DIY: 2018 – Liz Rosenfeld: (Un) Doing Cruising Practice(s)

Queering cruising space for female identified people

Deadline for applications: 5pm, Mon 18 June
This DIY is jointly supported by LADA and Rich Mix

Project summary

In a three- day workshop, for 8-10 female identified people, we will dive into a deep exploration of the history of cruising practices, its current reality and its future possibilities for queer female bodies. Through light reading, visual deconstruction of cruising representations in performance, film and still photography, we will look at the socio-political construction of cruising, and deconstruct this historically male dominated practice. We will travel around London to shut down and current sites (on off-cruising hours) of public cruising in London and re-claim them through photos inspired by the historical and pop cultural examples we have been sharing together.

While this project is focused around looking at and questioning the binary gender divide in cruising, it is also about creating a space where female identified people can speak comfortably and openly about their fantasies, sexuality and desire. This workshop is about critiquing space, taking and making sexually empowered space for female people. Through creative practice, I want to discuss not only the politics around queer male space vs. queer space of other genders, but I also want to talk about the questions regarding the notion that queer desire and sexuality does not always align with queer political intention. 

I want us to dive into conflicting questions that arise when sexuality, desire and politics do not align, and how as queer people, we recognise and navigate these realities.

Some questions we will tackle are: What is the concept of safe space? Does safe space really exist? Are gender separatist spaces important? How and why? How do we deal with feelings and experiences of political desire conflict with our emotional/ sexual desire? It is key that this project works with discussion and embodiment methodologies to fully explore these questions together.

All transportation costs will be covered during workshop hours. We will take a lunch break. After the application process, you will be sent further instructions regarding what to bring with you, as well as some light pre-reading that we will discuss on the first day. 

How to apply

This is a space for all people of female identification, bodies and queer sexualities. Queer can be defined as you feel fit, however, this is not a workshop where we will be spending our time defining what it is. We will be discussing sensitive and emotional topics regarding sex, identity and bodies, and will be viewing explicit material for inspiration. Please only apply for this workshop if you feel you are comfortable with these guidelines. 

The online application asks about your interest in queer cruising, your level of comfort with sexually explicit/sensitive materials, your perspective on the politics of separatist spaces, your understanding of safe spaces, and your personal cruising fantasy.

Dates, times and location

Dates: 23-25 Aug 2018
Times: 11am-6pm (tbc)
Location: Rich Mix, London

The artist

Liz Rosenfeld is a Berlin-based artist who works within the disciplines film/ video and live performance. She explores questions regarding queer ecologies of  past and future histories. Rosenfeld is invested in concepts of how history can be queered and experienced through the moment and the ways in which it is lived and remembered. Rosenfeld is part of the Berlin film production collective NowMomentNow, and one of the founding members of the food- performance group foodGASM, which explores the intersection of creative labor, food, and industry. Rosenfeld’s film work is represented and distributed by the Video Data Bank and LUX Moving Image.

For questions about this DIY, please contact Liz.