SWAN Day – Letters to the Editor

When To Use a Letter to the Editor Instead of a Press Release

It is important to understand that a letter to the editor serves a different purpose than a press release.

  • Use a letter to the editor when you want to let your community know how you feel about a certain issue or event. (See samples below)
  • Use a press release to announce the details of an event that you are presenting.  (See sample by clicking here>>)

Letter to the Editor – Sample 1 (SWAN Day in General)

Dear Editor,

On Saturday, March 28, 2015 and the surrounding weeks, thousands of women artists and their supporters around the world are celebrating the 8th International SWAN Day (Support Women Artists Now Day). Over the past seven years there have been over 1,000 SWAN events in 24 countries. There have been performances, concerts, film screenings, exhibits, festivals, panel discussions, and private parties all over the U.S. and in cities as far flung as Shanghai, Nairobi, Berlin, Buenos Aires, and Jerusalem.

In a world where it is so clear that we need to understand each other better, the arts are a powerful tool.  SWAN Day reminds us that there are thousands of women artists who are quietly enriching their communities and creating positive change every day. They may not be rich and famous; in fact, they are often making many sacrifices in order to do their creative work, but they are making the world a much more beautiful and thoughtful place.

It’s time to honor these women.  Whether you attend a SWAN Day event, send a donation, or find some other way to express your appreciation, please join the world-wide celebration of SWAN Day. There’s more information about this free, grassroots movement at www.swanday.org.

Martha Richards
WomenArts

Letter to the Editor – Sample 2 (Mentioning a Specific SWAN Event)
Replace the paragraph in brackets with a description of your event.

On Saturday, March 28, 2015 and the surrounding weeks, thousands of women artists and their supporters around the world are celebrating the 8th International SWAN Day (Support Women Artists Now Day). Over the past seven years there have been over 1,000 SWAN events in 24 countries. There have been performances, concerts, film screenings, exhibits, festivals, panel discussions, and private parties all over the U.S. and in cities as far flung as Shanghai, Nairobi, Berlin, Buenos Aires, and Jerusalem.

[Here in San Francisco, the Climate Theatre participated in SWAN Day by offering the Climate Clown Caberet, a sold-out performance of women clowns. It was a rare opportunity to see a full evening of women doing this form of highly physical comedy that is usually associated with men.]

SWAN Day gives us an opportunity to think about our work in the context of an international movement.  Although the mainstream media often neglects women’s perspectives, SWAN Day shows us that we have sister artists around the world, and that as artists we share powerful tools for positive change – our joy, our commitment, and our immense collective creativity.

Whether you attend SWAN Day events, send donations to your favorite women artists, or find other ways to express your appreciation, please join the world-wide celebration of SWAN Day. There’s more information about this free, grassroots movement at www.SwanDay.org.

(Your Name)
San Francisco, CA