Front Range collective making arts events safer and more inclusive; Ukrainian Coloradans express support, concern for loved ones back home

Have you ever felt uncomfortable, threatened, or simply like you didn't belong while trying to enjoy live music at a concert or festival? Traditional venues for music, theater and the arts aren’t always the safest and most welcoming places – especially for women, people of color and individuals from marginalized communities. It can be difficult to enjoy what’s happening on stage when you’re feeling uncomfortable, or worried about being inappropriately groped or harassed.     Amy Karp and Ileana Rivera met as college students at the University of Colorado Boulder. They racked up a lot of hours in the local music and arts scene, and witnessed too many examples of problematic behavior including physical and sexual harassment. To acknowledge and address these issues, they co-founded the Text Me When You’re Home collective -- which organizes events across the Front Range and seeks to make the overall arts scene in Colorado safer, more inclusive and more uplifting. We spoke with them in November about their work.  As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, the U.S. and allied countries are set to announce additional sanctions Wednesday that will target government officials and their families, and Russian-owned financial institutions. This is partly in response to the killings of civilians revealed recently in Ukraine, which President Biden has called “war crimes.”  The Ukrainian community in Colorado has been standing in solidarity with their families and friends back home. In late February, I visited a Ukrainian church in northwest Denver to hear from some of the people there.  Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat. The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you! Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music used in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.