Hi Ava, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am Ava Davis, a trans actress, writer, and producer. Today I run my own production company, Studio Vosges, along with a daily talk show/podcast (it’s really a video blog masquerading as a talk show!). I’d say it was about five years ago I started calling my photography/creative studio Studio Vosges, but it’s grown from photography to just a creative space (or studio if you will) for photography, film, tv, acting, writing, and hopefully more. It’s my creative enterprise. I’d been acting in Atlanta for a minute but held dreams of starting my own production company and making films and stories that really highlighted the black, brown, and beige community, especially queer and trans black, brown, and beige people. So, in the spring of 2019, I formalized it by forming an LLC (Studio Vosges).
Last year, we (Studio Vosges, because it’s just me running the behind the scenes for now) produced and made The Duchess of Grant Park. And that’s a whole other story about how she’s taken a life of her own. But, we made a short film that has finally been completed and submitted to several festivals. Our next big task is gearing up to make a feature film called “The Waltz.” It’s about a black transwoman, Claire, who has found success in her career and success in transitioning but looking for love. She decides to take a dance class and goes on a romantic journey while learning to dance. Because of the pandemic, we held a virtually staged reading of the script, and it went much better than expected. We officially gear up for pre-production in January and begin the monumental task of finding investors to make this film, with the camera’s hopefully up by September of 2021.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The pandemic has certainly made the road traveled tougher. And being a black trans actress. I turned to produce my own work after auditioning over and over for trans parts that didn’t reflect my own experiences. And the pandemic has shifted production goals and acting career goals for myself. But, in a way, I wouldn’t have had the time to start my daily show if it had not been for the pandemic. And, because of the pandemic, I’ve been able to work virtually with so many talented artists across the country.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m most proud of turning myself into Her Grace, Crown Princess Ava, the Duchess of Grant Park, and starting my talk show. It was a hard road to producing and raising money to make The Duchess of Grant Park, a short film about a lady who claims the Atlanta neighborhood of Grant Park as her duchy. And then, to try and become a local figure and bring art to life has been a wild ride. I still get recognized as the Duchess, and I really hope to continue to find ways to give back to the community.
And then, there is the talk show I started. Or, as I call it, a video blog that deigns to call itself a talk show! With time on my hands from the pandemic, and a studio full of equipment, I figured why not. The talk show fulfills a lifelong dream and also a platform to have conversations with fellow artists and professionals from all walks of life, get on a soapbox and talk about the issues of the day, and hopefully inform. I just launched the podcast version of the show, and we just passed 100 episodes! I can’t wait to have on the show more musicians and artists and… just have a way to have fun with guests. And, once the pandemic lets up and it’s safe to do so, find a way to bring it all before a live studio audience!
What matters most to you?
Being visible for the trans community, especially black trans women. According to the HRC, “fatal violence disproportionately affects transgender women of color –particularly Black transgender women. I have two instances I can recall not being safe because of being black and transgender. And I’m one of the lucky ones. What also matters to me is being visible to LGBTQ youth. Look, it’s hard growing up queer, whether you’re gay, bi, trans, questioning, or asexual. I think many of us can pinpoint a moment where we felt seen in media and how that emotionally affected us. It’s important to not only be represented but also feel as though one is not alone.
According to The Trevor Project, “LGB[T] youth who come from highly rejecting families are 8.4 times as likely to have attempted suicide as LGB peers who reported no or low levels of family rejection,” and “LGB[T] youth are almost five times as likely to have attempted suicide compared to heterosexual youth.” The statistics are even higher for trans youth. As someone who dealt with suicidal tendencies and attempts growing up, I want to do all I can to reach out to actually say it does get better. I think I’m proof of that. And, if not better, at least there are coping skills we can all learn.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@theavadavis.show
- Website: www.theavadavisshow.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theavadavisshow/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avadavisshow
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheAvaDavisShow
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5Ki_F_dOD3n1D1-74W98og
- Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ava-davis-show/id1539318963
Image Credits
Studio Vosges (Ava Davis – self portraits)
