Deadline: January 2, 2013

Please get in touch if you are interested but can’t make the deadline

Whose stories get told and whose are lost within queer and trans communities? Within “south asian” communities? On stages, pages or walls?

For those of us navigating the world in our LGBTTIQQ2S/WSW/MSM “south asian” youth bodies, the questions of (in)visibility can be profoundly important. We mediate structural shit like racism, homophobia, transphobia and ageism. We have supported each other and/or ourselves in the fiercest of ways. Our stories are beautiful/hard/real/fun, and need to be told/heard/read/held.

Two Opportunities for folks with connections to “south asian,” LGBTTIQQ2S/WSW/MSM* and youth communities:

• You are invited to submit your artistic work for an upcoming compilation, which will be released in late-January 2013
• “south asian” queer and trans community members are invited to participate in the processes of curating, selecting and editing, by attending community collaboration/compilation meetings in January 2013.

The Details 
This book, a compilation with a yet-to-be-determined title, is by and for queer and trans “south asian” youth. It might be something our allies (including workers in social services) will appreciate also.

We are seeking artistic submissions from folks who have connections to “south asian” communities, LGBTIQQ2S/WSW/MSM communities, and youth communities. We’ll leave the self-identifying to you.

We’re coming from an all-art-is-good-art place, so if it feels like artistic work for you, please submit it! Some example of this could be graphic tales, collages, some way of documenting movement stuff you do, poetry, self-portraits, etc.

The bulk of the book is going to be your work! Plus, we’d like to add in some historical notes about all that’s come before us, documentation of the project that this book is a part of (Q? Y Art?), links and things, and maybe more!

We are planning to launch the book in late-January, 2013 at a big community performance event. Unfortunately we cannot pay folks who submit work, but we will make sure you have a copy of the book and will have an opportunity to put your stuff out there by reading, performing, or showcasing your work at the launch event.

Artistic Submission Guidelines 
Please submit your work via email to qyartproject@gmail.com or through a filesharing site by January 2, 2013.

In your email, please include

• The name you’d like associated with the work (a pseudonym or anonymous is perfectly acceptable)
• A short bio statement (100 words or less), with you defining “bio” as you like

Please submit

• Written work (up to 750 words)
• Images (300 dpi, all formats are accepted)
• Scanned images (300 dpi, all formats are accepted)

For each individual, we’d appreciate it if you could submit to a maximum of 2 pieces.

Have some ideas, but want some feedback, or a space to talk through them?

Attend one of our idea sessions

• December 19, 2012: 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm at Parkdale Community Health Centre
• December 21, 2012: 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm – Location TBD
• December 27, 2012: 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm at Sherbourne Health Centre

**If you cannot attend one of these, please get in touch via email at qyartproject@gmail.com so we can try to figure out other ways to support the development of your submission.**

Community Collaboration/Compilation

We would love to have “south asian” queer and trans folks who submit, as well as others who don’t, participate in the compilation of this book!

Q? Y Art? project has worked from a collective consensus based model of organizing. We hope to bring this into the collaboration/compilation process. Sometimes putting together submissions is done by a small closed group of individuals who decide what gets to be printed, how and where. This is not how we would like the process to look. We envision the bringing together of folks who are interested in learning and participating to look through submissions and collectively figure out how we can bring them together to reflect the values of Q? Y Art? but also to honour and reflect stories and experiences of those who have submitted and are collaborating/compiling.

Collaboration/Compilation meetings will take place

• January 8, 2013: 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm at Parkdale Community Health Centre
• January 11, 2013: 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm at Sherbourne Health Centre
• January 15, 2013: 5:30 to 7:30 pm at Parkdale Community Health Centre
• January 19, 2013: 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm at Sherbourne Health Centre

Unfortunately our budget is small and we will not be able to pay folks for participating in this process and recognize that this is a barrier to participating. Furthermore, funding has been allocated to print and distribute the book for free and there will be no profits made from the book. We will be able to provide TTC tokens and food at the meetings.

What will be Included in the Collection

We hope it will include:

• documentation of the diversity of queer and trans south Asian spaces, histories and past organizing!
• recognition of current and past projects and resources ( back few pages) with links and things
• integration of history highlighting books, photo exhibits, people, stories
• convergence of some of our experiences
• documentation of the Q? Y Art? project process

all formatted into a coffee table book style, where each page speaks for itself!

We also hope to create on online version so folks can access it for 3 – 5 years after this project.

Where will it be distributed/ available?
The Collection will be distributed at the launch in late-January, 2013 and will also be distributed for free to “south Asian” LGBTTIQQ2S/WSW/MSM* youth and the services/agencies that serve us.

Are you interested in the art of words? Fascinated by language? Thinking about the connections between race, gender, gender identity, sexuality, and more … ? Wondering about south asian representation?

Hosted by the Q? Y Art? Project, Steve Khan will facilitate an arts workshop entitled “With Words.”

Explore language visually. Steve Khan will share work by artists who incorporate text (and very often, humour) in their work. Learn how you can appropriate/borrow text to produce (new) meaning, or change an expression by putting it in a different context. You may also find out (or at least become aware of) how to avoid clichés. Discover how to make something new with words.

*LGBTTIQQ2S/WSW/MSM = Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer, Questioning, 2 Spirit, Women who have Sex with Women, Men who have Sex with Men

*”south asian” = We recognize that “South Asian” is a complex identity that cannot be encompassed by a simple listing of geographical places. We list the term in quotations to highlight its shifting meaning. We use the term strategically (we do not assume solidarity amongst all groups encompassed by mainstream definitions of “South Asian”) and we are invested in complicating it at every moment. Your definitions of “South Asian” and your self-identification as “South Asian,” are what matter.

*youth = 13-29 years of age

This workshop is part of the Q? Y Art? Project, funded by ArtReach Toronto and the Community One Foundation. Q? Y Art? is a multi-disciplinary arts program for LGBTTIQQ2S/WSW/MSM “south asian” Youth. Individual workshops are on July 24, 26 and August 1. A 3-day intensive program runs July 21, 28, 29. Locations vary. Please get in touch for more info or to register.

Masti Khor and Sammy Samosa will facilitate a doubled up Burlesque and Drag workshop for South Asian queer and trans youth. You can explore either burlesque or drag!

Sammy Samosa will be facilitating a drag workshop, sharing his experiences from the various communities he’s performed in.

Sammy has been performing drag for over seven years, three of those years in Toronto. Previously, he performed and produced shows with Kings of Vancouver, DKUnited, Man Up and dakus of disco duniya. In Vancouver, Sammy advocated for higher pay for drag kings and also worked to address issues of racism and oppression within the gender performance community through an event he created and produced called Drag Union. Sammy spent two years as a co-producer of Colour me Dragg, a performers of colour-only stage in Toronto, where he helped out with events at Buddies in Badtimes Theatre. He has performed in various cities including Seattle, Winnipeg, Washington DC, and Austin. To expand his skills and knowledge around gender performance, Sammy has taken part in five international drag conferences, including a stint as a board member of the International Drag King Community Extravaganza (IDKE), and a co-producer of IDKE Vancouver. When he’s not busy being perfectly charming or devastatingly handsome, he also does freelance graphic design for organizations like Council of Agencies Serving South Asians. He also sings in a punk band called Secret Trial Five. His favourite food is biryani.

*LGBTTIQQ2S/WSW/MSM = Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer, Questioning, 2 Spirit, Women who have Sex with Women, Men who have Sex with Men

*”south asian” = We recognize that “South Asian” is a complex identity that cannot be encompassed by a simple listing of geographical places. We list the term in quotations to highlight its shifting meaning. We use the term strategically (we do not assume solidarity amongst all groups encompassed by mainstream definitions of “South Asian”) and we are invested in complicating it at every moment. Your definitions of “South Asian” and your self-identification as “South Asian,” are what matter.

*youth = 13-29 years of age

before the workshops, we’d love to find out a little bit more info about you:
- Name (Chosen or Alias)
-  What would you like us to know about you ( ex: pronoun, age, what you do with your time)? Tell us a bit about yourself?
- How would you prefer follow up? Phone? Email? Facebook? Can we use the name Q? Y Art Project in the subject line or leave voicemails?

Get your info to us via:
e-mail:  qyartproject@gmail.com
facebook: facebook.com/QYArtProject
phone: 416 599 2727 x 230

Hope to hear from you soon!