The BLAQOUT! Conference is seeking community members, activists, artists, and students to conduct workshops for our 2022 gathering, “Blaq in Action”! BLAQOUT! 2022 will be taking place at UC Berkeley from October 14-16, 2022.
Priority Deadline: August 26th, 2022 at 11:59PM
EXTENDED Deadline: September 17th, 2022 at 11:59PM
Selected workshop presenters will be notified the week of September 26th
ABOUT BLAQOUT!:
The BLAQOUT! 2022 Conference, “Blaq in Action” is a declaration of the power and agency Black Queer folks possess in society. In the places we occupy -- work, school, home, and wherever else we find ourselves -- we have the right to exist freely. Freedom of self-determination and self-expression transforms how we navigate all spaces and define a future of inclusivity and community strength. When we allow ourselves the space to be free, our assertion of freedom disrupts and transcends the oppressive limits around us. When we assert our presence, we center not only our bodies, but our intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and cultural contributions.
Through a series of innovative workshops, a panel discussion, and speakers, we will explore how we as Black queer people can declare our right to the space we need to thrive. We invite self-identified Black queer people of all ages, abilities, socioeconomic backgrounds, immigration statuses, gender presentations, sexual orientations, nationalities, religions, and cultural backgrounds to join us. BLAQOUT! is a place specifically built by us and for us.
WORKSHOP THEMES:
For our first round of submissions, we are seeking workshop topics that engage the following themes:
*(LOVE) On
Cultivating Collective Power and Movement Building: Strategies and case examples on cultivating collective power by, for, and with Black Queer people; Creativity as Community; Inter/Intrapersonal Relationships and Relationsthip Formations; Politics and Policymaking grounded in Black queer Politics; Cooperative economics and self-sustainable futures
*(HEALTH) On Spiritual or Mental Wellness: Actualizing freedom from the inside and within ourselves; cultivating self-determination
*(WEALTH) On Space Creation & Black Queer Futures: Insights and skill-building opportunities related to the creation of our own spaces or lanes in the worlds of art & creative expression, health & wellness, business, and politics.
*(STEALTH) On Presence & Reclaiming Space: The transformation of spaces typically entrenched with societal and institutional discriminatory & oppressive forces (workplace, academia, community work, homes); navigating and thriving in spaces not designed for Black Queer People
These are some starting points, however, feel completely free to submit a workshop topic of your own choosing that aligns with this year's theme.
WORKSHOP FORMATS:
Workshops will be offered predominantly in-person, but we may offer a limited option to host virtual workshops. Please indicate your preference for workshop format in response to the questions below.
CONTACT:
