I KNOW MY STORY. I KNOW MY STATUS. DO YOU? INTERNATIONAL PRESS CONFERENCE ALBERTINA VIENNA JUNE 2ND 2018 Life Ball Press Office: T +43 (0) 1 595 56 00 20, F +43 (0) 1 595 56 77, [email protected] www.lifeplus.org | www.lifeball.org Printed with love by druck.at Graphics & Layout: WebArtists - Günter Temel / Gaby Lucano Art Director: Michael Balgavy Cover: © © Rankin, 2018. Model: Aiden Brady / © Rankin, 2018. Model: Eva Herzigová / © Rankin, 2018 Campaign Design: Merlicek & Grossebner English Translation: Globe Comm Translation Services Photos of the press conference can be found in the photo library of Life Ball at https://media.lifeplus.org, a voluntary service by mediamid digital services GmbH Content Foreword .................................................................................................... 2 LIFE+ FIGHTING AIDS AND CELEBRATING LIFE SINCE 1992 .........................................4 ABOUT HIV/AIDS ........................................................................................... 5 INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS & PARTNERS OF LIFE+ .................................................. 7 INTERNATIONAL IMPACT ................................................................................. 8 ECONOMIC IMPACT OF LIFE+ LIFE BALL: A POWERFUL BRAND ................................... 9 ECONOMIC FACTOR LIFE BALL .......................................................................... 9 LIFE+ CAMPAIGNS KNOW YOUR STATUS 2018 THE CAMPAIGNS OF LIFE+ ....................... 10 AN OVERVIEW OF THIS YEAR’S LIFE BALL EVENTS ................................................ 13 SPONSORS AND PARTNERS OF LIFE BALL 2018 .....................................................28 Faith, love, hope. The idea of the „Life Ball“ came into being, when HIV/AIDS was making headlines and the fashion world was one of the first who wanted to help and do something about it. This wish was also the inspiration for establishing the Life Ball in Austria. It is an event that reinterprets the Viennese ball tradition, a concept without social hierarchies that faces a serious theme in a life-affirming way. A forum to promote HIV/AIDS, raise awa- reness and encourage solidarity with the sick. Throughout the years, the Feast of Life has become an institution thanks to a united effort and, in addition to its charitable purpose, has been able to establish itself as a mirror of the social events and tides of its time. A global network has been created in over two decades with a common ob- jective: To put an end to HIV and AIDS - and until we witness the sun rise on that day, to help those who suffer from it - one way or the other. As multifaceted as life, the Life Ball is being celebrated in its jubilee year. That‘s why we have chosen a motto that reminds us to look inward: „The Sound of Music“ is much more than a world-famous musical, it serves as a reminder of the most beautiful, but also the darkest aspects of our homeland Austria. It reminds us that security, health, acceptance and freedom are not a given even in 2018. Conchita and Herbert Föttinger are the presenters of the Opening Show and slip into allegedly contradictory roles. Herbert Föttinger is the voice of the sceptics who are looking for answers to questions that need to be rightly posed. Conchita, on the other hand, embodies the values of the Life Ball and by extension the opposite side. This year‘s LIFE + CELEBRATION CONCERT on the eve of the 25th Life Ball deals with the concept of home and the questions: What is home? Is it a place, a belief, a feeling, a memory? Or is it people and customs? The theme accompanies the opera performances as well as short readings from the Austrian canon of literature and thus complements the overall picture of this year‘s motto on a new level. In addition to a relaxed approach to the past, the next level is about an informed future. Teenagers tend to ignore HIV, because the disease is no longer an immediate threat it once used to be in this country. This is where we work together with JGA. (Youth against AIDS reg. association). Targeted awareness-raising work is carried out with the second LIFE BALL NEXT GENERATION within a fresh framework: A panel di- scussion with international star guests and a party with hip artists are not a paradox, rather a new approach to the important message that knowledge prevents infection. The LIFE BALL NEXT GENERATION is the kick-off event of the campaign for teen- agers 16 years and older, which continues beyond the event itself with educational workshops in the fall. Throughout this year‘s events, our new KNOW YOUR STATUS campaign is taking sha- pe. In 2017, the campaign focused on the first of the UNAIDS 90-90-90 objectives that 90% of people with HIV know their status. It was our objective to normalize HIV tes- ting so that it can become part of routine health care. The campaign had a significant 2 impact. In Vienna alone, there was a 20% increase in demand for HIV testing in AIDS relief compared to the previous year. The KNOW YOUR STATUS 2018 campaign also focuses on the second UNAIDS 90-90-90-target - 90% of people with HIV, who know their status, should be on an- ti-retroviral treatment by 2020. Therefore, this year’s campaign deals with resultant progression of testing and creates awareness of what HIV-positive diagnosis means to those affected in personal, social and medical terms. Together with the British star photographer RANKIN, we have asked prominent personalities, who have emotionally written their story on their bodies, to pose in front of the camera. Thanks to many partners, the campaign will again embellish the cityscape, conveying our message on television and radio to the majority of public. Like the international impact of „The Sound of Music“, I wish the Life Ball, its campa- igns and events to continue to grow in significance and power, and to bring us all clo- ser to the real end of HIV/AIDS. Even though an important milestone has been reached with the 25th Life Ball, we still have long way to go with many big goals ahead of us. Let‘s reach the next milestones together! Gery Keszler, CEO LIFE+ and Life Ball Organizer 3 LIFE+ FIGHTING AIDS AND CELEBRATING LIFE SINCE 1992 LIFE+ is an independent non-profit organization founded in 1992. Its yearly events and activities serve as a platform to increase the overall awareness about the AIDS epidemic, raise funds for projects working to end the epidemic as well as present the work of our international partner organizations to a broad audience. OUR VISION Together, we can end AIDS! OUR MISSION Increase awareness for HIV/AIDS. Change the conversation about the epidemic. Inform and engage everyone in the fight against the virus. Raise funds to support projects working on the ground in the world’s most affected regions. Unlike many charity organizations, LIFE+ aims to bring together people from all walks of life with a variety of events tailored to diverse audiences. From the very beginning, Life Ball has proven to be an innovative and effective tool to encourage the public, government, pri- vate sector, and international community to think about HIV/AIDS and in turn raise awaren- ess, reduce stigma, and, ultimately, change the world. The Life Ball Opening Ceremony at Vienna City Hall Square unites everyday people and prominent individuals in the fight against HIV/AIDS, bringing the cause to the forefront. Prior to the Life Ball Opening Ceremony, the LIFE+ SOLIDARITY GALA – a prestigious gala banquet – takes place at Vienna City Hall. The LIFE+ CELEBRATION CONCERT has been the sister event of the Life Ball since 2012, marking the brilliant start to the Life Ball Week. For this event national and international stars of the opera and theater world come together on stage at Vienna’s Burgtheater. With their unique performances, they send a clear message that we can only defeat HIV/AIDS if we stand together. The fight to end the AIDS epidemic is not just for adults. For this reason, LIFE+ expanded its activities to include the youth with LIFE BALL NEXT GENERATION in 2017. The purpose of the event is to engage, empower, and educate young people on all aspects of the epi- demic. It also serves as a thank you for all those aged 16 years and older who participated in peer-to-peer education programs to spread awareness about sexual health and HIV to their classmates. LIFE BALL NEXT GENERATION is just as extravagant as its big sister at Vienna’s City Hall the day before. 4 Over the last 25 years, LIFE+ has partnered with prominent international non-governmental organizations with projects in Africa, Asia, and Europe to support the needs of people and communities living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. ABOUT HIV/AIDS WHAT IS HIV? HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus and can affect anyone regardless of sex, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, and socio-economic status. It is a virus that attacks the immune system and is found in semen, blood, vaginal and anal fluids, and breast milk. HIV destroys T-helper cells, a type of white blood cell in the immune system and makes copies of itself inside these cells. WHAT IS AIDS? AIDS stands for acquired immune deficiency syndrome and is a set of symptoms and illnes- ses that develop as a result of advanced HIV infection. 90-90-90 TARGETS The 90-90-90 targets are a concept and set of goals introduced by the UNAIDS in 2013. The targets stand for the following: • Target 1: 90% of people living with HIV know their status by 2020 • Target 2: 90% of people living with HIV who know their status are on antiretroviral treat- ment by 2020 • Target 3: 90% of people living with HIV on antiretroviral treatment will achieve viral suppression by 2020 – meaning that a person’s viral load – or the amount of virus in an HIV-positive person’s blood – is reduced to an undetectable level and is, therefore, not transmittable.