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U trenucima kada se aktivizam u Srbiji čini poput borbe protiv vetrenjača, dobro je prikočti, izmestiti se i preispitati postojeće stanje stvari. Sve je veći broj umetničkih galerija i kulturnih prostora i centara, koji su geografski decentralizovani (odnosno ne nalaze se na teritoriji Beograda i Novog Sada), ali se čini da nisu svi u potpunosti otvoreni za LBTQ+ umetnice i kreativne radnice. Upravo je umetnost bila ta koja je odvajkada predstavljala sinonim slobode, promišljanja realnosti, pokretanja pitanja i pokušaja davanja odgovora. Ukoliko u dovoljnoj meri nemamo prostore koji pružaju slobodu izraza lezbejkama i kvir ženama, kao društvo možemo samo stagnirati.
Jednaku težinu nosi i problematika manjka prostora za kvir umetnice, kao i nedostatak zakonskih prava i okvira njihovih odnosa, tolerancije i razumevanja od strane društva. Bavljenje umetnošću je samo po sebi izazovna aktivnost, bez da govorimo o aktivističkoj noti. Tu je i deficit prepoznavanja njenog značaja, kao i praktičnih problema poput nedostatka galerija spremnih na saradnju i promociju sa LBTQ+ umetnicama. Otvorenost institucija za ovakav vid umetničkih angažmana uveliko može doprineti razbijanju stigme i predrasuda koje su toliko prisutne u društvenoj atmosferi našeg podneblja u odnosu na lezbejke i kvir žene. Upravo iz pozicije pokušaja menjanja statusa quo, pokrenut je WLW festival koji slavi stvaralaštvo žena koje vole žene, a koji će se održati u okviru Europrajda u Beogradu.
Format WLW (women loving women) festivala podrazumeva različite umetničke i kreativne izložbene prakse, od fotografije i slikarstva, do muzike, dokumentarnog filma i stripa. Ovaj diverzitet simboliše i jednu širu otvorenost i poziv na solidarnost. Slavljenje života, ljubavi u svojoj iskrenoj formi i umetnosti kao njihovog odraza jedan je od ciljeva festivala. Kako su umetnost i debata oduvek išli ruku pod ruku, pored kreativnog programa, održaće se i tribina na temu budućnosti lezbejskog aktivizma u regionu i Evropi. Moderatorka tribine biće Dragana Todorović.
Pored promocije radova učesnica iz zemlje i regiona, festival će doprineti i podsticaju drugih LBTQ+ žena na dalji umetnički angažman i aktivizam. To će se, između ostalog, raditi i kroz dodelu nagrada za najbolju fotografiju i proglašenje pobednika #wlwartfest onlajn izazova. Takođe, biće održano i standup veče, kao i žurka.
WLW festival, koji se po prvi put realizuje od 14. do 16. septembra u beogradskom prostoru „Miljenko Dereta”, sprovode Labris - organizacija za lezbejska ljudska prava u saradnji sa udruženjem Dugina Iskra. Festival je podržan od strane organizacija Civil Rights Defenders (CRD), The Eurocentralasian Lesbian* Community – EL*C, i The Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice. Otvaranje je zakazano za sredu 14. septembar obraćanjem Aleksandre Gavrilović iz Labrisa, a izložba fotografija „Naša 4 zida“, autorki, Minje Pavlović i Jelena Vasiljević je zakazana za 15. septembar.
Učesnice festivala, pored pomenutih su i Helena Janečić, Katarina Ranković, Ljubica Damčević, Marina Orsag, Jelena Anđelovska, Prof. dr Jelisaveta Blagojević i Anamarija Tumbas, Sandra Grbić, Vera Erac i Kristina Kastelec.
Program festivala lezbejske umetnosti i aktivizma
Sreda, 14.09.2022.
18.00 Otvaranje festivala i obraćanje organizatorki
18.15 - 18.30 Otvaranje izložbe stripa, crteža i grafika: Helena Janečić
18.30 - 19.00 Koktela
Katarina Ranković i Ljubica Damčević
19.00 - 20.00 StandUp: Marina Orsag
Četvrtak, 15.09.2022.
16.00 Otvaranje izložbe fotografija: Naša 4 zida
16.45 - 17.00 Dodela nagrada za najbolje fotografije
17.00 - 18.30 Tribina: Umetnost kao aktivizam
Panelistkinje: Helena Janečić, Marina Orsag, Jelena Anđelovska, Prof. dr Jelisaveta Blagojević
18.30 - 19.00 Osveženje
19.00 - 21.00 Tribina: A šta ćemo sad: Budućnost lezbejskog aktivizma u regionu i Evropi
Moderacija: Dragana Todorović
22.00 WLW žurka @Zappa barka
Petak, 16.09.2022.
17.00 - 19.00 Laboratorija WLW zvuka: Anamarija Tumbas - "Stroberiz"
17.00 - 19.00 Laboratorija WLW poezije “Ko kaže da je jednostavno”: Jelena Anđelovska
19.30 - 21.30 Laboratorija pokreta - Ples slobode: Vera Erac
19.30 - 21.30 Tattoo laboratorija: Kristina Kastelec
21.30 - 22.00 Proglašenje pobednika #wlwartfest online izazova
Oslikavanje murala: Ivona Medić
Life and art in "our four walls" and beyond: the WLW festival as a reflection of the desire for greater visibility and support for queer women artists
In moments when activism in Serbia seems like a fight against windmills, it is good to stop, step out and reassess the current state of affairs. There is an increasing number of art galleries and cultural spaces and centers, which are geographically decentralized (that is, they are not located in the territory of Belgrade and Novi Sad), but it seems that not all of them are fully open to LBTIQ+ artists and creative workers. It was art that has always been synonymous with freedom, reflection on reality, raising questions and trying to give answers. If we do not have enough spaces that provide freedom of expression to women loving women, as a society we can only stagnate.
Equally important is the issue of lack of space for queer artists, as well as the lack of legal rights and the framework for our relationships, tolerance and understanding by society. Making art is a challenging activity in itself, not to mention an activist note. There is also a deficit in recognizing its importance, as well as practical problems such as the lack of galleries ready to collaborate and promote LBTIQ+ artists. The openness of institutions for this kind of artistic engagements can greatly contribute to breaking the stigma and prejudices that are so present in the social atmosphere of our climate in relation to queer women. Precisely from the position of trying to change the status quo, the WLW festival was launched, we celebrate the creativity of women who love women, and will be held as part of Europride in Belgrade.
The format of the WLW (women loving women) festival includes various artistic and creative exhibitions and conversations, from photography and painting, to music, documentary film and comics. This diversity symbolizes a wider openness and a call for solidarity. Celebrating life, love in its honest form and art as their reflection is one of the goals of the festival. As art and debate have always gone hand in hand, in addition to the creative program, there will also be a discussion on the future of lesbian activism in the region and Europe. The forum will be moderated by Dragana Todorović.
In addition to promoting the works of participants from the country and the region, the festival will contribute to the encouragement of other LBTIQ+ women for further artistic engagement and activism. This will be done, among other things, through the awarding of prizes for the best photo and the announcement of the winner of the #wlwartfest online challenge. Also, there will be a standup evening, as well as a party.
The WLW festival, is being happening for the first time from September 14 to 16 in the Belgrade in "Miljenko Dereta Space", is organised by Labris - lesbian human rights organisation in cooperation with the orgnisaiton Rainbow Ignite. The festival is supported by Civil Rights Defenders (CRD), The Eurocentralasian Lesbian* Community - EL*C, and The Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice. The opening is scheduled for Wednesday, September 14, with an addressing speech by Aleksandra Gavrilović from Labris, and the photo exhibition "Our 4 walls", by the authors, Minja Pavlović and Jelena Vasiljević, is scheduled for September 15.
Participants of the festival, in addition to the aforementioned, are Helena Janečić, Katarina Ranković, Ljubica Damčević, Marina Orsag, Jelena Anđelovska, Prof. dr Jelisaveta Blagojević and Anamarija Tumbas, Sandra Grbić, Vera Erac and Kristina Kastelec.
WLWartfest - Programme
Wednesday, 14.09.2022.
18.00 - 18.15 Opening ceremony and address of the organizers
18.15 - 18.30 Opening of the exhibition of drawings and graphics: Helena Janečić
18.30 - 19.00 Cocktail - Katarina & Ljubica Duo
19.00 - 20.00 StandUp: Marina Orsag
Thursday, 15.09.2022.
16.00 - 16.45 Opening of the photo exhibition: Our 4 walls
16.45 - 17.00 Awarding of prizes for the best photos in the competition "Women who love women"
17.00 - 18.30 Forum: Artivism - Panelists: Helena Janecic, Marina Orsag, Jelena Andjelovska, Prof. dr Jelisaveta Blagojević
18.30 - 19.00 Refreshment
19.00 - 21.00 Forum: And what now: The future of lesbian activism in the region and Europe, Moderator: Dragana Todorovic
22.00 WLW party @Zappa barca
Friday, 16.09.2022.
17.00 - 19.00 WLW Sound Laboratory: Anamarija Tumbas - "Strawberry"
17.00 - 19.00 WLW poetry laboratory "Who says it's simple": Jelena Andjelovska
19.30 - 21.30 Movement Laboratory - Dance of Freedom: Vera Erac
19.30 - 21.30 Tattoo laboratory: Kristina Kastelec
21.30 - 22.00 Announcing the winner of the #wlwartfest online challenge
Mural painting by Ivona Medić
