Trikster Blog

This summer between July 20-26 the 4th Copenhagen Queer Festival will take place at Gøglerskolen at Kigkurren. The organizers have just presented this years theme: “Fuck money: Commercialization – Mainstreaming – Anticapitalism”. This is what they write on the festival’s homepage about what to expect of this year’s festival:

“Copenhagen is this year hosting the World Outgames and the games are beginning the weekend that the Queerfestival is ending, on the 25th of July. The Outgames has gotten a lot of focus and media attention in Denmark, and Copenhagen has been busy labelling itself as “gay-friendly/pink-city”. We see this only as a capitalistic attempt to make money on the expected 5-10.000 participants, but at the same time the World Outgames is charging 2200 dkr (290 euros) just to participate in a conference. So we decided that its time for an anti-capitalistic queer perspective!

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!”

It is still some time until Copenhagen Queer Festival starts in late July, but the preperation and fun has already begun. On Saturday April 5, an open Skill Sharing Day will be held at Den økologiske produktionsskole (map) at 11 am, with workshops relevant when arranging queer events. This will be a great opportunity to learn about self defence, conflict resolution, performance, and other relevant issues, while having a good time.

On Tuesday April 15, there will be a Political Discussion Evening at 8 pm, at the same place. The evening starts out with different presentations on what’s queer about queer activism, art, festival, politics, and manifestos today, leading up to an open discussion on the platform and code of conduct for the queer festival this summer. One of the editors of Trikster, Mathias Danbolt, will hold a short talk on the history and politics of queer manifestos.

The events are open and free, so come and help shape the festival!

Århus Queer Festival will be held for the first time this summer from June 6-8. Here is their invitation to participate (in Danish):“Vi er en mangfoldig gruppe queers af forskellige køn, aldre, sexualiteter og kvaliteter. Lige nu er vi i fuld gang med at planlægge den spændende nye festival i Århus. Og du skal være med! Måske bliver vores økonomi ikke til betaling og honorar. Men vi kan tilbyde aktivister og kunstnere kost og logi, og selvfølgelig et super queer party og masser af oplevelser!Har du lyst til at være med? Send en mail til queeraarhus@gmail.com.”