FUTURESEX | WITNESS
February - March 2021 | Online
FUTURESEX | WITNESS is a series of interdisciplinary conversations and events
Through these events we will be asking what it means to witness. What histories of sex, gender and sexuality were able to be witnessed, archived and transmitted? What work do we need to do in the present to witness new futures of sex, gender and sexuality? All events will feature live BSL interpreters and captioning. All events are free, but booking is essential.
February 9th, 5-7PM (GMT) - Witnessing Bodies: Launch and live online life drawing
Join us for the launch event where Leo Aces Collins and Breakfast Bodies will lead us through an informal life drawing session.
Leo Aces is a diversity awareness speaker, focusing on Disability and Transgender issues. He also a life model, gratitude coach and entrepreneur. Leo identifies as a gay transman and pronouns are he/him. He has Athetoid Cerebral Palsy which he never lets get in the way of living a fulfilling life. See Leo’s full bio here.
Breakfast Bodies is a laid back life drawing class in which beginners to both modelling and drawing are always welcome. Guided exercises will be given throughout the class and both Rosie and George will be on hand to offer support and answer any questions. You can experiment with as wide a range of materials as you like. This could be pens, pencils, ink, watercolour, oil pastel, charcoal, collage materials. If you don’t have big paper or art materials available to you then Breakfast Bodies encourage you to think outside the box. You could staple together old envelopes and draw with different coloured biro pens and highlighter, collage using newspaper or food packaging or paint with soy sauce. There is really no right or wrong way to approach the class!
Register here.
February 16th, 4:30-6PM (GMT) - Archives, Museums and Spaces
We are thrilled to be joined by an incredible list of individuals representing institutions and projects running in the UK around archiving and making space for histories and futures of sex, gender and sexuality. Join us for what is sure to be a fascinating and wide-ranging discussion of these issues. Guests include:
Stefan Dickers - Special Collections and Archives Manager of the Bishopsgate Institute
Kirsty Fife - academic researcher, activist and archivist focused on DIY spaces and culture
Florence Schechter - science communicator, comedian and founder of the Vagina Museum
E-J Scott - Curator of the Museum of Transology and speaker including with Tate Britain
Register here.
February 23rd, 4:30-6:30PM (GMT) - Intersex Activism, Intersex Culture, and Intersex Joy
In this conversation, we will be focusing on not just histories and futures of intersex activism, but the important role culture and the arts have to play in allowing us to witness histories and create new futures with more potential for intersex joy. We are so excited to be joined by an incredible line up of individuals from across the world who have worked in intersex activism, art and academia. DIVA columnist and intersex equality rights campaigner, Valentino Vecchietti will lead the panel, hosting the conversation and speaking as a panellist, centring intersex voices in a friendly and far-reaching conversation about culture and the role it plays in witnessing histories, telling stories, doing activism and furthering human rights. Valentino works with many institutions including universities on projects related to human rights, culture and activism. It is a pleasure to welcome Valentino back to FUTURESEX after their role in a previous event; see details and their bio here. Full panelist details:
Miriam van der Have, co-founder and co-chair of OII Europe e.V in 2015, co-founder and managing director of NNID Foundation in the Netherlands and member of the ILGA board
Sean Saifa Wall, Intersex activist, collage artist and public health researcher
Valentino Vecchietti (She/Her & They/Them) is the Intersex Columnist at DIVA magazine. They work in intersex culture, academia, and intersex equality rights. In 2020, their work as an intersex community campaigner was recognised on the Lesbian 100 List. They are on the Pride Power List 2020 for their intersex focussed work in journalism, media and culture.
Register here.
March 2nd, 5:30-6:30PM (GMT) - In conversation with Kiran Millwood Hargrave
What is the role of stories and literature for thinking expansively about pasts, presents and futures of sex, gender and sexuality?
In this event, we will be joined by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, award-winning author of The Girl of Ink & Stars (2016), The Island at the End of Everything (2017), The Way Past Winter (2018), The Deathless Girls (2019), and The Mercies (2020).
Kiran will be in conversation with Dr Amy Louise Morgan of FUTURESEX at the University of Surrey. They will discuss Kiran's work, particularly how she approaches gender in her writing.
There will be readings, and a chance to ask questions in a Q&A.
Register here.
March 9th, 5:00-7:00PM (GMT) - FUTURESEX | PECS: Live podcast recording
We are over the moon to bring you the finale of our series of events, in association with Pecs Drag Kings! Pecs are a critically-acclaimed all-female/non-binary theatre and cabaret company who have performed sold-out shows all over the UK.
Exclusive to FUTURESEX, Pecs will be performing a live recording of their hit podcast The Drag King Cast.
Join the Kings as they entertain and inform, while considering gender and drag, the histories and futures of drag, and the role of witnessing in performance. Expect thoughtful and interesting, while always sexy and raucous; this is sure to be a fantastic end to our series of events!
See more details here.
Register here.