Supporter Spotlight: Michael Mascarenas

Meet Michael, the incredible animator behind our End Gender-Based Violence series that we launched as part our #AskTheQuestion campaign for 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.

Working with Michael was an absolute privilege and we feel so grateful to have been able to collaborate in the creation of these resources. Keep reading to find out a little bit about who Michael is, his work and the learnings he took from working on the series.

Tell us about yourself!
Hi! I’m Mike, I’m a freelance animator/illustrator and a part time miniature painter for @minds_at_play (A disability and diversity program aimed at teaching kids communication and life skills). I’m also a big fan of cooking, baking and gardening!

What did you learn throughout the process of working on the End Gender-Based Violence series?

It was an eye-opening experience working on this series. I’ve learnt that despite trying to be aware of certain issues like gender based violence, we can always be doing more; checking in with friends and family, re-posting thought provoking content on social media, encouraging my niece to be anything she wants to be when she grows up. These little things add up.

Throughout 16 days of activism we asked people to #AskTheQuestion – what have you asked and what questions will you take into your future work?

I’ve come to ask, am I doing enough? Is the work that I’m putting out into the world honest and authentic in the values that I align myself with? And is that work accessible for people who may be experiencing/or have experienced gender based violence? What more can I do to help?

What does community mean to you?

Community to me means a big table with lots of good home cooked food on it. Lots of people bumping elbows, reaching over one another to fill their plates, having a good yarn and a great meal together. c: