moving within
a collective path of transformation
How can we collectively process what moves us within? How do we honour emotions like anger or grief, or deal with feelings of being overwhelmed by endemic stress, constraints, conditioning or aggressions? How to find an inner centre from which we can express our truth?
We bring together three healing facilitators who offer sessions, wherein concrete tools and knowledge developed to deal with stress or difficult emotions, are experienced and transferred. The facilitators transmit psycho-educational as well as a body-focused techniques. These are created with an acknowledgement of the impact of oppressive mechanisms that may have brought about (chronic) stress. This event aims to move through and beyond pain and cultivate a collective and intimate journey of healing and joy.
moving within is created as an addition to the performance SPIRIT CAPITAL, the Seat of Memory by Roland Gunst. Be welcome to join on Saturday 2nd of October 2021 at Kaaistudios from 14:00. Participation at the event is free, but do register for one of the (non-mixed) offerings.
TIMELINE
14:00-16:00 – 3 offerings in 3 different spaces
From 16:00 onwards: Get-together with DJ Sahra
THE OFFERINGS
Cultivating embodied self-compassion in postcolonial times [dansstudio at 14:00 - français/English]
This workshop given by social and health psychologist Sumaya E.H. will offer a safe space for those who identify as part of the postcolonial or ethnic diasporas. An introduction to cultivating an embodied and fierce self-compassionate practice as a tool to deal with racial and ethnic stress. This session welcomes black people and people of colour.
Hoopdance workshop - Connect & commit to your joy [theaterzaal at 14:00 – English]
Did you know, our waistline is a pathway to liberation, and creation? It is high time for you to (re)discover this area! At the core, all people are longing to feel good. Hulahooping does exactly that. Movement enthousiast Rachaila lovingly guides you through a two-hour session, where the hulahoop offers you supported stretches, a sense of freedom and most of all a joyous experience. This session welcomes women and non-binary people.
Trauma, what happens in our body as a consequence of what happened to us. [concertstudio at 14:00 – Nederlands]
Miranda Ntirandekura Aerts gives an informative introduction, with a transcultural angle, about the link between trauma, people who are labelled 'the other' or 'stranger' by society and what impact this can have on their (mental/physical) well-being. The following questions are addressed: What do we mean by trauma? What does it do to our body? What are risk factors and protective factors? Are there low-threshold tools that each of us can use? There is also room for questions and reflection. This session welcomes black people and people of colour.
Get-together with DJ Sahra [bar & concertstudio at 16:00]
The offerings will be organized simultaneously from 14h to 16h. From 16h, you’re very welcome to connect deeper and share your experiences with others. No one else but DJ Sahra will accompany us with soulful music! There'll also be food and drinks.
This programme is offered as an addition to the performance Spirit Capital, the Seat of Memory by John K Cobra & Moussem and curated by Johanna Couvée.
It is created based on an alliance between experience experts, researchers, sympathizers and activists, aiming to create communities of resistance and liberation in the face of perpetuated postcolonial and patriarchal violence. We expect participants to commit to questioning and positioning oneself in this process. This active engagement does not necessarily mean talking a lot during the sessions, but allowing reflection and taking a position.
The facilitators
Sumaya E.H. is a social and health psychologist, with focus on trauma (racial & intergenerational) and positive psychology. She founded a healing collective ‘SUHU’, where she offers holistic, embodied sessions specifically for various ethnic and diaspora communities. Her main dedication lies in integrating practices from EFT (emotional freedom techniques), mindful self-compassion, martial arts, dance and creative writing practices.
www.facebook.com/healinghubcollective
Rachaila is the founder of the Sisterhoops community, Hulahoop Queen, dancer, DJ and movement coach in the making, would not cover how much passion this lady has for everything that has to do with music and creative movement. Since 2020, she is also an official Twerk After Work instructor. Her intention is to use dance as a means to connect with your body, always in a positive way!
www.sisterhoops.nl/home / www.instagram.com/sisterhoops
Miranda Ntirandekura Aerts works as a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist in Antwerp. With years of work experience in various organisations within the mental health and education sectors, she founded C.I.E.R. Community, a platform where her passion for care, interculturality, education and research come together. As a clinical psychologist, she divides her time between psychotherapeutic counselling in her practice and the development and implementation of lectures, trainings and workshops. The topics discussed are often an intersection between mental well-being, migration and (un)justice.
www.instagram.com/cier_community
The organizers
Roland Gunst a.k.a. John K Cobra, is a conceptual artist, film maker and musician of Belgian-Congolese (D.R.C.) descent, living and working between Belgium and South Africa. In his films, performances and objects he experiments with hybrid identities and Afro- European stories, from an autobiographical perspective and as a reaction to conflicts and tensions between black Africa and the white West. He previously appeared in the Kaaiprogramme with the lecture performance De heerschappij van het Afropeanisme. Spirit Capital, his latest performance, was made in residence at Moussem Nomadic Arts Centre.
Johanna Couvée is a Brussels-based cultural manager and artist coach from the Netherlands with a background in Sociology. She works for Citylab, a creative incubator that supports Brussels-based talents in developing and imagining their perspectives on urban futures. She believes in the power of art for collective healing, as a medium to change habits of perception and as imaginative inspiration to work towards new possibilities for social realities. Currently training to be a somatic psychologist, she is engaged in finding ways of bridging therapeutic embodied practices with collective action and accountability towards social justice.
Aru Lee is a poet and workshop coordinator. They use poetry to raise awareness about cultural differences. As a poet they express their emotions and journey as a black, queer African diasporic person through personal observation, experiences and facts. Their work talks about what it means to look for meaning in ourselves when growing up in different environments. What defines home and how our mental health is affected by our history. They explore concepts of self-love through the deconstruction of everything learnt. Aru lee also leads workshops around the concept of Safer Spaces with a focus on racial inclusion and mental health. They have worked with various cultural organisations in tackling social justice issues within a working, educational and cultural environment.
This event is created with the support of Kaaitheater.
