As an independent, non-profit multidisciplinary art and performance group, WaxFactory has gained reputation -- both in its New York home base and internationally – for devising and producing works that seamlessly blend a variety of media and challenge the boundaries between art forms. (For more information, please visit our website.)

What is the project for which we need your support?

After touring with multiple productions across four continents for nearly 15 years, we are excited to have been invited to perform our acclaimed production, blind.ness, as part of the inaugural edition of I [heart] MZ festival in Mendoza, Argentina in December 2013! In more ways than one, this is an opportunity we simply cannot miss, filled with many "firsts"! It is the first time WaxFactory will travel to present work in Argentina; we will perform at the very first edition of I [heart] MZ festival; we will be the first company from the United States to perform there… Also, since we have been busy making a movie since 2011, (and our co-founder Erika Latta was busy being a mom since 2012,) this engagement will mark our first tour of the 2010’s and we could not be more thrilled!

blind.ness (love is a four-letter word) is a daring examination of what happens when love goes terribly wrong. Presented in WaxFactory's renowned interdisciplinary style, part multimedia installation, part dance-theater, blind.ness follows a powerhouse all-female cast on an emotional roller coaster ride across the dark and wildly humorous underbelly of love.

To quote a couple of reviews:

"If you're turned on by that infamous scene between Dennis Hopper and Isabella Rossellini in Blue Velvet, you'll go wild for this."  - Gothamist

"…like the recent films of David Lynch, [the show’s] layers of potent and enigmatic imagery aspire to be baffling, disturbing and intoxicating at once.” – the Brooklyn Rail

For more information about blind.ness, visit the show's homepage on our website.

Why do we need your help?

Earlier this summer, WaxFactory was extremely honored and grateful to have been chosen for a prestigious international touring grant from Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation’s USArtists International program, with federal support from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and private funds from the Mellon Foundation.

However, touring across continents is a challenging feat – there are long distances (and many expenses) to cover, and the support we received covers only one-half of the costs of flying our international team to Argentina, shipping our set, and paying modest fees to all the performers and technicians.

But with your help, we are confident that we can do it! Why? Last year, in our very first crowdfunding campaign – created to gain support for the completion of our first feature film, 416 MINUTES – 40+ supporters from Europe, North and South America contributed over $13,000, nearly three times our original goal! We are humbled by your generosity – it is your help that makes our work possible, so we encourage you to support us again…or for the first time, if you haven’t already.

Please donate what you can! Whatever you give will not only be met with deep gratitude, but also with fun rewards listed in the sidebar. WaxFactory is an approved non-profit organization, and Indiegogo collects donation via FirstGiving – therefore all of your donations will be tax-deductible, and you will immediately receive your donation letter from them.

IMPORTANT UPDATE:

It has come to our attention that some donors have been having difficulty making contributions here on Indiegogo. If you are a non-US donor and experiencing this problem, we encourage you to make your contribution to WaxFactory (hq@waxfactory.org) via PayPal (www.paypal.com). Or, if you would rather send us a check, we are happy to accommodate that as well! Rest assured, your donation will be forwarded to this campaign, and you will receive the same benefits. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience and generosity!

How will we use the funds raised during this campaign?

As we mentioned earlier, the grant support we have received to date only partially covers the expenses of touring to Argentina. $8,000 is the minimum amount we need to raise in order to be able to cover the expenses of airfares, shipping costs and performance fees to the traveling team. Unless we meet our funding goal, we will not be able to take this production on tour. Please note that this is the minimum amount we require -- we hope that we can exceed this amount, so that we can pay our hardworking team members beyond the modest stipend we have budgeted for the trip.

What next?

As you can imagine from what you’ve read so far, this project is an incredibly ambitious undertaking, spanning artistic disciplines, and continents. At this time we are focusing our efforts on raising the necessary funds to enable WaxFactory to travel to Argentina to perform blind.ness. Now that we are half-way there with the funds we secured, we need your support to make it to the finish line by September 20. Your donation – no matter how large or small – will help this exciting project possible!

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Creative team of blind.ness

director | Ivan Talijancic

text | Simona Semenic, Ivan Talijancic in collaboration with the cast

cast | Melody Bates, Gillian Chadsey, Erika Latta, and Breeda Wool

set | Minimart (Slovenia)

video | Antonio Giacomin (Italy/Slovenia)

surround sound | Random Logic (Slovenia)

costumes | Haans Nicholas Mott

lights | Solomon Weisbard

executive producers | Ivan Talijancic for WaxFactory (New York) and Simona Semenič for Integrali cultural association (Ljubljana)

co-production | PS122 / Performance Space 122 (New York, USA) + Cankarjev dom (Ljubljana, Slovenia) + KD Integrali (Ljubljana, Slovenia)