Every edition of Alt Shift includes an open space where everyone can propose workshops and activities of every sort, creating unique moments of co-learning and fun. This year each afternoon there was a blooming variety: from 'designing a degrowth monopoly', 'knitting', 'reading in the woods' and 'tetrapak wallets' to 'white supremacy and colonialism', 'cultural appropriation' and 'what is wrong with communism?'. Among these,
**UNTAMING THE WEIRD** (by Fred and Steph, the facilitators introducing the workshop)
”We all are a bit “weird” in some ways, which is also what makes us human - and with more tools to look at these parts of us lovingly, we have the possibility to come back to our wholeness and to integrate this aliveness into our lives. Discover inner parts of yourself and let them be part of your life!
Untaming the Weird is an experimental, playful, yet safe and sensitive space to get in contact with parts of the inner Self, that are maybe most often hidden, that are usually not getting much love and attention when you are „grown up“. We aim to get more in touch with what is going on inside of us, especially where it’s playful, foolish and also where it becomes scary, funny, unpleasant.
In this space you have the possibility to experience yourself with your „funny“ parts, also in relation with others, and anchor a feeling of "I am OK", "I have space". While some information on theory for mental integration will be provided, the emphasis is on experiential, somatic learning (through feeling), what it can mean to become more yourself and experiencing more space for whatever is alive in you. To go through this process, while being a part of a group and in contact with each other, opens up the possibility to experience acceptance in yourself and through others for what usually would be deemed unacceptable in ourselves. This then can be part of a healing process, individually and collectively. Let's get weird together!
This workshop was created as a part of our education and is dear to our heart. It is very important for both of us to create a safe_r space that is as sensitive as possible with an emphasis on self-responsibility. With this we try to go out of our (and your) comfort zone, into the learning zone, while avoiding the stress zone, in respect of individual differences. And most importantly, let’s not forget to have fun!”
The space was held by two trained professionals, Steph (they/them) & Frederik (he/him), who are Trainers, Life- & Social Counselors (in Training under Supervision) and also friends.
**QUEER & DEGROWTH** (by a participant reflecting on the experience)
During last year’s Alt-Shift a participant proposed a much needed workshop, a safe space for sharing our experiences, feelings and ideas about being queer in the degrowth & climate justice movements. We first anonymously gave answers to some questions like “Do you feel safe in these movements? Do you feel seen? Do you feel represented?” It was interesting to see how experiences did differ and what ideas that gave the group on why it is relevant to interrogate the place of queerness in our political activism. We went more in-depth by splitting into groups of two and having conversations where we practiced active listening, talking about how we felt in the festival, how we would like to queer (or not) the spaces we are usually in, and what we think we can learn for queerness from degrowth and vice versa.
My personal conclusions were definitely that although I generally felt safe, I did not usually feel represented, and that mattered because I think that queerness is for me an important way to let go of performativity and expectations. It allows a form of playfulness that I think is much needed both for our mental health and for opening up our imagination to other modes of living. When we repress this because we think it is not relevant or valued, we lose part of ourselves. And when we normalise cishet representations and social structures, we put some of our brothers and sisters in danger and risk losing them as well. Finding each other thanks to the workshop is one of my sweetest memories from the festival and it changed my experience of the following days.