You are invited to participate in a project called Halogen, which uses visual art to create innovative and proactive suicide prevention resources for Black and Brown trans communities. The project lead is inviting Black and Brown individuals over 18 who are, but are not required to be, transgender or two-spirit. You may have been introduced to this project through an organization that agreed to participate to assist in recruiting potential participants. This form is part of a process called “informed consent” to allow you to understand this project before deciding whether to take part.
This project is being created by Remy Styrk, who is an award-winning Black trans filmmaker, musician, and humanist.
Background Information:
Remy Styrk is traveling the United States this year to learn about different beliefs on death, the self, and preservation from Black and Brown cultures – documenting through photography, ethnography, audio, and interviews.
Learning about different beliefs on death and preservation can help us center more of what fulfills us and our legacy in the living world – especially around the soul. Eventually, removing thepolarities of “life” and “death”.
This project, Halogen, uses visual art to create innovative and proactive resources for suicide prevention in Black and Brown trans communities. These resources are books, trading cards, documentaries, photography, and more.
Halogen will be introduced through an interactive museum exhibit.
This is an interactive museum exhibit to ingrain the feeling of Halogen into the viewer through full body experience – rather than through a website, email, or merely watching a video on a screen. Simultaneously, an open invitation for the viewer to access their own soul.
A book will be made from the museum exhibit and distributed to libraries, therapist offices, nonprofits, treatment centers, community centers, and more.
Procedures:
If you agree to be a part of this project, you will be:
– Interviewed through 5-10 questions about the soul, your beliefs on death, and how the soul is preserved.
– Photographed*
– Audio recorded*
* PHOTOGRAPHY: Will photograph objects, shapes, people, places, etc. that folks identify as representing the soul and the conversation between this life and another. Also to further document the surroundings that influence people and how their beliefs on death and the soul influence the spaces they occupy. You do not have to have your face photographed if you don’t wish to.
* AUDIO: Will be recording people leaving audio messages for their souls.
I will be traveling to you.
Voluntary Nature of the Study:
This study is completely voluntary. Everyone will respect your decision of whether or not you choose to be a part of the project. No one associated with this project will treat you differently if you decide not to be in the project. Your legal name does not need to be attached to your participation in this project if you wish not to have it.
Payment:
This study is completely voluntary; there will be no reimbursement or payment for participation at this time.
Privacy:
Any information you provide that you wish to be anonymous will be kept anonymous. The researcher will not use your personal information for any purposes outside of this project. Information collected will be kept secure and will be kept in perpetuity for reuse with original permissions on the expansion of the project.
Contacts and Questions:
If you have questions now or at a later time, you may contact Remy Styrk via remy@remystyrk.com. Additionally, please schedule a time to meet with Remy Styrk via the email address and or with the organization you received this letter through.
To visit the project site and learn more: https://remystyrk.com/halogen/
Please print or save this consent information for your records.