Call for models | Mpox vaccine public health campaign

**PLEASE CIRCULATE WIDELY**

Mpox is still circulating in Ontario and around the world, and has been mostly reported among gay and bisexual men, passing through close personal and sexual contact. This is why it’s as important as ever for gay, bisexual, queer, two-spirit and other men who have sex with men to be vaccinated against Mpox. The vaccine comes in two doses and is available at various immunization clinics around the province.

Gay Men’s Sexual Health Alliance champions the health and well-being of our communities, and The Public is an activist design studio specializing in changing the world. Together we are working on a province-wide public health campaign to create awareness around the continued need for the Mpox vaccine, and in particular the need for two doses of the vaccine for best protection. This campaign will highlight that Mpox is still circulating, and that there’s an easy way to protect yourself. Getting vaccinated is an act of self- and community-care, and brings freedom and peace of mind.

Visit gmsh.ca/mpox and thepublicstudio.ca for more information.

The Call Out:

We are looking for models to appear in a public health campaign to raise awareness about the continued need for vaccination against Mpox and the need to get two doses of the vaccine for best protection. Models don’t necessarily have to have previous modelling experience, and we are looking to represent a diversity of bodies and lived experiences. The campaign photos will be used on digital materials and ads for apps like Grindr, Tinder, and Squirt.org, and will appear on social media and GMSH’s website.

Model Requirements:

We need approximately 5-6 models to make this campaign shine. We're looking for a diverse group of gay, bisexual, queer, two-spirit and other men who have sex with men, in terms of gender, age, body size, dis/ability and race.

We value informed consent, and the photoshoot will be organized to centre your comfort and wellbeing.

Poses require that your face, or part of your face, be shown, and each pose will involve some interaction or physical contact, ranging from touching arms/waists, to cuddling/hugging, to close facial contact (i.e. cheek-to-cheek, but no kissing), between yourself and another model. Some poses may involve partial nudity (i.e. no shirt, a harness, tank top, or minimal top of your choice) and/or be sexually suggestive. The tone of the shoot is cheeky, sexy, and a little bit playful and we will work with you and your model pairing to create scenarios and poses that feel good for everyone.

When:

The photoshoot will be a closed set and will take place in a bar or similar venue on a weekday in late April, in downtown Toronto. The shoot will take no more than half a day and a $200 honorarium will be provided.

We require all our crew to rapid test before they arrive. Masks are optional but encouraged; let us know if you would like to request a masked day. We will ask for masks to be removed during photographing.

How to Apply:

Please send a headshot, full body shot (no nudes please), and a short paragraph (with contact info) describing your interest, any questions you may have, and your availability weekdays in mid-late April. Because this shoot involves pairing you up with another model(s), please let us know if you are applying with another model that you’re comfortable shooting with. If this is the case, we request that both people name each other in their applications.

Submissions due no later than 5pm on Friday April 12th to:

Email: lj@thepublicstudio.ca

Subject: GMSH photoshoot

Discretion and confidentiality of submitted material is assured.

Only selected models will be contacted.