Transfemina

About Transfemina

TransFemina: Intersectional Landscapes is a 2-year project funded by the Creative Europe program which proposes the creation of spaces for reflection, discussion and collective action on the invisibility of feminist narratives in cultural heritage (material and immaterial) and inequalities in the public space in 3 southern European cities - Porto, Barcelona and Modena, through a process of transnational co-production of site-specific artistic interventions. “How much space, physical and symbolic, do women occupy in cities?” is the premise upon which the project is built. TransFemina is a collaboration between three female-run and feminist collectives of artists, activists & researchers: PELE - Associação Social e Cultural, from Porto, Portugal; Collettivo Amigdala, from Modena, Italy; and Col·lectiu Punt 6, from Barcelona, Spain.

TransFemina aims to actively contribute to fostering social cohesion & inclusion by involving normally underrepresented groups (women, non-binary, other identities and statuses) in spaces of participation and decision-making, in an intersectional perspective convening different collectives, artists, activists, researchers, urban planners and/or people with political decision-making power.

The project consists of participatory artistic action in public spaces, by involving local communities of each city in the co-creation process of artistic interventions and urban sound walks. The project will also deepen the research about urban development through a feminist & intersectional lens and it will disseminate its results through handy toolkits. In addition to this, there will also be international exchanges and workshops open to all interested citizens. The involved participants and the audience will experience a unique process of collective reappropriation and resignification of the public space of the city/neighbourhood they live in, fostering their right to the city & contributing to the opening up of the city’s tangible & symbolic transformation. 

Agenda

1st TransFemina Meeting
5th & 6th July, Barcelona

Project presentation, round tables, workshops, walks

Registration here

Partners

Pele
Porto

PELE is a collective that develops artistic creation projects as spaces for reflection, action and civic and political participation, fostering processes of individual and collective transformation.
Since 2007, it has sought to keep its work aligned with the urgencies of territories and communities, focusing on accessibility and artistic participation in multiple centralities. By crossing audiences, sectors, artistic languages, territories and partners, it creates horizontal decision-making spaces and alternative models of collective creation.

https://www.apele.org/en/ 

Collettivo Amigdala
Modena

The work of Amigdala activates different levels: original artistic creations, public history and anthropology, active citizenship education, urban crossings and landscape. The collective makes multidisciplinary art productions, with a definite vocation for site-specific and community-specific creation methodologies.
Amigdala's productions take the form of performances, public art projects, installations, soundscapes and always have a strong connection to the place that hosts them. These works are presented in Italy and abroad in festivals, reviews and cultural initiatives. The Periferico festival is one of their the main projects and it's dedicated to the connections between performing arts, local communities and the urban fabric.

https://collettivoamigdala.com/en/ 

Col·lectiu Punt 6
Barcelona

A non-profit cooperative of urban planning and architecture with over 17 years of local, national and international experience. They work from an intersectional feminist perspective through community participation and action. They’re committed to rethinking domestic, community and public spaces from a feminist perspective, with more than 400 projects carried out in different spheres.
Col·lectiu Punt 6 develops their own methodologies (quantitative, qualitative and participatory) which are adapted to the context and the people they work with. They also work on research, teaching and training for both public administration and non-profit organisations.

https://www.punt6.org/es/es-col-lectiu-punt-6/ 

COMMON MANIFESTO

Envision Landscapes – Vision, Desires & Ambitions

● Amplify Hidden Narratives

We desire the unveiling, amplification, and celebration of silenced narratives and bodies – privileging women of all ages, queer identities, migrants, people with disabilities, racialized people, … – in public spaces, promoting the visibility of feminist narratives. We wish to listen to the cities’ hidden, unseen stories and unheard voices.

● Cultivate Diverse Urban Spaces

We envision a city where various bodies and voices coexist, challenging conventional notions of urban decorum to contribute to public discussion and policy advocacy. We advocate for feminist urban planning, by appropriating public space from an intersectional feminist perspective and collaborating with social organizations and artists locally and internationally.

● Plural, Affective & Effective Participation

We strive for the engagement of underrepresented groups in reflection, creation, and action processes, strengthening communities and the sense of belonging. We advocate for prioritizing marginalised voices in public spheres and decision-making processes, supporting their activation and organization for effective participation and political action.

● Break Down Borders

We want to learn from interdisciplinary teams and transnational experiences, breaking physical and symbolic barriers to place feminist urban planning on the political agenda and showcase counternarratives through artistic interventions.

Common Ground – Values, Competences & Guiding Principles 

● Feminist Intersectionality

We acknowledge the systemic nature of societal injustices and inequalities, recognising the complex and structural net of urgent and emergent issues at local, national and international levels. We embrace a relentless pursuit of change, by challenging the patriarchal and capitalist norms through creative disobedience, exploring alternative models rooted in decentralization, climate justice and care.

● Transdisciplinarity 

We explore and put into practice diverse artistic tools and fields – including performative arts, urban design, visual arts, storytelling, sound design, and others. We bridge sectors such as culture, social services, urban planning, education, housing and more, drawing upon both popular and academic knowledge to address complex and structural challenges. We value artistic engagement and practices rooted in listening and proximity, acknowledging acts of presence and care as political gestures.

● Multidimensionally

We focus on diverse scales: from the individual to the collective, from local to international. We believe the body is an element of a social organism that represents community, that challenges the binomial public/private sphere. We bring situated, embodied, and spatial knowledge to integrate an intersectional feminist perspective into public spaces. We promote sharing knowledge and tools across groups and territories to foster political actions of sorority, from a local to an international scope.

● Community Participation

We confront the intricacies of community-based practices, navigating layers of tension with intention. We understand participation not only as the subject but as the method for collective creation and decision-making, ensuring the voices of all interested parties are heard and valued. Through collaborative engagement rooted in community participation, we gather collective expertise and diverse voices to propose actions for transformative change.

● Representativity & Accessibility

We prioritize underrepresented groups as direct participants, ensuring social and physical accessibility in all activities and public moments of the project. We reshape living environments, placing people's well-being at the forefront through individual and collective agency and commitment, striving for a more equitable and inclusive society.

● Collective Power & Organization

We envision an alternative model based on collective power, transparency and horizontality that questions and deconstructs established hierarchies and power dynamics. We advocate the practice of co-creation as a political tool and art as a catalyst for individual and collective transformation, critical analysis, and the co-creation of alternative futures and different social imaginaries.




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