OPEN CALL : Dionysos.Trans(myth) Me Baby One More Time with Cat Jugravu
Dear LGBQIA+ and Trans* Folks
We are excited to invite you to participate in Dionysos.Trans(myth) Me Baby One More Time, a community-based artistic initiative that reimagines Slovenian myth and folklore through a queer perspective. This project is focused on the experiences and identities of the LGBQIA+ and Trans* community in Ljubljana by crafting new mythologies that reinforce our existence, past and present.
About the Project:
Dionysos.Trans(myth) Me Baby One More Time is dedicated to revisiting and reinterpreting stories marginalised in traditional historical narratives. Facilitated by Cat Jugravu, a Berlin-based non-binary activist, performer and theatre director, this workshop will be a journey of self-expression, community building and queer exploration. Together, we’ll look into the depths of identity and explore the concept of trans|queer mythology, uncovering hidden or forgotten mythological figures and tales. Drawing inspiration from ancient myths, gendered artisanal practices and contemporary queer experiences, we’ll learn how to write ourselves into these narratives and practices.
Workshop Details:
The project unfolds through a series of 10 preparatory sessions from June to August, conducted both online and in situ. These workshops will focus on:
- Autobiographical Writing for the Stage: Create poetic text with your personal stories.
- Queering the Stage: How do we perform our stories and those of our ancestors on stage?
- Critical Re-reading of Southern Slavic Mythology: Delve into folklore with a critical, queer lens to uncover hidden narratives and question the visible ones
- Idrija Lace-Making as queer practice: In collaboration with a local queer Idrija artist, we will look into crafting traditional Idrija lace as a way of weaving personal stories
Outcomes:
Our collective workshop sessions will culminate in two significant outcomes:
- Exhibition at Škuc Gallery: Showcasing both textual and material results as new artefacts of Slovenian transgender life.
- Devised Public Ritual Performance at the Center for Urban Culture Kino Šiška: A powerful public performance celebrating the newly forged myths and reclaiming folklore.
Join Us:
We invite you to be a part of this journey. Your participation will not only contribute to the creation of new mythologies but also help in building a supportive community that celebrates dissident queer identities and memories.
This workshop is open to anyone in Ljubljana and the surrounding areas who identifies as queer or trans*, regardless of age, background, level of experience, social background, ethnicity, disability, or any other status. We are committed to creating an inclusive space where all voices are heard and celebrated
While online workshop participants are welcome to join the performative workshop, attendance at both is optional. A new open call will be announced in August for those interested. The performative workshop is scheduled for September 2024 in Ljubljana.
Online sessions will occur once a week in June and July 2024, with further scheduling details to be discussed after our initial meeting 10 June at 7 pm to accommodate the applicants’ schedules.
Firstly, we’ll meet on Zoom for engaging discussions, creative work, and the opportunity to build a supportive micro-community. Upon Jugravu’s arrival in Ljubljana, the final meetings will occur at Škuc Gallery.
Working Language: English
For more questions, feel free to write to us at galerija@skuc.org!
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APPLICATION – Tell us about you!
Apply by 9 June 2024 with an email to galerija@skuc.org!
Attach one .doc or .docx file (in English) consisting of:
- short bio
- motivation letter (up to 300 words)
- Tell us why you would like to join the workshop
- Briefly touch upon a regionally significant myth that interests you, and you would like to research/investigate further – these can change throughout the workshop
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The workshop is facilitated by Cat Jugravu and organised by Škuc Gallery, Center for Urban Culture Kino Šiška, Zavod SCCA–Ljubljana and Zavod Transakcija.
Visual by Nuka Horvat.
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Cat Jugravu
They are a non-binary theatre director, poet, performer, and researcher of Romanian-Romani descent. They work at the intersection of affective memory and remembrance, trans* queer history excavation, and the subsequent archiving of theories and practices through applied theatre methodology. As the founder and artistic co-director of QUEERDOS Kollektiv in Berlin, they initiate projects with a strong focus on gender-based violence, abuse, community, and memory politics.
Their work also involves a nuanced exploration of gender euphoria, queer failure, and using critical fabulation as a method of researching Romani queer history. Since 2022, they have been part of the Rom*nja in Power Theaterkollektiv Berlin and, since 2021, one of the founders of DePART Collective.
They have initiated socio-artistic processes in various locations and institutions across Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans, including Khisinev (MD), Bucharest (RO), Pristina (KV), Budapest (HU), and Prague (CZ). They have also collaborated with esteemed institutions such as Deutsches Theater Berlin, Volksbühne Berlin, Maxim Gorki Theater, Ballhaus Naunystrasse, and ARGEKultur Salzburg.
In March 2024, they were awarded the Gen Divers Preis Mozarteum for their master graduation piece “DIONYSOS.MADNESS POURS UPON MY LOVELY FACE.” Alongside their colleagues from the DePART Collective, they received the Bertha Artivism Award for their project on active remembrance and the Porajmos (Romani Holocaust) titled “IF ALL EARS COULD HEAR.”