Event Highlight | Feminist Theory, Practice, and Collective Action: Workshop by LASTESIS
Published: 11 December 2023
On November 20th the School of Psychology and Neuroscience, in collaboration with the Gender and Sexualities Interdisciplinary Network (GSIN), were honoured to host a workshop by the globally renowned Chilean feminist collective, LASTESIS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3SVQovaUsw
On November 20th the School of Psychology and Neuroscience, in collaboration with the Gender and Sexualities Interdisciplinary Network (GSIN), were honoured to host a workshop by the globally renowned Chilean feminist collective, LASTESIS. The workshop provided women and members of the LGBTQ+ community an opportunity to explore feminist theory and activism through collective creative practices. The event welcomed academic and non-academic staff from across the University of Glasgow and beyond, to explore feminist theories and ideas through discussion, movement, collage and dance.
LASTESIS: Setting the Globe on Fire
LASTESIS is a globally influential feminist group, on the front lines of combating patriarchal oppression through political art and collective struggle. The group first grabbed international attention in 2019 for their viral performance “Un Violador en Tu Camino” (A Rapist in Your Path) which was adopted and performed by activists across the globe. LASTESIS has extended their impact via publications such "Polifonías Feministas" (Random House, 2022) and "Set Fear on Fire: The Feminist Call That Set the Americas Ablaze” (Verso, 2023) and by leading workshops worldwide. The collective's dedication to dismantling oppressive structures has earned them prestigious awards, including the Jaime Castillo Velasco Award (2020) and recognition in TIME magazine's 2020 TIME100 list.
LASTESIS Workshop: From Theory to Practice
The LASTESIS methodology is centred on bridging feminist theory and practice through forms of collective art practice. The afternoon’s workshop achieved this through several stages. We kicked off with a group dance session, a warmup that set the stage for an open discussion on gender-based violence and discrimination. As a collective we explored shared experiences, delving into the intersectionality of gender-based violence with issues like homophobia and xenophobia. Transitioning to smaller group discussions, we then collaboratively built sentences expressing a singular concept, idea or emotion discussed in the previous discussion circle. This formed the basis for the visual and embodied outputs from the session.
Creative Collaborations
Working collaboratively in groups, attendees were guided to design and create collages that communicated responses to issues relating to gender-based violence. We crafted visual responses to various points raised within their group discussions, including bodily autonomy, consent, digital spaces, solidarity and self-care. By choosing and piecing together images and visual elements, we translated abstract emotions and ideas into tangible visual expressions. This process enabled us to take charge of our own narratives and to build shared responses against experiences of gender- based violence.
Continuing in our groups, we worked to translate our messages into a series of physical actions, which we performed for each other. This process challenged us to not only interpret concepts and emotions into movement but to engage positively with our physical selves. This was particularly powerful in response to gender-based violence, as it provided an opportunity to respond physically to embodied forms of oppression. The act of sharing and repeating each other's movements, solidified the sense of comradery and solidarity generated throughout the event.
The LASTESIS workshop proved to be a vibrant and dynamic afternoon of self-expression, creativity and solidarity. By engaging in a range of creative activities, from expressive movement to collaborative collage-making sessions, we addressed complex issues of gender-based violence. The workshop, with its focus on collective creativity, served as a powerful reminder of the potential of art to challenge oppressive structures. The workshops emphasise on co-operation fostered meaningful connections and network building with women and non-binary folk from various academic and non-academic backgrounds. In the spirit of LASTESIS, it highlighted the transformative impact that collective, creative endeavours can have in advancing the cause of gender equality.
First published: 11 December 2023