Main Events

COMPASSIONFEST 2024 MAIN EVENTS

Please welcome Kelvin Young to Compassionfest 2024. Inside Main Stage 12 pm-1pm for Sound Healing & Yoga w/Michelle Pagliarella.

Please welcome Michelle Pagliarella to Compassionfest 2024. Inside Main Stage 12 pm-1pm for Yoga & Sound Healing w/Kelvin Young.

Please welcome How Do You Milk an Almond? to Compassionfest 2024. The screening will take place inside on the Main Stage 2pm - 2:30pm. Stay for a brief Q&A with Director Kevin Sherwin.

Synopsis & About the Short Film
When the Almond Lovers Coalition of America gets sued for using the word "milk," two lawyers find themselves in a heated courtroom battle. After each side presents their argument, the prosecution calls to the stand a witness whose confident attitude leads to startling revelations and a series of unexpected outcomes.

“How Do You Milk an Almond?” premiered at the Yale Law School, and is inspired by real-life lawsuits from 2018, where an almond milk company was sued by the dairy industry for using the word “milk." The film uses bold caricatures and songs to stimulate new discussions about food production and the legal system. The story also introduces audiences to animal rights issues, especially reaching people that wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to these topics.

Please welcome CT Vegan Center to the Main Stage 3pm-3:30pm.

Please welcome Trigger Discipline to Compassionfest 2024 to the main stage 4:30pm-6pm. Emerging from an enchanted forest in the infamous Bridgewater Triangle of MA, Alyssa Gallagher and Jae Yahkèl Estes imbue their own unique artistic sensibilities into apocalyptic doom pop music that is tempered with a grain of hope.

We doing this for the Bats Man. Compassionfest 2024 DJ music provided by Compassion_nate. Outside Evening Dance Party following Jack-o-lantern Lighting at 6pm-7:30pm.

Pumpkin Carving Station will be open 12 noon- 5pm. Must be 18+ some rules & regulations do apply.

Speakers & Main Stage 2023

Please welcome Kelvin Young to Compassionfest 2023. Inside/Main stage 10am-11am.

Please welcome Evolve Recovery and Yoga to Compassionfest 2023. Inside/Main stage 10am-11am.

Please welcome Save The Buns talk with speaker Mallory to the main stage 11:45 - 12:15.

Please welcome Can I Get Dat Please to Compassionfest 2023. Inside/Main stage 12:30pm-1:30pm. canigetdatplease (can I get that please) is a vegan multi media creator. 2018 is the year he turned vegan for the animals, as well as began his journey in production. He loves to create. The idea behind the name and art of canigetdatplease, is based on grabbing bits and pieces of life and experiences, to piece new things together, and provide a sense of chill and nostalgia.

Please welcome Flow Like Water to Compassionfest 2023. Inside/Main stage 1:45pm-2:45.

2:50pm (Outside DJ Booth) Save The Buns Bunny Bundle Raffle WINNER annouced.

COMPASSIONFEST 2022

MAIN STAGE: 11:45AM - 12:15PM

 

COMPASSIONFEST 2020 - CANCELLED

 Donald Vincent - Mr. Hip

Compassion Arts www.compassionarts.org presents: Poet, educator, spoken word artist, and entrepreneur Donald Vincent (also known as Mr. Hip) is the co-director of new programs for Compassion Arts’ Los Angeles branch. He is the founder of le pamplemuse™ , a content development platform dedicated to spreading the awareness of vegan companies, and is also the creator of ‘That’s So Vegan’ www.lepamplemuse.com , a visual project merging creativity and education on plant-based foods and products with uplifting information on vegan living. A 2018 grant honoree with Culture and Animals Foundation https://www.cultureandanimals.org/vegan-hip-hop-album-mr-h…/ , he is the creator/ writer/producer/ performer of Vegan Paradise https://mrhip.bandcamp.com/album/vegan-paradise , a hip hop album of original works with guest performances by Veganz N Da Hood, The Bearded Vegans, Risa Branch, and Doc G of Hip Hop is Green NY. Mr. Hip has performed readings of his work at Symphony Space NYC , as well as at galleries, theaters, libraries, colleges, and music and reading rooms throughout Washington, DC, Boston, and New York. He can also be found teaching English Composition for UCLA’s Writing Programs or Media Arts courses at Emerson College-Los Angeles. https://hidonaldvincent.com

Kelvin Young Sounds

Please join Compassion Arts at Compassionfest 2020 on the main stage at 10am-10:45am yoga & sound healing.
Kelvin Young Sounds is a sound healer and a person in long-term recovery, which means he hasn't consumed alcohol or any other drug to cope with emotional distress since March 6th 2009. Kelvin has presented around the country in diverse settings, including yoga studios, retreat centers, conferences, ecstatic dances, festivals, colleges, prisons, addiction treatment centers, psychiatric inpatient units at state hospitals and mental health agencies. Today, he continues to share his story of finding freedom from alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, heroin and prescription drugs and facilitates group sound healing sessions throughout the United States. He is passionate about holding space for people to heal with sound and is known for his warm, loving and down-to-earth way of connecting with people.https://kelvinbyoung.com/about-kelvin-young

Michelle Pagliarella Yoga

Please join Compassion Arts at Compassionfest 2020 on the main stage at 10am-10:45am for yoga & sound healing.
Possessing a nomadic nature and infectious sense of humor, Michelle Pagliarella has been practicing yoga for 20 years. Living bi-coastal for decades, she has experienced fully a multitude of cultures as well as developed a keen sixth sense throughout her travels.. Drawing sensitivity from past challenges, she’s able to tap intuitively into what her students want at any given time. Truly a rare gift, Michelle doesn’t take the yogic path lightly.
Knowing that yoga is a marriage between body and mind/spirit, Michelle expresses this union in a Vinyasa flow that encapsulates softness and strength. Her philosophy is that you need to be soft in order to be strong; echoing the ancient saying “you need to be like bamboo, firmly rooted, yet flexible”. Students have expressed that watching Michelle teach is like watching an underwater dance. Her belief is that the linking of breath with movement, as in traditional Vinyasa flow, allows the student to tap into their own wellspring of creativity and power. It is from this place where Michelle’s strength as a teacher becomes apparent. She has the unique, disarming quality that commands trust from her devotees, while remaining a fierce companion to her students in their exploration of untapped potential.
A Registered E-500-hour Yoga Teacher, specializing in YinYasa along with 2000 hours of teaching, Michelle has trained with many Eastern healers in Seattle, Portland (OR), San Francisco, Providence, RI, NYC and CT. She is also a 100-hour Certified Meditation Teacher, a Reiki 2 Practitioner, has a B.S in psychology, lives a cruelty-free lifestyle, is an accomplished vegan chef and is Buddhist.

Marlene Narrow

Please join Compassion Arts at Compassionfest 2020 on the main stage at 11am-11:40am.
Radio host Marlene Narrow will present a talk on her informative and inspiring media program Vegans Rising/Vegan Nation WCUW https://vegansradio.wordpress.com featuring stories of some of the show’s past guests, to highlight the many ways that creativity can been used in animal advocacy and in cultivating awareness for vegan peace. Marlene is the founder of Vegan Nation, as well as being a World Peace Diet Facilitator, an educator, and a member of World Peace Writers collective. Vegan Nation is a campaign of Vegan’s Rising, with a mission to share the principles of ahimsa towards creating a vegan world. Vegan Nation is one hour news & music radio program on Thursdays, 4 PM to 5 PM EST at WCUW 91.3 FM or online at www.wcuw.org/vegannation

JP Farm Animal Sanctuary

Please join Compassion Arts at Compassionfest 2020 on the main stage at 12 noon-12:45pm.
JP Farm Animal Sanctuary, stands for Janssen, Printy our names. But we like to think it also means Joy and Peace as it is a safe place for rescued farm animals to live out their lives with freedom, love and dignity. Our goal is to inspire compassionate living by being advocates of vegan lifestyles on behalf of our rescues and the many voiceless. We believe by sharing each of our resident’s stories we will be giving farmed animals, far and wide, a voice to inspire people to make the connection and thus change their destiny for the better. Come and hear our story of how we made the connection and continue to deepen it through the lives of the beautiful souls living at JP.

We first lived in Newtown Connecticut, Oscar was learning about Scottish Highland cattle and during a visit to a farm he noticed a cow that was in severe distress and needed medical care. She had just calved and was unable to feed her calf, was underweight and had a deep wound in her backside. It was clear to him that she needed help. So Oscar and I returned to the farm and asked the farmer if we could help him get her back on her feet.

Once Belle was better we decided to take her, Brody and the rest of the ‘Hippy Cows’ home. That was Cara and her calf Cody, Ethan and Grady.Our farm in Newtown was too small so we found the perfect spot in Litchfield and moved there in February of 2019.In addition to the cows we have been able to rescue two ‘pink girls’  and a boy pig. They all three came from a college agricultural program where the students were assigned an animal to train then realized they would soon go to slaughter.We can't imagine the suffering that is happening to so many animals today but hope that we can make some small difference and help to change antiquated mindsets and archaic cultural beliefs.We aspire to and encourage all to live by this mantra:
“May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all.”

Jane O’Hara

Please join Compassion Arts at Compassionfest 2020 for Art for Animals 1:00pm – 1:45pm.
This illuminating presentation, from two very different artists – Jane O’Hara and Cheryl Miller - provides a lens into new perspectives on how the visual arts can serve as a compelling, thought-provoking, and effective instrument for animal advocacy, humane education, and for inspiring respect and empathy for other animals.
Jane O’Hara is an established artist whose work explores our complex relationship with animals. Her paintings have been exhibited in both solo and group shows at galleries in NYC, Boston, and cities throughout the country. A 2017 Culture and Animals Foundation grant recipient and Courage of Conscience Award honoree, Jane is curator of the Beasts of Burden group exhibit and author of its gallery book. A speaker on art and animals, she has given presentations at Symphony Space NYC, Worcester Art Museum, Pace University, Brown University Animal Rights Coalition and RescuCon. www.janeohara.com

46 Million Turkeys

Please join Compassion Arts at Compassionfest 2020 for Art for Animals 1:00pm – 1:45pm.
This illuminating presentation, from two very different artists – Jane O’Hara and Cheryl Miller - provides a lens into new perspectives on how the visual arts can serve as a compelling, thought-provoking, and effective instrument for animal advocacy, humane education, and for inspiring respect and empathy for other animals.
Cheryl Miller is an artist and creator of the 46 Million Turkeys project, an ongoing mobile and interactive community art exhibit-in-progress that tours a wide range of locations, to cultivate a deeper understanding of animals ( turkeys) who are used for food. (The project name refers to the estimated 46 million turkeys killed in the U.S for one Thanksgiving Day.) Cheryl’s talk will focus on the project’s mission and her process of how she developed the exhibit and sustains its growth. An example of the exhibit will be held in the auditorium, where all are welcome to participate. www.46millionturkeys.com

Camillie DeAngleis

Please join Compassion Arts at Compassionfest 2020 on the main stage for Camille DeAngelis: Veganism and Creative Transformation at 2:00pm - 2:45pm.
Camille author of “ A Bright Clean Mind: Veganism and Creative Transformation”, will share about her book and her work in helping empower people’s creativity through veganism, as well as discussing how a growing number of ethical vegan artists are using their talents to bring a more compassionate, rational, and sustainable culture into being. In her talk, Camille will explore the indelible connection between animal liberation and creative empowerment. Vegans will discover how to use their “cognitive resonance” to realize their potential (even if they don’t consider themselves creative!), and future-vegans will learn about the most common impediments to human creativity—the very same blocks preventing us from recognizing our kinship with non-human people. Camille is the writer of both fiction and non-fiction works, and is a certified Vegan Lifestyle Coach and educator through Main Street Vegan Academy. www.cometparty.com

Donald Vincent

Please join Compassion Arts at Compassionfest 2020 on the main stage for Poetry, Hip Hop, and Plant-Based Living with Mr. Hip 3:00pm - 3:45pm.
Host Donald Vincent ( aka Mr. Hip) performs excerpts from his album Vegan Paradise and selections from his poetry works and stories from other projects, in an uplifting and engaging multi-media presentation illustrating the connection and intersections of artistry, community, awareness, and compassionate living. For more information see bio listed above at the top of this page or visit https://hidonaldvincent.com.

COMPASSIONFEST 2019

Pattrice Jones

Jo-Anne Basile

We are thrilled to announce Jo-Anne Basile Executive Director at CT Votes for Animals as our featured speaker at Compassionfest 2019. Come join us at the main stage at 11:15am - 12:15pm.

Jo-Anne Basile is CVA’s first Executive Director, a position created during CVA's 10th Anniversary year and a change that reflects the continued growth of the organization which is dedicated to bringing about laws to ensure long-term positive change for animals throughout Connecticut.

Jo-Anne was CVA's lobbyist at the State Capitol from 2014-2017 working with CVA members and legislators to successfully bring Desmond’s Law and Private Shelter Rules, among other bills, into Connecticut’s laws protecting animals. Jo-Anne comes to CVA with a strong legislative resume having served as a Legislative Aid and Director for three members of the US Congress and Vice President and lobbyist for a premier national telecommunications association in the Washington D.C. Jo-Anne and her three senior dogs live in Guilford.

C'BS Alife Allah

We are so grateful to announce C'BS Alife Allah will be our featured speaker at Compassionfest 2019. Join us for a special presentation w/Q&A on our main stage at 2pm-3pm.

C’BS ALife Allah, an author, thinker, and change maker with a pedigree in working with youth. With the guidance of his parents,he realized early on that it isn’t enough to just be a product of one’s environment, but that one must be the producer of one’s environment.
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He has traveled abroad to England, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Tanzania. His forays into Africa allowed him to see indigenous problem solving applied to pressing issues. It was in many of these observations that he noticed that the adoption and/or forcing of western views on science and technology exacerbated the problems at hand. He also noticed that there wasn’t a full appreciation for indigenous science. When he returned to the states he realized that the disparity of science in the original community was due to a veiling of the heritage of western science being rooted in indigenous science traditions, a veiling of the presence of the original man in modern day science and a lack of the connection between theory and application to address the issues of original people.
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Upon his return to the states he became heavily invested in projects and programs that deal with health and wellness in the urban community, establishing Hood Health, a new paradigm of addressing these issues. He has authored, edited and contributed to numerous books including The Hood Health Handbook: A practical guide to health and wellness in the urban community and Science of Self: Man, God and the Mathematical Language of Nature. His current focus is centered around Radical Self Care. Radical Self Care addresses generational lineages of trauma within Communities of Color, introduces Indigenous practices of collective healing and utilizes innovations of Indigenous techniques to present an optimum self in the face of the stress of modern society. To learn more go to https://thishoodhealth.com/

James Lucas

So excited to announce our next guest at Compassionfest 2019. Please join us on the main stage for featured speaker James Lucas at 1:15pm - 2pm for his talk "More Compassionate Life."
James has been a graphic designer for over 25 years and has an MBA in Marketing. He is a gifted artist whose work is mostly inspired by nature and music. James creates many of the T-shirts that are sold online at Grape Cat Vegan Clothing and Accessories. He finds inspiration in his love of animals and his passion for delicious vegan recipes that he enjoys creating. Wanting to share his joy for vegan cooking and dining, James started the Bucks County Vegan Supper Club in 2009. Members meet once a month for a vegan potluck dinner. The supper club inspires experienced and recent vegans to try new recipes. James is proud to support many businesses in his community and across the country by sharing their vegan lifestyle stories on his podcasts and blogs and by bringing products proudly “Made in the U.S.A.” with GrapeCat.com.

Salwa Abdussabur

So excited to announce Salwa Flowerchild Abdussabur to Compassionfest 2019. Please join us on the main stage at 12:15pm - 1:15pm.
Salwa Abdussabur is a local queer artist and activist. They are a Teaching Artist and Youth Organizer for The Word Poetry working and mentoring young people to be poets and culture creators. Salwa has performed in many event such as: No More Water/ The Fire Next Time: The Gospel of James Baldwin at Park Avenue Armory in New York City, (Be)longing at Long Wharf Theater as apart of The International Festival of Art and Ideas, Open Studio Lituarey Happy Hour, Opened for a A Job to Unwork at Artspace, Opened for Ruby Sale at CEIO Deeper Change Forum ​as well as various community works and organizing.
When Salwa is not "spitting bars", leading workshops, or prancing around on stage they are speaking their truth at rallies and marching for social justice. They hope that by being apart of these transformative spaces combining art and activism, collectives, and self expression they help change the narrative of what it means be young queer people of color.
Salwa hopes that through their performing, marching and rallying, organizing, and “spitting bar” that minority youth, in not just New Haven, but in this country and throughout the world will get the opportunities and resources they deserve to thrive and not just survive. Despite all that they know it starts within yourself and within your community. Ashe.

Mark Braunstein

So excited to welcome back Mark Braunstein as a featured speaker at Compassionfest 2019. Join us (Study Lounge Room) at 4pm-5pm.
Vegan Vegetarianism in Art slideshow
Ever since prehistoric drawings on cave walls, art has been rich with imagery of animals. While American and European artworks mostly depict cutesy storybook animals, some unwittingly portray our human exploitation of them. This slide talk sprouts from a broader lecture “Animals in Art,” which was funded by a grant from the Culture and Animals Foundation. The images for “Vegan Vegetarianism in Art” are drawn primarily from major icons of European and American painting. While some portray dairy farming, animal husbandry, butcher shops, hunting, and fishing, they do end optimistically with The Ark.
Mark Mathew Braunstein is the author of five books, including Radical Vegetarianism, Sprout Garden, and Microgreen Garden. A vegan since 1970, long before even vegetarians knew the word or its tenets, he has contributed dozens of articles about veganism to magazines such as Vegetarian Times, Natural Health, Vegetarian Voice, and Spirit of Change. For 33 years, he was the art librarian and art curator at RISD and at Connecticut College. He also has written about art history, including the “Vegetarianism in Art” cover story in Vegetarian Times. You can read many of his articles at: www.MarkBraunstein.Org
 

Kelvin Young

So grateful to welcome back Kelvin Young to Compassionfest 2019. Bring your yoga mat and join Kelvin with The Laughing Yogi Michelle Pagliarella for morning yoga starting at 10am-11pm inside on the main stage.
Kelvin Young is a Sound Practitioner and Owner of Sacred Sound Healing,LLC He has presented around the country in diverse settings, including Yoga Reaches Out, Newtown Yoga Festival, Indie Yoga in San Francisco, CA, Alex Grey's Chapel of Sacred Mirrors, yoga studios, retreat centers, conferences,c colleges, prisons, addiction treatment centers, psychiatric inpatient units at state hospitals and mental health agencies. www.kelvinbyoung.com

Michelle Pagliarella

So excited to welcome back Michelle Pagliarella The Laughing Yogi to Compassionfest 2019. Grab your yoga mat and water bottle ready to start the morning right with Michelle and sound healer Kelvin Young. With a suggested donation to VINE Sanctuary this featured event will start 10am-11am (Main Stage) location.
“When you laugh, it changes you. When you change, the whole world changes."-Dr. Madan Kataria, founder of Laughter Yoga
Possessing a nomadic nature and infectious sense of humor,, Michelle Pagliarella has been practicing yoga for 20 years, in an effort to quell her inner wild child. Living bi-coastally for
decades, she has experienced fully a multitude of cultures as well as developed a keen sixth sense throughout her travels.. Drawing sensitivity from past challenges, she’s able to tap into
intuitively what her students want at any given time. Truly a rare gift, Michelle doesn’t take the yogic path lightly.
Knowing that yoga is a marriage between body and mind/spirit, Michelle expresses this union in a Vinyasa flow that encapsulates softness and strength. Her philosophy is that you cannot be strong if you are rigid; you need to be able to bend to explore your personal limits. To watch her teach is like watching and underwater dance. Linking breath to movement in traditional Vinyasa, allows the student to tap into their own wellspring of creativity and power. It is from this place where Michelle’s strength as a teacher becomes apparent. She has the unique, disarming quality that commands trust from her devotees, and is a fierce companion for her students in exploring their potential, spiritually and physically.
A Registered 200-hour Yoga Teacher, Michelle has trained with many yogi masters in Seattle, Portland (OR), Nevada, San Francisco, Providence, RI, NYC and CT. She is certified in Dzogchen Meditation, has a B.S in psychology,lives a cruelty-free lifestyle, and is Buddhist. www.thelaughingyogict.com

COMPASSIONFEST 2018

Pattrice Jones

We are honored to announce Pattrice Jones will be speaking at Compassionfest 2018. Join us at 3:30pm, for the talk “What I’ve learned from animals at VINE Sanctuary.”
Pattrice Jones is a cofounder of VINE Sanctuary, an LGBTQ-led farmed animal sanctuary, as well as the author of The Oxen at the Intersection.
An ecofeminist scholar and author, pattrice has been an activist in various movements since the 1970s. The first sanctuary to rehabilitate roosters used in cockfighting, VINE works for social and environmental justice as well as for animal liberation.

Hanifa Nayo Washington

Join songstress Hanifa Nayo Washington on a journey of radical healing through song, sacred play, and authentic connection. Experience deep release for the whole body, mind, and spirit. https://www.handsofhanifa.com/ https://www.musicofhanifa.com/

Michelle Pagliarella

Please welcome Michelle Pagliarella The Laughing Yogi  to Compassionfest 2018. Get your yoga mat and water bottle ready to start the morning right. This featured event will start 10am-11am (Main Stage) location.
“When you laugh, it changes you. When you change, the whole world changes."-Dr. Madan Kataria, founder of Laughter Yoga
Possessing a nomadic nature and infectious sense of humor,, Michelle Pagliarella has been practicing yoga for 20 years, in an effort to quell her inner wild child. Living bi-coastally for
decades, she has experienced fully a multitude of cultures as well as developed a keen sixth sense throughout her travels.. Drawing sensitivity from past challenges, she’s able to tap into
intuitively what her students want at any given time. Truly a rare gift, Michelle doesn’t take the yogic path lightly.
Knowing that yoga is a marriage between body and mind/spirit, Michelle expresses this union in a Vinyasa flow that encapsulates softness and strength. Her philosophy is that you cannot be strong if you are rigid; you need to be able to bend to explore your personal limits. To watch her teach is like watching and underwater dance. Linking breath to movement in traditional Vinyasa, allows the student to tap into their own wellspring of creativity and power. It is from this place where Michelle’s strength as a teacher becomes apparent. She has the unique, disarming quality that commands trust from her devotees, and is a fierce companion for her students in exploring their potential, spiritually and physically.
A Registered 200-hour Yoga Teacher, Michelle has trained with many yogi masters in Seattle, Portland (OR), Nevada, San Francisco, Providence, RI, NYC and CT. Currently she is practicing Dzogchen Meditation daily,has a B.S in psychology,lives a cruelty-free lifestyle, and is Buddhist. www.thelaughingyogict.com

Mary Lawrence

Please welcome Mary Lawrence as our featured speaker/author at Compassionfest 2018. Talk will start 3pm-3:30pm at (Main Stage) location. Available for book signing.
Mary is a vegan chef and wellness educator with Well on Wheels Connecticut's premier vegan personal chef service. She is a long-time animal activist who connects the principles of nonviolence, compassion, and unity among all beings with her work and activism. In 2014
She published her first cookbook, Easy Peasy Vegan Eats. Her new cookbook, Eat Vegan with Me, combines techniques for engaging in effective conversation with non-vegans with compassionate cuisine to make the transition to a vegan lifestyle delicious and fun.
In addition to running her business, she is also an adjunct faculty member teaching English composition at Gateway Community College, a Board member of the American Vegan Society, and co-chair of the Green Party Animal Rights Committee.
She holds a certificate in plant-based nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies, a certificate
in nutrition and wellness consulting from the American Fitness
Professionals Association, an MA in Communication and Cultural Studies, and a BA in English.

Dr. Joanne Kong

Please welcome Dr. Joanne Kong as our featured speaker/author at Compassionfest 2018. Talk will start 12:15pm-1:15pm at (Main Stage) location. Available for book signing.
Dr. Joanne Kong has been praised thoughout the country as an advocate for plant-based nutrition, centered ethically in raising awareness that greater compassion for animals and our planet is vitally necessary for transformative growth and positive world change. Motivated to become vegetarian over 30 years ago upon learning of the atrocities of factory farming, her lectures promoting veganism have been described as "artfully crafted," "a positive message about the way our daily choices can make the world a better place for others and for ourselves," "making a difference and encouraging positive change to happen," and "enlightening and provocative."
Some of Joanne's presentations include appearances at the University of Richmond's Earth Week and TEDx event, Rollins College (Winter Park, FL), the Chrysalis Institute, Richmond Vegetarian Festival, Operation Fitness, Vegetarian Society of Richmond, the Waring School, Virginia Commonweath University, Vegfest Colorado, Ohio State University and Yale University. In addition to her animal and environmental advocacy work, she is a critically-acclaimed and award-winning classical pianist and chamber musician, and empowers individuals from all walks of like through her lectures and workshops on performance anxiety. https://www.vegansmakeadifference.com/

Maya Gottfried

Please welcome Maya Gottfried as our featured speaker/author at Compassionfest 2018. Talk will start 1:15pm-2pm at (Main Stage) location. Available for book signing.
Maya Gottfried is the author of Vegan Love: Dating and Partnering for the Cruelty-Free Gal (Skyhorse) and the children’s book Our Farm: By the Animals of Farm Sanctuary (Knopf). For Vegan Love (Skyhorse) she interviewed more than 35 vegans (and some or their partners) about relationships from a vegan perspective. In her talk, she offers their collective wisdom (and her own experiences), addressing questions including: When do I tell my date that I’m vegan? Can I turn my partner vegan?, and What are the benefits of dating a fellow vegan?
Farm Sanctuary president and cofounder, Gene Baur said, "Maya Gottfried's delightful book Vegan Love offers great support for those seeking help in navigating romantic relationships while maintaining a cruelty-free lifestyle... fun, honest, and informative.”
 

Compassionfest Vegan Holiday Bazaar 2017!

Speakers/Entertainment

The Bearded Vegans

So Excited to announce The Bearded Vegans will be joining us at Compassionfest Vegan Holiday Bazaar for a "LIVE" podcast recording on Saturday, December 9th at 5pm. You won't want to miss this.
The Bearded Vegans, co-hosted by Paul Steller and Andy Tabar, is a weekly podcast designed to move beyond the vegan 101 and into more nuanced, honest, in depth, unapologetic and often uncomfortable conversations about the ethical grey areas of veganism as well as issues within the vegan community. Top it all off with restaurant reviews, the week's vegan news and a hearty dose of laughter. They may not always find answers, but you'll certainly be informed and entertained.

Music For The Doomed

We are thrilled to announce Music for the Doomed. Conceived, written and performed by David Brensilver. Excited to welcome back Abioseh Joseph Cole contributing original poetry and performance.
A classically trained musician-turned-writer, David is the author of the satirical novel “ExecTV” (ENC Press, 2005) and the often-irreverent blog The Daily Maul. He’s practiced journalism as a news reporter and as an arts editor and works today at the intersection of art and activism.

Tynne Love Raw Chef and Herbalist

We are elated to announce Tynne Love Raw Chef and Herbalist will be joining us as speaker Saturday, December 9th at 2pm at Compassionfest Vegan Holiday Bazaar.
Tynne Love is well known in her field for working with plants as medicine in many ways. She is a full-time practicing Community and Clinical Herbalist. Owner of HERBAL DEVA LLC.,creating tonics and elixirs to boost the immune system and lower stress and anxiety and works with local organic CT farms growing 100’s of medicinal herbs for the company, she is a Raw Vegan chef, and a Certified Essential Oil Educator.

Karen Stevenson

So grateful to announce Karen Stevenson as our guest speaker at Compassionfest Vegan Holiday Bazaar on Saturday, December 9th at 3:15pm.

Karen Stevenson is a technologist and journalist who joined WITNESS in April 2016 after winning a fellowship at the human rights organization to focus on the role of eyewitness video in capturing the abuse of people who are trans or gender nonconforming. The project launched six months later, in October, and she became the full-time program manager at the WITNESS Media Lab, sharing technologies, practices and methodologies to “unleash the power” of eyewitness video as a tool for advocacy in human rights.

COMPASSIONFEST 2017

INSPIRING SPEAKERS

Victoria Moran

Honored to announce Victoria Moran will be with us for Compassionfest 2017! Listed among VegNews magazine’s “Top 10 Living Vegetarian Authors” and featured twice on Oprah, Victoria Moran written twelve books, including The Good Karma Diet and the iconic Main Street Vegan. She hosts the Main Street Vegan podcast; is producing a documentary, The Compassion Project; and directs Main Street Vegan Academy, training Vegan Lifestyle Coaches and Educators. Alongside male winner, Dr. Joel Kahn, Victoria was recently voted “Peta’s Sexiest Vegan Over 50.
 

Mary Lawrence

Mary Lawrence is owner of Well on Wheels, Connecticut's premier vegan personal chef service. She makes healthy eating easy for busy people by offering personal chef services, "wellness jumpstarts" private cooking and raw food lessons, and cooking parties with menus customized to the client's taste preferences and dietary needs. She is frequent quest on radio and TV, including WNPR's "The Colin McEnroe Show" and WWWLP TV's "Mass Appeal," and has presented at numerous conferences including the North American Vegetarian Society's Summerfest, Boston Vegetarian Society, and Connecticut Vegetarian & Healthy Living Festival. She is a board member of the American Vegan Society, has a certificate in plant-based nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Foundation at eCornell University, and an MA in Communication from the University of Hartford.  Her culinary creations can be followed on the blog, The Traveling Vegan Chef (http://wellonwheels.blogspot.com).  Her cookbook, Easy Peasy Vegan Eats (2014), is a guide for busy people making the vegan transition.  In 2017 Vegan Publishers will publish her second cookbook which is for vegans with non-vegan family and friends. 

Tiffany Walker

So excited to announce Tiffany Walker will be a featured speaker at Compassionfest 2017. Tiffany Walker-Roper is an investigator and organizer with the animal rights network Direct Action Everywhere (DxE). Always a fighter for social justice, she has been involved in various causes including LGBT rights, Black Lives Matter and Women’s rights. Tiffany has used the power of protest to lead a 200 person strong march through the streets of Hartford to promote equality for all beings on earth, bringing a new opportunity to build strong connections for unity. As a very active member of DxE, Tiffany writes press and blogs, her work has been used in the New York Times, Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal among other outlets. She has also been profiled by The Daily Kos for her work in Open Rescue and has been a featured guest on The Gay Spirit Radio on the University of Hartford's radio station WWUH.
Tiffany is a paralegal, originally from East Hartford, CT and currently lives in Berkeley, CA fighting for animal liberation.

COMPASSIONFEST 2016

Jasmin Singer

So excited to announce that Jasmin Singer of Our Hen House will be joining us as a speaker for Compassionfest 2016! She will speak on the intersection of gay rights, feminism, and animal rights. Check out her bio below: Jasmin Singer is the author of the memoir, Always Too Much and Never Enough (Penguin Random House Berkley; 2016), which documents her journey to find herself through juicing, veganism, and love, as she went from fat to thin and from feeding her emotions to feeding her soul. Jasmin was named a 2016 “40 Under 40” by The Advocate Magazine and a 2015 “Eco-Preneur” by Go Magazine. The Our Hen House podcast – which Jasmin co-hosts – has been honored twice by the coveted Webby Awards. In addition to co-hosting Our Hen House, now in its seventh year, Jasmin is the host of the Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, can be seen in the award-winning documentaries Vegucated and The Ghosts In Our Machine, and has also appeared on the Dr. Oz Show and HuffPo Live. She has contributed to several anthologies (including Defiant Daughters, Running Eating Thinking, and Circles of Compassion), and is a contributing writer for VegNews Magazine. When she’s not traveling around giving book talks or presenting workshops on veganism and activism, Jasmin spends her downtime at home in New York City.

Sky Raven The Vegan Poet

He has been writing poetry since 1989. Local to Hartford County in Connecticut, writing became a tool for him to express thoughts not easily expressed in conversation. Throughout most of his writing career the emphasis was solely on hip hop. However, after connecting with DXE in Spring 2015, and writing the poem, "I'm not Food," part of the Voices Unheard Collection, he saw a lot of value in spoken word, unrestricted by time, structure or rhythm. Feeling a sense of true artistic liberation, he began writing the Unheard Voices Collection, which was originally going to be a solely vegan collection. However, after some introspection, and analysis of several poems, he realized for the work to be truly complete, many disenfranchised voices needed to be heard through the collection; which now covers a wide range of social justice issues including but not limited to systemic racism, colonialism, the prison and military industrial complexes, the monetary system and spirituality.

Mary Lawrence

Mary will speak on "Being a Healthy Vegan". Mary Lawrence is executive director of Ahimsa Health & Harmony, a vegan wellness center based in Hartford, CT, and chef and owner of Well on Wheels, Connecticut's premier vegan personal chef service. She is a frequent guest on radio and TV and speaker at numerous conferences and seminars, including the Valley VegFest (2015), Boston Vegetarian Society (2014), and the Connecticut Vegetarian & Healthy Living Festival (2012). Mary earned a certificate in plant-based nutrition from the Dr. T. Colin Campbell Foundation at eCornell University, an MA in Communication from the University of Hartford and a BA in English from the University of Connecticut. She studied culinary arts at the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York City and has trained in the kitchen of It's Only Natural restaurant in Middletown, CT. Her most recent cookbook, Easy Peasy Vegan Eats, is a guide for people making the vegan transition.

Nikki Katz

Nikki will speak about economic justice in relation to food and we are very happy to have her! See her bio below:
"A free-wheeling student of the world, yogi, and spiritual seeker with a penchant for asking big mostly unanswerable questions. My goal in life is to make someone's week every day. I grew up in the Chicago area and then spent years as a suburban CT stay-at-home mother of three children. After a divorce drastically changed my economic and social position, I began to question the mechanics of our money within a moral and spiritual perspective, putting people first. Currently searching for economic truth and justice through reflective storytelling on The Illuminated Edge podcast and working towards a Masters in Divinity at Yale Divinity School. A deep belief in impressive and inextricable interconnection and basic goodness underlies my inquiry."

Brennyn Molloy

Brennyn with The House of Compassionate Gratitude . Over the last two years I have been on a path of personal development that led me to Virginia Beach. I have explored my own soul through music, meditation, mindfulness, and attending a variety of Churches. Over all following my intuition in seeking a home and a way to use my gifts to make the world a more peaceful Loving place. Focusing on the healing arts and the souls journey, to better understand my own and how I am meant to help others. This is my path. To encourage people on their path of awakening, and soul growth. There for adding to the Universal Consciousness. As a clairvoyant intuitive, my work focuses on the use of my insight to help people see, understand, and heal their relationships on the soul level. This includes relationships with partners, family, friends, your work in the world, and with oneself. The goal being, to see these relationships as they are now and where they come from in order to know what is next. I work with all relationships and energies, often this includes connecting with those who have crossed over. I teach those I work with how to know, Love and connect with themselves. Knowing yourself as a soul and understanding your Karma and relationships allows you to grow and make decisions in your life that are in line with your purpose. We all are here with a purpose and plan.
"Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter” Yoda

Patricia Horn O'Brien

Pat is a member of the Guilford Poets Guild and in 2013 co-founded a poetry group in the Old Saybrook area, CT River Poets. She's facilitated poetry workshops at York C.I. where she’s volunteered with their Prison Hospice Program. Pat's been published in several periodicals, including CT River Review, CT Review, Embers, Pulp Smith, Poet Lore, Caduceus, Red Fox Review, Freshwater and Connecticut Review, She is the recipient of several prizes, including from Trumbull Arts Counsel, Embers Magazine and from Acton Library in Old Saybrook. She is Old Saybrook’s first Poet Laureate. Her first collection of poetry, When Less Than Perfect is Enough, published by Antrim Books, is now in its 2nd printing.

Nancy Correa

Nancy creates poetry and the artwork that are a synthesis of the 30 years as a vegan nonhuman/ human animal rights activist. She has borne witness to and documented the atrocities considered standard in the flesh, hens egg and animal milk agriculture. She has participated in hunt sabotages and other forms of direct action. The nonhuman animals have taught her myriad lessons in compassion that she wants to impart through activism, which is her term for the combination of art and activism.

Mark Mcguire-Schwartz

Pleased to announce Mark McGuire-Schwartz to Compassionfest 2016. Mark McGuire-Schwartz sometimes imagines that he was raised by bears, and it shows. Mark is the Senior Editor at Hanover Press, and Director of Poetry Institute–New Haven. He is the originator of a new poetic form, called the 17. Mark’s books of poetry include Loss and Laughs, Love and Fauna and 289, a book of 17s. His book Attic Chest, finding my parents in a dusty box, will be published later this year. Mark has published poetry and prose in many journals, including Carte Blanche, Blink Ink, Theodate, Connecticut Law Journal, and on the bottoms of rocks. Mark has an MFA degree from Southern Connecticut State University, and he teaches at Housatonic Community College.

Mary Elizabeth Lang

Mary Elizabeth Lang, author of the full-length poetry collection Under Red Cedars (Little Red Tree Publishing, 2009), earned her MFA from Bennington Writing Seminars. She formerly taught writing at Southern Connecticut State University. She is amateur naturalist and environmental advocate.

Compassionfest 2015

FEATURED SPEAKER:

Victoria Moran

Author of Main Street Vegan and The Good Karma Diet, Victoria Moran reveals why making your food and lifestyle choices based on a reverence for all creatures and our planet is the best diet out there. Unlike most diet plans on the market, which focus on fat or nonfat, carb or low-carb, The Good Karma Diet reveals that the secret to looking and feeling great is actually quite simple: Treat our planet and all its inhabitants well. In this revolutionary book, Victoria Moran goes beyond restrictive diet plans and obsessive calorie counting to explore how being mindful of the world around us is the best diet plan there is. Follow this wise diet and lifestyle program and you will find yourself waking up in a good mood more often, and your skin will have that luminous look that bespeaks health and clean living. The Good Karma Diet includes more than 30 recipes.

2:00 pm on the Main Stage

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WORKSHOP:

Stephanie Hope

Stephanie Hope, of Hope Holistic Wellness, is a health and wellness coach, registered nurse, healer, artist and activist committed to supporting holistic health in the greater New Haven community. Magic happens when people come together in groups. Group coaching empowers individuals to move forward in personal self-discovery and goal achievement while serving as catalysts and witnesses to the transformation of others. The group process has a synergetic power that accelerates growth. Artemis Collective is a weekly wisdom circle open to all self-identifying adult women. Join together in sacred space to listen and to speak; to share and to be received. Each circle will include time for centering and meditation, though most of the session is dedicated to the group process.

Time and space to be announced

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SPEAKER:

Mary Lawrence "Vegan Jumpstart: Get Healthy in the Kitchen."

 

So excited to have Connecticut's celebrity vegan chef, Mary Lawrence with Well on Wheels. Have you been thinking about switching to a vegan diet but don't know where to begin? Chef Mary Lawrence will share tips and strategies to help you overcome any obstacle. She will address common concerns about where to get your protein, calcium and iron on a vegan diet, how to make food appealing to friends and family, what pantry staples are essential for every vegan household, and how to save time, money and your sanity in the kitchen.

Mary Lawrence is executive chef and owner of Well on Wheels, Connecticut's premier vegan personal chef service. She is a public speaker and frequent guest on radio and TV, including WNPR's "The Colin McEnroe Show," WWLP-TV's "Mass Appeal," and WTNH-TV's "CT Style.” Mary has a certificate in plant-based nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Foundation at eCornell University and has taught at the Connecticut Culinary Institute and numerous programs and conferences throughout the U.S. Her recipes have been included in the Best of Vegan Cooking (2009) by Priscilla Feral and VegCooking.com. Her most recent cookbook, Easy Peasy Vegan Eats (2014), is a guide for busy people making the vegan transition. She is also a writer and food blogger, and her culinary creations can be followed on the blog, The Traveling Vegan Chef (http://wellonwheels.blogspot.com).

12 Noon - Room in #2