SAYTEN STUDIOS

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The QTBIPOC Service Fund

What Is the QTBIPOC Service Fund?

The QTBIPOC Service Fund is SayTen Studios' community-supported initiative dedicated to uplifting Queer and Trans Black and Indigenous People of Color (QTBIPOC).

Through this fund, we offer free and reduced-cost photography and creative services that support personal, professional, artistic, and community goals. Services may include:

  • Professional headshots

  • Portfolio development

  • Résumé and CV support

  • Creative content creation

  • Event documentation

  • Promotional materials for community organizations and initiatives

Our goal is simple: to increase access to high-quality creative resources for QTBIPOC individuals and communities while honoring each person's autonomy, identity, and vision.

How Does the Fund Work?

The fund is sustained through donations from SayTen Studios patrons, community members and partner organizations.

Contributions made through our GoFundMe Campaign, Venmo (@saytenstudios) or Cashapp ($samanthasaytenxxx) are directed towards providing free and discounted services through the fund. As donations grow, SayTen Studios contributes additional resources and studio support, allowing us to expand the number of community members we can serve.

We especially invite those with greater social and economic privilege—including white, cisgender, and heterosexual allies—to contribute as an act of solidarity and community investment.

How Can I Access Funding?

If you identify as QTBIPOC, we encourage you to reach out and inquire about current fund availability.

When funding is available, the studio offers free or reduced-cost sessions based on community need, available resources and project goals. We strive to remove financial barriers while creating opportunities for participants to tell their stories on their own terms.

Participation is always voluntary, collaborative and rooted in informed consent. We believe that every person has the right to decide how they are represented, what they share, and how their images are used.

Commitment to Community Care

As a small business owned and operated by a Boricua Trans Femme Enby, SayTen Studios prioritizes supporting QTBIPOC communities, particularly Black, Indigenous and Trans individuals whose voices and experiences are often underrepresented in mainstream media.

Because resources are limited, we may prioritize applicants based on community impact, financial need, available funding and alignment with the fund's mission. Our goal is not to determine whose story is most valuable, but to distribute resources in ways that increase access and opportunity for those facing systemic barriers.

We are committed to making these decisions with transparency, care and respect.

Artist Statement

SayTen Studios exists at the intersection of creativity, community and social justice.

We believe that storytelling is a powerful tool for visibility, self-determination, and cultural preservation. Through photography and multidisciplinary creative work, we collaborate with queer and trans people of color to document lives, celebrate identities, and create archives that challenge exclusionary narratives.

Our work is grounded in the belief that marginalized communities deserve not only representation, but ownership over their stories. We approach every project with a commitment to consent, collaboration and respect for the lived experiences of the people we serve.

Together, we create images, histories and cultural artifacts that reflect the richness, resilience and creativity of our communities.

Our Values

Diversity

For us, diversity means creating spaces where people from all backgrounds can experience belonging, safety and respect.

Diversity requires more than representation alone. It involves actively recognizing and addressing barriers that have historically excluded marginalized communities. Diverse spaces amplify voices that are often overlooked and make room for a wide range of identities, experiences and perspectives.

Diversity is an ongoing practice of learning, accountability and community care.

Inclusion

Inclusion is the active work of ensuring that people feel welcomed, respected and able to participate fully.

Inclusive environments establish clear expectations around respect and accountability while responding to harm through education, reflection and meaningful action. They value marginalized perspectives, seek diverse viewpoints, and challenge systems that disproportionately privilege dominant cultural norms.

Inclusion means creating conditions where people do not merely enter a space—they are empowered to belong within it.

Equity

Equity recognizes that people do not all begin from the same place and therefore may require different levels of support to access the same opportunities.

An equitable environment distributes resources in ways that account for historical and present-day barriers. It seeks to remove obstacles rather than asking individuals to diminish their identities in order to succeed.

Equity means ensuring that people can thrive as their full selves, with their experiences, cultures and perspectives recognized as strengths rather than obstacles.