Thinking and practicing queerfeminism in an eco-context
Datum: Tuesday, 25th – Friday 28th May
Zeit: 10:00 – 13:00
Referent*innen: Giulia Andrighetto and Ezra Judith Mühlbacher
Sprache: English
Ort: Zoom
The Klimacamp 2021 Summer School Workshop series on queerfeminism will give an introduction to queerfeminist thought – in a broader sense as well as with an environmental focus – all the while seeking its practical application: to the contexts of our lived experiences, to the collective learning space of our group, and to our ecological entanglements and activism (we use the term activism in a large sense, encompassing a myriad of forms of personal_political engagements).
In the first workshop we will begin by getting to know each other, our expectations, and needs. We will negotiate practices of communication, knowledge exchange, and collective care, that will create a safe*r container for our online work. The focus for the day will be to make visible how normative power dynamics are constructed and reproduced in everyday life, entangling each of us in a complex web of privileges and marginalization, and how we can build theory from our experiences. Through individual and collective reflection and with the support of a series of embodied exercises, we will start building a critical queerfeminist lens.
In the second workshop we will explore how key concepts gathered on our first day can bring critical insights to the conversation surrounding ecologies and environmentalisms. On a theoretical level we will investigate the main contributions and limitations of traditional ecofeminism, and discuss some of the critical contributions that queer ecology offer. We will do so with the support of collective slow reading, creative tools, and other visual materials.
In the third workshop we will focus on the practical application of theory and learnings from existing practice. We will look at a variety of environmental movements (e.g. climate justice, ecosexuality, animal rights, etc.) and apply the queer_eco_feminist framework we have built. Discussions will be carried out in small groups, and then the main insights will be shared and debated with the whole group.
In the fourth workshop we will apply the main findings of the critical analysis carried out on the previous day to the experiences of activism of the participants. We will explore both individually and collectively how the knowledge gathered together might be applied critically to transform personal_political engagements and their context. This will include a reflection on sustainable activism and care practices. For that, we will go through a series of strategies that participants will be able to take away with them beyond our workshop.
The workshops will be held in English, with the option of clarifications in German, Italian, French. A reading list will be provided several weeks beforehand.
Bios:
Giulia Andrighetto is a multilingual and internationally educated queerfeminist researcher currently working at the University of Vienna. Recently, Giulia has been focusing on the study of alternative forms of economic solidarity and relationality, specifically on intentional communities and forms of commons, looking at their affective and political complexities to reflect on their long-term sustainability.
Ezra Judith Mühlbacher (they, them) coordinates the Environmental Research Network at the University of Vienna and is an independent researcher with a background in sociology, international development studies, environmental studies and sustainability science. In their most recent academic endeavours they sought impulses for cultural and systemic transformation from queer-ecological activist, artistic and community practice, using arts-based research methods. As a transdisciplinary being, they are very curious about non-normative ways of knowledge production and -integration, particularly embodied practices of dance, movement, eco-somatics, and mindfulness. From this, they also draw inspiration for sustainable and conscious activism strategies.
