Queer cabaret / performance / body art: what difference does it make?
Facilitated by Velvet Lee

A conversation about the relationship between queer / body art / performance making and viewing.

An open discussion of what effect queer / performance / body / art can (or does) have on our personal & political outlooks, ideas & consciousness. Is it activism? Does it change the way we see ourselves, others, or the world around us? Does it ask (or challenge) us to (re)consider our understanding of these things? Does it change how we act in the world? Is it (or can it be) more than “just entertainment”?

What are (or might be) the differences between performances occurring in non-commercial, underground, DIY, autonomous spaces, compared to ones that take place in more structured (or “established”) venues – such as galleries, theaters, or other more (publicly) recognized performance spaces? What is the relationship between the viewing audience, the performance, and the makers / performers?

Is there a factor of expectation (of what the audience expects, or doesn’t expect) that has an impact on what that audience might be open to encounter, or experience, through the viewing of queer performance and body art? What role does economics play in it: if the space is funded, if the artist is funded, or when these endeavors are brought forth on a volunteer basis?

What difference does it all make?

The aim of this discussion is to share in an open exchange of ideas relating to both personal experience and social political relevance, a related to queer performance and body art. In order to stretch our thoughts around a variety of perspectives, and to not be too limited in scope, performance makers and viewers are both very welcome and encouraged to come share thoughts & experiences.

Interrelations of archival research, filmmaking, theorizing, and activism

Historian, filmmaker, and transgender theorist Susan Stryker will discuss the use of archival media in her documentary film Screaming Queens: The Riot at Compton’s Cafeteria as well as her current experimental multimedia project Christine in the Cutting Room. The workshop will explore how archival research, filmmaking, theorizing, and activism can interrelate.

AIDS/HIV as (another) Form of Governmentality

This workshop is based on the artistic research project of same title, that took place in the end of 2012 and in the beginning of 2013 in Vienna. Its point of departure was regular forced confrontation with the medial mania around the annual biggest charity event in the world regarding AIDS/HIV that, at certain point, became simply unbearable and its one-dimensioned agenda turned necessary to be intervened. Our intention was to dismantle the illness and the virus as governmental instrument occurring especially via media representation within the capitalist ideology. Further then we aimed to open and to re-articulate the discourse from the post-colonial and queer perspective, as well as to approach these topics within the context of Eastern Europe. The workshop as part of the Queeristan festival intend to present and to discuss the actual project on the one hand, on the other then to extend these issues onto current shifts of the queer and capitalist (homo)normativity.

Filmscreenings:

Iman Ithram: Schwarzes Rechteck 1/2/3(4 min 60 sec.; 2012);

Marissa Lôbo: Fuck Europe! Here is talking Super Puta Pradastern! (ca. 20 min.)

Marina Gržinić, Aina Šmid, Zvonka T. Šimčič: Relations. 25 Years of the Lesbian Group ŠKUC-LL Ljubljana (Slovenian, Serbian and Croatian, Engl. subtitles; 84 min. 02 sec.; 2012)

These films/videos were part of the artistic research project “AIDS/HIV as (Another) Form of Governmentality” (11.12.’12-22.2.’13, Galerie IG Bildende Kunst, Vienna; participating artists: Marina Gržinić, Aina Šmid, Zvonka T. Šimčič; Iman Ithram; Belinda Kazeem; David Kellner; Kateřina Kolářová; Marissa Lôbo; curated by Miltiadis Gerothanassis and Ivan Jurica)

Freak my head, trick my body

A circus workshop where we would like to share an afternoon of  exploration, playing and introduction into some of the techniques used in circus such as: clowning, aerial acrobatics, floor acrobatics, juggling, props exploration and others depending on the logistics possibility. The latter as a way to investigate the body, its possibilities and as a opportunity to promote innovative physical contact among the participants. As well as inspire people into creative processes, awakening imagination and finding new ways of sharing space.

We will be looking for some nice, ackward, strange, long, short, colourful props to have some fun with the exciting participants.

If there is nice weather we will do it outdoors.

Looking forward to shake our bodies together!!!

A picture of us: Mandy, Mel and Paula, on earlier days.

PinkTalk – Zami

What’s queer about animal liberation?

Home cleaning recipes for social justice struggles!
A workshop by the Domestic Workers Campaign Netherlands.

House of Brag

House of Brag is a collective of radical queers and allies from London, UK.

Our main project is The London Queer Social Centre. We take over empty buildings around South London to create safe, fun, creative, non-commercial social spaces for queers and activists and friends. We’ve run two temporary social centres so far and the third will be happening this June & July. Our workshop will take the form of a discussion and skill-share, where we share our experiences of running squatted queer social centres and ask our audience for their experiences, suggestions, and advice.

Queer activisme binnen de Vakbeweging
(see English version below/Türkçesi için aşağıya bakınız)

In het verleden was er vanuit de queer- en feministische beweging veel aandacht voor de verbinding tussen queer activisme en de vakbeweging. Praktische voorbeelden van de relevantie zijn er nog altijd: van de verschillende manieren waarop vrouwen en transgenders structureel worden uitgesloten van de arbeidsmarkt, tot aan het voortbestaan van seksisme, homofobie, lesbofobie en transfobie op de werkplek en het ontslaan van werknemers op basis van hun non-normatieve seksualiteit en gender.
Maar waar er vroeger veel aandacht was voor de verbinding tussen de thema’s seksualiteit, gender en arbeid, is de laatste jaren de aandacht van ‘de Westerse’ LGBT beweging steeds meer gereduceerd tot een strijd voor ‘culturele erkenning’ en identiteitspolitiek. Ook sociale bewegingen die zich inzetten voor economische herverdeling en economische transformatie (zoals vakbonden en anti-kapitalistische groepen) zijn maar mondjesmaat geneigd geweest om de eisen en inzichten van queer activisten en arbeiders in hun politieke agenda op te nemen.

Deze workshop wil de urgentie van queer activisme en organising binnen de vakbeweging terug op de kaart zetten. We zullen dit doen in een discussie met activisten van Turkse en Nederlandse vakbonden.

Drie vragen zullen hierbij centraal staan:
• Waarom is queer activisme binnen de vakbeweging belangrijk?
• Wat zijn de praktische ervaringen met queer activisme binnen de vakbeweging in Nederland en Turkije?
• Wat zijn de belangrijkste successen en uitdagingen vandaag de dag?

Vanuit de Nederlandse vakbeweging zal Lili Brouwer aanwezig zijn. Zij is een lesbische feministe en lid van FNV Vrouw en de homo-lesbische groep van AbvaKabo FNV. AbvaKabo FNV is de grootste Nederlandse vakbond in de publieke sector (rond de 350.000 leden) en is lid van FNV in Beweging.
Vanuit Turkije zijn Esin Akyol en Omer Akpinar aanwezig. Esin Akyol is een transvrouw, en kunstdocente uit İstanbul. Ze is lid van de Onderwijs en Wetenschapsvakbond (Eğitim-Sen), met 167.00 leden de grootste vakbond van de onafhankelijke vakcentrale KESK. Vanwege hun kritische opvatting ten opzichte van de overheid zitten momenteel tientallen leden van Eğitim-Sen momenteel gevangen in Turkije. Esin is ook lid van de LGBT organisatie KAOS GL uit Ankara. Ömer Akpınar is een queer activist en de web redacteur van KAOS GL.

De discussie zal worden gefaciliteerd door twee queer vakbondsleden van het Queeristan collectief.

Tijdens: Queeristan!
Plaats: Cultureel centrum ‘Op de Valreep’. Polderweg 620, Amsterdam.
Datum: Zaterdag 1 juni van 14.00-16.00.
Taal: Engels, Turks en Nederlands.
Schade: geen

Queer voices from the Dutch and Turkish union movement

In the past several queer and feminist scholars and activists have been pointing to the intersections between issues related to sexuality, gender and labour. Practical examples are manifold: from the ways in which women and trans people are being structurally excluded from the labour market to the persisting existence of sexism, homophobia, lesbophobia and transphobia on workplaces and dismissals of workers based on their non-conforming sexual and gender identity.

However in the last years the focus of mainstream LGBT movements, especially in the West, has shifted towards the realm of ‘merely cultural recognition’ and demands based on a limiting identity politics. Also social movement related to struggles of economical redistribution and economic transformation (such as trade unions and anti-capitalist activist groups) have often only marginally been inclined to take up demands of queer activists and workers.

This workshop will be directed to the question how we can improve the connection between queer activism and labour. We will do this in a dialogue with LGBT union activist from the Turkey and the Netherlands who will share their experiences with queer organising in their unions. Three questions will be central to our discussion:

• Why is queer organising in the union important?
• What have been the practical experiences?
• What are the main successes and challenges today?

From the Dutch context Lili Brouwer will participate, a lesbian feminist analist & organizer active member trade union FNV Vrouw (genderequality) & Abvakabo FNV (organizing LGBT & monitoring results) including social media. AbvaKabo FNV is the biggest public services union in the Netherlands (around 350.000 members) and member of the Dutch Confederation of Labour Unions (FNV in Beweging).

From Turkey Esin Akyol and Omer Akpinar will participate. Esin Akyol is a trans-woman and a painting teacher in İstanbul. She is a member of Education and Science Workers’ Union (Eğitim-Sen) from the independent confederation KESK and a member of the Ankara based LGBT organization KAOS GL. Ömer Akpınar is a gay activist and the web editor of Kaos GL’s website.

The discussion will be facilitated by two queer union members of the Queeristan collective.

At: Queeristan Festival
Date: Saturday 1rst of June from 14.00-16.00.
Location: Cultural Centre ‘Op de Valreep’. Polderweg 620, Amsterdam.
Damage: non (for free)!

Hollanda ve Türkiye Sendikal Hareketlerinden Kuir Sesler

Geçmişten bugüne birçok kuir/ feminist akademisyen ve aktivist; cinsellik, toplumsal cinsiyet ve emek konularının kesişim noktalarına vurgu yapıyor. Kadınların ve trans bireylerin yapısal bir biçimde işgücünden dışlanmasından, işyerindeki cinsiyetçilik, homofobi ve transfobinin ısrarcı konumuna ve de normlara uymayan cinsel yönelimi ve cinsiyet kimliğinden dolayı işten çıkarılan işçilere değin bu konuda örnekler çok katmanlı.

Fakat son yıllarda, özellikle Batı’daki ana akım LGBT hareketlerinin odağı ‘salt bir kültürel tanınma’ alanına ve kimlik politikalarına sınırlanmış taleplere doğru kayıyor. Bunun yanında, gelir dağılımı ve ekonomik dönüşüm mücadeleleriyle alakalı sosyal hareketler (sendikalar ve antikapitalist aktivist gruplar gibi) genelde LGBT aktivistlerin ve işçilerin taleplerine nadiren yer veriyorlar.

Bu atölye, LGBT aktivizmi ve emek konuları arasındaki bağlantıyı nasıl geliştirebileceğimiz sorusuna yönelik. Bunu da, sendikalarında LGBT örgütlenmeleri yürüten ve bizimle deneyimlerini paylaşacak Türkiye ve Hollanda’dan sendikalı LGBT aktivistleriyle gerçekleşecek bir diyalogla gerçekleştireceğiz. Tartışmamız şu üç soru etrafında şekillenecek:

• Sendikada LGBT örgütlenme neden önemli?
• Bugüne kadar uygulanmış deneyimler ne söylüyor?
• Bugüne değin kazanımlar ve zorluklar neler?

Atölyeye Hollanda’dan, lezbiyen feminist araştırmacı, FNV sendikası kadın kolu olan FNV Vrouw ve Abvakabo FNV’nin LGBT örgütlenmesinde aktif görev alan Lili Brouwer katılacak. Abvakabo FNV, yaklaşık 350.000 üyesiyle Hollanda’daki en büyük kamu emekçileri sendikası.

Türkiye’den de Esin Akyol ve Ömer Akpınar katılacak. Esin Akyol, İstanbul’da resim öğretmenliği yapan bir trans kadın. Eğitim-Sen, KESK ve Ankara merkezli bir LGBT oluşumu olan Kaos GL üyesi. Ömer Akpınar da eşcinsel aktivist ve Kaos GL’nin web editörü.

Tartışmanın kolaylaştırıcılığını, Queeristan kolektifinden iki kuir sendika üyesi üstlenecek.

Queeristan Festivali’nde!
Zaman: 1 Haziran Cumartesi, 14-16 arası.
Yer: ‘Op de Valreep’ Kültür Merkezi, Polderweg 620, Amsterdam.
Hasar: Yok …