20/7/2008
Copenhagen Queer Festival
Different venues, Copenhagen
VJs, DJs, performers, artists, drag kings, drag queens, gender bender
Copenhagen Queermanifestival
With the Copenhagen queer festival we wish to create a queer space. But what is queer? How do we define it, use it, make it part of our lives? How do you define “queer” in relation to “non-queer”? these are just some of the questions we want to work on understanding during the festival. We wish to create a forum where people from all over the world can exchange impressions, viewpoints and ideas. Where we can play, learn, teach, move our boundaries and go places we didn’t know existed.
The festival is strictly D.I.Y. meaning that YOU as a participant must take an active part in making the festival successful. A few things have been planned in advance by the organizing group, but otherwise it is up to the participants to decide in unity how they want the festival to proceed. It is expected that everyone help out as much as they can to ensure that the festival will be a fun and enlightening experience for all.
Non-profit is another keyword for the festival. We wish to create a space which is not based on money, as we find this is the case in society today. The festival is open to all, whether or not they have money.
To create a place that is free for all it is important that we all try radically confront some, if not all(?) of the structures exiting in society today. We need to help each other to break free from structures and norms imposed on us by the capitalist, heteronormative, racist society. At the festival we need to respect each other, listen and think before we act and keep in mind that calling the festival “free” and “queer” doesn’t automatically make it so. We expect everyone to analyze their own actions and what effect they have on other people.
And even though the list is long, we still won’t tolerate racism, sexism, heterosexism, homo/bi/queer/hetero/trans –phobia, in other words No discrimination based on sexuality, age, gender, ethnicity, class and so on. There will be room for those who make room for others.
Despite our political agenda we must not forget that the festival is also about having fun and meeting new exiting people of all genders and sexualities
We hope to see you in late july for a great week of discussions, workshops, parties and politics!
What is it all about?
In 2006 the first Queer Festival took place in Copenhagen and this year we do it for the 3. time. For a week artists, musicians, DJs, performers, social and political activists, drag kings, drag queens, and gender benders from many countries will get together and create an alternative to heteronormative culture, politics, and spaces.
During the week we will start up activities, culminating with a day and night program during the weekend.
Who is it for?
The festival is for anyone who takes interest in criticizing and transgressing the prevalent norms governing gender roles and sexual identity. So the festival is a space not only for familiar minorities such as gay men, lesbians, and transsexuals, but everyone who dislikes the rigid division into sexual identities and the categories man and woman.
How to participate
There is no fee for participating. For our guests from outside Copenhagen we provide a place to sleep at the festival venue and food to eat (free or inexpensive) for all activists. We hope to create a real community in the spirit of DIY (do-it-yourself) principles where everybody is both guests and activists.
DIY means we're all doing it
At the Queer Festival we believe in DIY as an organizing principle. Everybody lends a hand. We will hang posters in the café where you can sign up for a couple of hours in the kitchen, the café, cleaning etc.
Furthermore we will have a brief daily meeting at 11.30 (after breakfast) where we coordinate the tasks of the day.
The queer festival wants to create a space where we can/will unfold and explore queer culture, politics and activism.
The main principles of the festival is DIY (do-it-yourself) and non-profit. This means that everybody are actively responsible to the festival and are expected to participate in an active manner. No one will be excluded from activities on the festival because of lack of money. Everybody contributes as they can - practically as well as economically.
The queer festival is a festival for everybody with a queer perspective - regardless of gender or sexuality.
With the festival we want to challenge and make an alternative to the heteronormative culture, politics and space. We don't want to conform into a heteronormative and sexist society. Instead we want to empathize on gender and sexuality as social constructions that can be challenged and altered.
On the festival respectful behavior will be a keyword, and no forms of racism, heterosexism or sexism will be accepted nor tolerated.
http://www.myspace.com/copenhagenqueerfestival
Different venues
Copenhagen