Neighbourhood art fair in Sudbury, Ont. creates safe space for sex workers

Tracy Gregory says she's angry and heartbroken that sex workers in Sudbury, Ont. don't have access to safe spaces in their own communities.

Gregory is the executive director of the Sex Workers Advisory Network Sudbury, or SWANS.

This weekend the organization is collaborating with the Myths and Mirrors Community Arts group to create a safe space during a weekend art fair in the Donovan neighbourhood, which is an area where prostitutes frequent.

"It's just really messed up that we have to create a safe space, or a relatively safe space, within people's own community when festivals are happening," Gregory said.

"That just doesn't make sense to my brain and it should not be the case."

Gregory said sex workers are often exposed to violence because of their work.

"When people drive down the street and hurl insults or objects at the women that are outside trying to work and trying to live their lives, that's a threat and that's violence," she said.

SWANS will have a safe space set aside during the weekend art fair, and it will include an art installation, which will feature some painted red umbrellas.

Red umbrellas are the symbol of solidarity and protection in the sex work community.

"Our theme for our installation is Meet Us Under the Red Umbrella and I'll cry," Gregory said.

Myths and Mirrors founder Laurie McCauley, who also lives in the Donovan neighbourhood, said it was important for her to make sure sex workers in the area could be part of the weekend art fair.

"The community here actually is sometimes not very nice to the sex workers," McCauley said.

"And so I thought it was really important that they have a place here where we could do some exchanges with the neighbourhood."

Marie Pollock, a member of the SWANS advisory board, said the installation will send a positive message to sex workers in the region.