CIRCLE N°1 SHE WHO CREATES
SUPPORTING INDEPENDENT WOMEN CREATIVES
THE MANIFESTO
IN A WORLD WHERE CREATIVITY IS TOO OFTEN SHAPED BY EXPECTATION, CIRCLE N°1: SHE WHO CREATES RISES AS A BOLD DECLARATION OF CREATIVE AUTONOMY AND FEMININE STRENGTH. THIS CIRCLE IS A SPACE FOR WOMEN TO RECLAIM THEIR NARRATIVES, AMPLIFY THEIR VOICES, AND SHOWCASE WORKS THAT ARE WHOLLY, UNAPOLOGETICALLY THEIRS. HERE, WE HONOR THE COURAGE IT TAKES TO CREATE ON YOUR OWN TERMS — WITHOUT COMPROMISE, WITHOUT PERMISSION.
THOUGH WOMEN HAVE LONG BEEN PILLARS OF THE CREATIVE WORLD, THEY CONTINUE TO FACE SYSTEMIC AND SOCIAL BARRIERS — FROM LIMITED VISIBILITY AND ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITY, TO UNDERREPRESENTATION IN LEADERSHIP AND DECISION-MAKING SPACES. THIS DISPARITY DOESN’T JUST IMPACT INDIVIDUAL CAREERS — IT NARROWS THE COLLECTIVE SCOPE OF WHAT CREATIVITY CAN BE. BRIDGING THIS GAP MEANS RETHINKING HOW WE SUPPORT, CELEBRATE, AND UPLIFT WOMEN IN ALL CREATIVE FIELDS.
CIRCLE N°1 WAS FORMED AS BOTH A RESPONSE AND AN OFFERING — A PLATFORM THAT GIVES BACK WHAT THE SYSTEM TOO OFTEN WITHHOLDS: RECOGNITION, COMMUNITY, AND SPACE. THIS CIRCLE IS NOT JUST A SHOWCASE; IT’S A SPACE FOR DIALOGUE AND DISRUPTION. A PLACE WHERE ART BECOMES ACTION — WHERE STORIES CHALLENGE ASSUMPTIONS, AESTHETICS INSPIRE SHIFTS, AND WOMEN TAKE THE LEAD.
HOSTED ON AGORA, OUR ONLINE MARKETPLACE FOR CREATIVES, THROUGH THIS ONLINE EVENT, WE INVITE BOTH ARTISTS AND AUDIENCES TO NOT ONLY WITNESS CHANGE, BUT TO PARTICIPATE IN IT. HERE, CREATION IS MORE THAN EXPRESSION — IT’S A CATALYST.
ARTISTS & CREATORS CAN NOW APPLY TO PARTICIPATE
CALLING ALL WOMEN ARTISTS AND CREATORS.
IF YOUR WORK SPEAKS FROM THE SOUL, CHALLENGES NORMS, OR SIMPLY EXISTS ON YOUR OWN TERMS — WE WANT TO SEE IT.
CIRCLE NO.1: SHE WHO CREATES IS A SPACE TO BE UNAPOLOGETICALLY SEEN, HEARD, AND CELEBRATED.APPLY NOW TO SHARE YOUR STORY, YOUR CRAFT, YOUR TRUTH.
TARGETED TOPICS
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WOMEN IN THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY
WOMEN CREATIVES CONTINUE TO FACE SYSTEMIC CHALLENGES—BE IT UNDERREPRESENTATION, LIMITED FUNDING, OR CREATIVE CONSTRAINTS IMPOSED BY GENDERED EXPECTATIONS. CIRCLE NO.1 EXISTS TO CARVE SPACE FOR INDEPENDENT WOMEN TO BE SEEN, HEARD, AND HONORED ON THEIR OWN TERMS. THROUGH THIS PLATFORM, WE ELEVATE FEMALE VOICES NOT AS TOKENS, BUT AS POWERFUL, ESSENTIAL CONTRIBUTORS TO CULTURE AND CHANGE.
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GENDER DISPARITY
WOMEN REMAIN SIGNIFICANTLY UNDERREPRESENTED ACROSS MANY AREAS OF THE CREATIVE FIELD—FROM GALLERY REPRESENTATION TO LEADERSHIP ROLES. CIRCLE NO.1 WAS CREATED TO HELP BRIDGE THIS GAP, CULTIVATING A SPACE WHERE WOMEN AND MARGINALIZED GENDERS ARE NOT ONLY INCLUDED, BUT CENTERED. THROUGH VISIBILITY, SUPPORT, AND TANGIBLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH, WE AIM TO BUILD A CREATIVE ECOSYSTEM ROOTED IN EQUITY, EXPRESSION, AND CARE.
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ACCESS & INCLUSIVITY
TALENT SHOULDN’T BE CONFINED BY PRIVILEGE. CIRCLE NO.1 IS COMMITTED TO BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS—BE THEY ECONOMIC, GEOGRAPHIC, CULTURAL, OR INSTITUTIONAL—THAT PREVENT MANY FROM ENTERING OR THRIVING WITHIN THE ART WORLD. OUR CALL IS OPEN, OUR FORMAT IS FLEXIBLE, AND OUR FOCUS IS ON CREATORS WHO MAY NOT YET HAVE HAD A SEAT AT THE TABLE.
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PROTECTING ARTIST INTEGRITY
TOO OFTEN, CREATIVITY IS FILTERED THROUGH ELITE INSTITUTIONS OR COMMERCIAL EXPECTATIONS. CIRCLE NO.1 TAKES A GRASSROOTS, CREATOR-LED APPROACH—CURATING FROM THE GROUND UP RATHER THAN THE TOP DOWN. WE ENVISION A MORE DEMOCRATIC ART WORLD: ONE THAT VALUES INTENTION OVER FAME, MEANING OVER MARKETABILITY, AND COMMUNITY OVER HIERARCHY.
20% of all proceeds will be equally distributed to the following
SELECTED INITIATIVES, CHARITIES & ORGANIZATIONS
THE MUSES INITIATIVE (GLOBAL)
The Muses Initiative is the in-house social impact arm of Maison Muses. Our mission is to support independent and underrepresented creatives, advance equity in the arts, and use art as a bridge between expression and impact. The initiative funds emerging artists, supports charitable causes, and drives campaigns that address the deeper cultural, social, and structural issues that affect creative communities today.
THE ARTIST CHANGEMAKER PROGRAM AT GLOBAL FUND FOR WOMEN (GLOBAL)
The Artist Changemaker Program at Global Fund for Women supports artists who are making the gender justice revolution irresistible by using their art as a tool for new visions of the world, where equity and equality for all is a reality.
ART FOR ALL FOUNDATION (THAILAND)
Art for All aims to cultivate awareness in youth of the value of humanity, encouraging them to live with virtue and become individuals of worth to society. The project fosters positive attitudes and social values that emphasize respect for human diversity, while also focusing on the preservation and continuation of arts and culture. This forms the foundation of the project's mission, which centers on enhancing the quality of life for people with disabilities, supporting incarcerated individuals in finding peace and hope for the future, and creating a cultural and artistic legacy that contributes to national stability.
PRATTHANADEE FOUNDATION (THAILAND)
The mission of the Pratthanadee Foundation is to empower underprivileged women and girls in Thailand. We do this by providing access to free careers guidance, personal development workshops and mentoring, equipping undereducated women and girls from poor backgrounds with the tools they need to protect themselves, make healthy life decisions, and access safe and meaningful work. We help them to improve their situation, increase their economic earning power and create a better future.
THE BOYS CLUB: A WOMEN'S FILM COLLECTIVE (FRANCE)
The Boys Club is an international women’s filmmaking collective established in 2023. Rather than simply highlighting existing female voices, the collective utilizes a project based approach, producing and fundraising for women-led films. It promotes the discovery of new talents and aims to maintain crews with a female majority. For their debut film as a collective, The Boys Club made the decision to employ an entirely female crew and lead cast from pre-production through post. The donated funds will go towards the collective’s fund for current & future film production.