This summer sees Brandi Carlile embarking on a major headlining tour in support of her 5th studio album THE FIREWATCHER’S DAUGHTER. Carlile, who has earned her reputation as a formidable and engaging live performer, is prone to audience participation. However, this time she is inviting her audience to participate in a very unique and empowering way.
Carlile donates $1 from every concert ticket to The Looking Out Foundation, which in turn helps fund grassroots organizations and campaigns. This summer marks the launch of the Fight The Fear Campaign Tour (FtFC). (FtFC) is a community oriented violence-prevention initiative, providing training for women and girls in basic self defense skills including awareness, de-escalation, boundary setting, assertive communication, and fighting techniques - as well as access to resources for survivors of violence or abuse. The goal of FtFC is to make self-defense available to as many people as possible.
FtFC was inspired by the life and loss of Teresa Butz and her surviving partner Jennifer hopper, victims of a home invasion, rape and murder in South Park, Seattle in 2009. Carlile recalls the “devastating impact it had on the local community, particularly women who no longer felt safe in their own homes”. She expressed her frustration “I knew something had to be done but I didn’t know how to reach out”. The answer came when this violent crime led to the serendipitous meeting of two minds. Butz had been a long time fan of Carlile’s music, so as part of Hopper’s healing process, she reached out to Carlile. together they launched FtFC to empower and help vulnerable at risk communities realize their own strength, learn how to defend themselves and “Fight The Fear”.
Carlile sees her summer tour as an opportunity to take FtFC Nationwide by offering free Self-defense workshops wherever her tour bus stops. Fans will have the opportunity to register at her concert and attend a free workshop in their city the following week. Carlile predicts that the impact and ripple effect of FtFC will be hard to quantify “You can’t count the statistics of the attacks that won’t happen because of the women we are empowering”. Carlile said that too often, women and girls don’t stand up for themselves in the face of dangerous situations because they have been raised to be demure and accommodating. “The time to be quiet and cute is over,” she said. “That belongs in your parents’ and grandparents’ generation.”
FtFC will be partnering with with Prevention.Action.Change to coincide with the first stop in Portland, ME on THE FIREWATCHER’S DAUGHTER Tour on May 22nd.
Please visit Fight The Fear Campaign Tour for more information and a list of participating venues and organizations.
