Conspire:

Wielding practice and power towards revolutionary change

Embodied workshop series for queer, trans, and BIPOC organizers and cultural workers to exhale and find resource to fuel their work

Dates:

This is a 5 part *in person* series - attendance at all sessions is required

  • August 30: 1:00 - 6:00pm

  • September 1, 8 & 15:  5:30-7:30pm

  • September 19: 1:00 - 6:00pm

Location:

Durham, NC

Description:

Conspire (verb): a) join in a secret agreement to do an unlawful act b) to scheme or c) to act in harmony toward a common end. The roots of this word come from Latin conspirare: con meaning “with” and spirare meaning to “breathe”. Breathe. Together.

In this workshop series, we will engage in body-based practices, political relevance building, relational work, and skill building for organizers and cultural workers. These practices are meant to bring more agency, freedom, connection, pleasure, and power into our lives and communities. By doing this work together, we are inherently deindividualizing and de-shaming the work we all have to do to get free while also gaining the opportunity to learn off of different bodies, histories, and movement locations. We will also put our practice into action by hearing from a local organizer about how to get plugged in, or stay plugged in, to local campaigns.

To conspire, we will practice building the bodies that can disrupt status quo, create new worlds, take a deep breath, and perhaps even find joy while we are at it! So let's breathe together, let's conspire, let's build the kind of embodied presence that can wield power towards revolutionary change.

Participants will leave with: 

  • Practices that you can use right away (whether new or as a next step from one of our courses or practice groups)

    • 5 breathing practices for sustained and powerful presence Centering

    • Collective Singing

    • Embodied Alliance Building 

  • Skills for team coordination &coalition building under pressure)) 

    • Two step

    • Rowing 

    • Contradictions Practice

    • Jo Kata  

  • Connection with other organizers and cultural workers

    • Continuous group of local participants to deepen with over 5 sessions

    • Campaign pitch and call to action from a local community organization

This course will be taught by Yashna Padamsee, Eliana Rubin, and special guest teacher, Alexis Pauline Gumbs!

Please fill out the application below by June 18th — we will inform you of your application status by early-July.