Deadline: 30 November 2021 (midnight CET)
What?
Mothers & Daughters, in association with Genres Pluriels, are looking for an individual or collective of individuals that want to dig into archives, personal collections, memories, etc. to find traces of trans*, non-binary, intersex and gender-nonconforming his/her/theirstories in Belgium, and produce an exhibition, publication and public program to share this research in May and June 2022.
Scope of the exhibition
In 2018, as a part of that year’s edition of Mothers & Daughters, Brussels Almanac Lesbiens (Loraine Furter, Jessica Gysel, Roxanne Maillet and Mia Melvær) created an exhibition with archival materials about the history of lesbian life and organizing in Belgium which was shown for for two months during the opening of our bar.
In 2020, Mothers & Daughters extended the sub-title of our project to “Mothers & Daughters – A Lesbian° and Trans° Bar°” as an acknowledgement of our growing audience and inclusion of our trans, intersex, non-binary and gender non-conforming team members, friends and collaborators. To underline this change of name and shift of focus, we collaborate with Genres Pluriels to commission a new exhibition with a focus on trans, non-binary, intersex and gender-nonconforming histories in Belgium.
At this moment, knowledge about the history of non-binary, intersex, gender-nonconforming and trans° existence and trans organizing in Belgium is very scarce, especially for those who are also Black and/or of colour. By digging into (un)official archives, personal collections, memories and ephemera we hope this project will lay bare traces of a rich community which has too often been neglected or even taken to be non-existent.
Places where trans°, non-binary, intersex and gender-nonconforming people get a platform to narrate their very own histories are extremely exceptional. Most often the stories of trans°, non-binary, intersex and gender-nonconforming people’s lives are treated as side-notes to different stories with a (white) cisgender focus and from a (white) cisgender perspective. To respond to this reality we want to give full agency and autonomy to a group of trans°, non-binary, intersex and gender-nonconforming people in the development and execution of this project.
Who Can Apply?
We want to foreground voices that are traditionally not heard by the mainstream. This means we enthusiastically encourage applications from trans/nb/inter/gnc Black people and people of colour, cash-poor trans/nb/inter/gnc people, trans/nb/inter/gnc people with disabilities, neurodivergent trans/nb/inter/gnc people, and/or fat trans/nb/inter/gnc people, and/or trans/nb/inter/gnc people who otherwise are not often heard.
We launch an open call for trans°, non-binary, intersex and gender-nonconforming collaborators from different backgrounds: researchers, artists, historians, linguists, storytellers, photographers, activists, authors, healers, curators. You are welcome to apply individually or as a collective. We encourage cross-disciplinary thinking and don't limit our understanding of these disciplines according to professionalised standards. Experience and interest are more important to us than degrees.
If you want to apply individually but you don’t feel comfortable to work alone on this project, and don’t know anyone to partner up with, please let us know. Depending on your needs and wishes, we can either provide mentorship and assistance, or team you up with someone else. For us to be able to do this, it is important that you state clearly how you envisage working on this project and what type of coöperation and/or assistance you request.
If you apply as a collective, please let us know how you picture your coöperation process. For example: Will you have separate roles or work together on all the aspects of the process?
Timeline
Open Call Launch: 2 October 2021
Open Call Deadline: 30 November 2021
Notification: 7 December 2021
Research: December 2021 – March 2022
Exhibition Development: April – May 2022
Exhibition Opens: May 2022
Public Program and Zine Launch: May and June 2022
What Mothers & Daughters and Genres Pluriels provide:
A budget for the project (breakdown of budget is negotiable):
Project maker fee/s: €3000
Research and production travel: €322
Exhibition production: €2500
Public program: €1500
Publication design, production and distribution: €1500
Administrative, curatorial, editorial, logistical and research support.
Matching collaborators if need be.
An exhibition venue and invigilation.
Promotion of exhibition, public program and zine.
Catering for an opening event.
Documentation of exhibition and public program.
Apply via this form as an individual
Apply via this form as a collective
Jury
Ben H. Pigeard-Benazea (M&D), Misha Verdonck (M&D), Robin Brettar (M&D), Marnie Slater (M&D), Mia Melvær (BAL and M&D), Londé Ngosso (GP).
For more information, send an email to bar@mothersanddaughters.be
