Madness and Identity and Healing
Join us for our February 2018 event (on Feb 7th), a community gathering and experiential process where we explore the intersections of identity, oppression, madness, and mental healthcare systems. What does it take to exist or even thrive in a society where oppressive systems make this more difficult for some people? What does it take to be seen for who you are? Existing mental health treatments are often not congruent with our cultures, communities of origin, or how we view ourselves; let’s explore alternative ways of healing as well as talking about how we experience healing and oppression in institutional spaces like traditional therapy or psychiatry. Acknowledging the effects of racism, sexism, homophobia, classism, and ableism on our physical and mental well-being, this is an event for us to be together, to create, to share, to move, breathe, and exist.
BRING YOUR ARTWORK, POEMS, MUSIC: We will have time to share any creations/expressions around oppression, identity, and madness.
EVENT AGENDA:
General Breakdown:
- our project introduction
- shared reading of our Community Agreements
- group Introductions
- Arts Open-Share
- Small Group Discussions (loosely facilitated by Icarus organizers)
- Embodiment/Movement Group Activity
- Large Group Discussion and cross-talk
- Summarizing Takeaways
- Check Out
TRANSPARENCY:
Though we are committed to collective liberation and are a mixed race collective, our history has traditionally brought in white, middle class people. In order to protect Queer Trans People of Color (QTPOC) from tokenization and psychic harm, we as a collective commit to prioritizing the needs of QTPOC in our public events and promoting QTPOC leadership in our collective. We acknowledge the emotional labor that QTPOC may perform in these spaces, which often go unrecognized. Therefore, we want white cisgender people to independently undo racism, gender binarism / sexism, while remaining accountable to QTPOC. We are currently engaging in an ongoing process of integrating these goals internally within our organization, among our mixed race organizers, and within the structuring of our external events. *
ACCESS ISSUES: The space is accessible for wheelchair users but does not have a bathroom for wheelchair users. We use mics to support people who are hard of hearing.
Bluestockings is wheelchair accessible, with no steps or platforms, and wide aisles between shelves. Our bathroom is not wheelchair accessible. There is a Starbucks two short blocks down the street with an accessible bathroom (at Allen and Delancey). Metered street parking is readily available in the blocks surrounding Bluestockings. Bluestockings is not a scent-free space, but we encourage visitors to please refrain from wearing perfumes, colognes or other scented products (including essential oils) and smoke far away from the entrance to the space.
And then we’ll hang out for a little while and be gone until another month. Make sure to sign-up for the mailing list at the event or email nycicarus@gmail.com.
DATE: Feb. 7th, 2018
TIME: 7pm
LOCATION: Bluestockings Bookstore, 172 Allen St, Manhattan
Hope to see you there!
Mad love, Icarus Project NYC
Image: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DLy8zXGWkAAAkjK.jpg from https://twitter.com/QPOC_MH