a rapidly changing world. Where big studios have seemingly folded long ago, and the power to make dreams come true is back in the hands of the artists. With limited grants and a constantly fluctuating economy, grassroots fundraising has played a leading role in the support of independent creative projects. Not only does it give people a chance to participate on any level they can afford or feel comfortable, it builds an engaged and invested audience in the process. I personally enjoy looking through and supporting the various projects I have found through Kickstarter, as well IndieGoGo, a similar site. Interestingly enough, this funding model has also brought Ansley and I closer to a community that believes in this project. It has provided an interesting sense of purpose and encouragement which neither Ansley nor I saw coming. We are so grateful for each dollar that has been donated through out the process. There were many people who made this film possible from the beginning that are not on the Kickstarter site and we haven’t forgotten about them, but the format and we are almost there!

Mothers of a Nation is a project that Ansley West and I have been collaborating on for almost 3 years! We are now at the final stages of editing the feature version of the film and have started this Kickstarter page, asking for any and all
donations, “likes”, and word of mouth buzz about the project. We are on a tight deadline, trying to finish everything by the Fall and with the communities support we believe we can easily accomplish this.

Kickstarter is a great platform for a variety of creative projects to fundraiser through personal and professional networks to accomplish their goals. The donation starts as low as $1 and increases to a number of your choice.
Along with continued grant writing, social media outreach and exhibiting the photography and short film Mothers of a Nation has created a small but substantial following. We hope that this results on our vision and the voices of the women in the film making it to the big screen.

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Mothers of a Nation has most recently been recognized on the blog for Garcierrez Media. Check it out. Mothers of a Nation Link