Author: Eliza Hayes Maher
One of Buffalo’s favorite artistic stomping grounds, The Irish Classical Theatre Company, will be home to The Radium Girls Productions presents The Travel Project’s Buffalo Cabaret and Fundraiser on June 27, 2016 from 7-9pm. With auctions prizes courtesy of some of Buffalo’s finest theaters, and local businesses, combined with the talents of local favorites Michele Marie Benzin, Kelly Copps, Loraine O’Donnell, and Kevin Craig, the evening is sure to be one of joy, laughter and love.
SUNY Buffalo Theatre & Dance Department graduates and co-founders of The Travel Project, Eliza Hayes Maher (’09), Kelsey Mathes (’09), Amanda McDowell (’09), and Jacqueline Raymond (’08), are hosting the evening of food, drink, and entertainment in order to raise funding for The Travel Project’s maiden voyage: bringing a Creative Arts and Female Empowerment Workshop to The Thoo Mweh Khee Migrant Learning Center in Thailand this summer.
In April of last year, Maher paid an independent visit to the school, which hosts volunteer teachers and brings educational opportunities to refugee children from Burma, and left knowing that some day she would return in a greater capacity.
“I remember leaving the school and thinking that there was so much more to be done, but not knowing where to begin. I remember feeling the need to involve myself in something that was much bigger than myself but not knowing quite how to do it.”
3 months later, over breakfast in New York City, she found her answer. Maher and Raymond reunited after a separate year of traveling and work as actors, and discussed their mutual desires to share the gift of education in the arts and female empowerment in a greater capacity. It was over this breakfast that the concept of The Travel Project was formed. Raymond, a founder of The Radium Girls Productions (a NYC-based Theatre company championing women’s work), mentioned bringing on TRG co-founders Mathes and McDowell as partners in the endeavor, and producing it under the TRG name, thus starting the year of planning for the international educational trip that takes off in August.
The Thoo Mweh Khee Migrant Learning Center lies on the border of Thailand and Burma, and offers educational and English-learning opportunities to Karen refugee children, youth from Karen State, Burma, and children of Karen migrant workers. The four SUNY Buffalo Graduates will be bringing a week-long volunteer workshop to the school; focusing on creative expression, dance, female empowerment, and leadership for children as young as 5 as well as young adults.
Says Brandon Newlin, (an ex-Pat, and tireless leader and champion of the school), in response to TRG’s The Travel Project: “I love, love love this whole idea, especially the female empowerment classes. […] We have so many girls who are smarter, more capable, and more responsible than most of the boys, but out of 6 candidates for school president, there were 5 boys because it’s so ingrained in them that [only] boys are built for leadership.”
The women, who are all deeply connected to Buffalo both through local theatre and via Fine Arts degrees through SUNY Buffalo’s Theatre and Dance Department, chose The Queen City as home to one of their fundraisers for good reason. The population of refugees in Buffalo that are of Burmese descent has steadily increased in the past 15 years, and since the first influx in 2000, New York State has resettled some 11,362 refugees from Burma.
“When you come from a place of educational privilege, seeing the desperate need for education on the other side of the world is alarming,” says Maher. “…and when that need is then mirrored by the same ethnic population in your own backyard, it hits home in a whole different way. We hope that by hosting the fundraiser in Buffalo, we will also help to bring an increased awareness to the needs of the local refugee population.” She continues, “…we just have so much to learn from each other as humans. And if, as strong, able, educated women we can find a way to bring the gift of creativity and empowerment to children in need, then no matter how far we have to travel, we’re going to do it. We’re sharing that “buffalove” that we have each experienced personally in some way. Because at the end of the day, that love…that’s what will create positive change.”
For pre-sale tickets to the June 27th, 7pm event at The Irish Classical Theatre, visit: thetravelprojectbuffalo.splashthat.com. Tickets may also be purchased at the door on the evening of the event. To donate, visit: www.crowdrise.com/sarahrazmann.