From the creators of Trashion Revolution (May 2023), Triveni Institute is thrilled to announce the first-annual ShadowBall: an event that will break new ground in the conversation about mental health and the state of our planet. Triveni Institute, a Chicago-based nonprofit / 501(c)3, is working to change the narrative about our climate and environment by creating events that center the human experience. Humans are the cause of waste and pollution that is decimating the planet, and we are also the solution. When we center the human experience in solution-minded approaches to major problems – without blaming and shaming – we can change hearts and minds. And that can lead to policy change on a systems level.

The stories we are telling at ShadowBall are human realities: stories that speak to addiction, depression, anxiety, intergenerational trauma, systemic racism, gender dysphoria, the gender binary, eating disorders, aging, the negative consequences of social media and chronic illness – among others. These stories are personal to us – because they are similar to our own or the people we know – yet we feel overwhelming pressure to repress these parts of ourselves: to shame them, deny them, and keep them in the shadows, buried deep in our subconscious minds. Carl Jung, a psychologist who coined the term “Shadow Self” said, “Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual’s conscious life, the blacker and denser it is.” “Psychology and Religion” (1938). In CW 11: Psychology and Religion: West and East. P.131

ShadowBall will consist of three main segments. First, we will open with a runway show consisting of “shadow looks” created specifically for this event or recreated from Trashion Revolution looks by our Trashion Revolution designers. These “live models” will then disperse in the venue and be part of the “ball.” Second, we will welcome our featured designer Scottie Rae Eskelund (they/them) to the runway along with 11 additional models, who will emotionally and physically embody our marquee show of the evening. Raw and provocative, Scottie will delve into the depths of human subconscious shadows in a performance that will provoke thought, empathy and deep reflection on the human experience. For more specific information plus trigger warnings for Scottie’s segment of ShadowBall check them out on Instagram @scottie.bydesign. (See artist statement and bio below)

Lastly, we will open up the runway to anyone in the venue (yes, that’s you!) who would like to walk the runway as a way to “show more of yourself to the world” and to literally shine a light on your shadows. Whatever this means to you, you are invited to walk the runway to a crowd of cheering people who want you to be “you.” *Walking the runway is most definitely NOT a requirement for attending the event – only an option for those who wish to participate.

So if you might walk the runway, what will you wear? “Shadow Attire” is encouraged. That means whatever you want it to mean. Wear what you dress up in at home but have never felt comfortable wearing in public. Wear a goth-inspired look that creates a character out of your shadow. Wear diamonds. Wear flannel. Wear your mother’s wedding dress. Go full glam because you want to make a Hollywood entrance. Wear stretch pants and a hoodie because that’s what you’re most comfortable in, and you know that you’re not going to make it out on a cold January evening if you have to “get ready.” Just come. Come as you are.

Come. As. You. ARE.

This will be an event like no other. We will go on an emotional journey together, which will end in a place of radical acceptance. We would love for you – and your shadow – to join us.

Note: since this is a more intimate event than Trashion Revolution with a smaller runway, all First Row / VIP tickets are currently reserved for sponsors of this event. If you’re interested in sponsoring ShadowBall, please email jordan@triveniinstitute.org. Thank you!