Friends!
We are writing to you, fellow activists in feminism, queer or LBTQ, because we need help!
We, the UFA Collective, are a Polish group, based in Warsaw. We exist for two years now, bringing the most political, feminist, queer and anti-hierarchical ideas and actions to our beautiful city. We take decisions by discussion and consensus, the collective consists mainly of women, queers and trans people. We organize debates, film screenings, parties, big feminist and queer projects (see end of the letter). Right now we are in financial trouble and we are possibly facing eviction. So we turn to you for help: can you please hold a benefit party, or find some other way to help us?
Every amount of money counts!
Why are we in trouble?
We have a place, that the city rents us. We mainly pay the rent from grants (we cannot hold benefit parties anymore as a result of our neighbours’ protests). This year we were awarded a grant from the city of Warsaw for a project for women who are unemployed or aged 50+. In this project we will for example teach them how to use a computer, teach English, Wendo, and other useful, empowering things in the feminist spirit. Unfortunately the city, after promising us this grant, is delaying signing the contract = we are not getting the money. They are already late two months, and this is fatal for us: if we are any more late with rent and bills we can face eviction. The city says this is due to some formal obstacles, and they cannot speed it up. It would be immensely sad to see UFA, that means so much to so many of us, lose its place for such a reason.
How can you help and how we will thank you!
You can hold a benefit party, a concert, a breakfast – any amount of money will help us!
In return you will find your name or name of your group on our website with a great big thank you, and… You will be able to come to Pomada, alternative queer events that UFA will co-organize parallel to the Euro Pride this July!
Our bank account:
Our Bank’s name: BRE Bank SA
Our Account Number: PL 3 4 1 1 4 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 5 2 0 3 0 3 0 0 1 0 0 1
SWIFT CODE: BREXPLPWWA1
IBAN: PL
Bank address, city, state, postal code, country:
BRE Bank SA
Ul. Królewska 14
00-065 Warsaw, Poland
Our foundation’s name and official address:
Fundacja Centra
ul. Dąbrowskiego 86 m 30
02-571 Warsaw, Poland
What we do?
Below is a list of workshops, festivals, discussions and other feminist, queer and anti-hierarchical events that have taken place in UFA
The alternative queer festival called Pomada, that is going to take place in July is still open: if you want to come and do a workshop, give a concert or you just have some ideas, please write. “Ganc pomada” is an old Polish phrase for “whatever” and in our use – for “queer”:
Our place is also a meeting place for many groups. Right now there is:
- a group of 50+ women exploring the history of our district
- there are 4 theatre groups having rehearsals (schizophrenic people theatre, a lesbian cabaret, an all-women feminist theatre group, an alternative theatre)
- a food cooperative meets twice a week
- bicycle workshop group for women
- movie workshop group
- silkscreen printing workshop
- and a group of ladies who learn English.
If we loose our place all these groups will also lose their meeting place!
So please help!
UFA COLLECTIVE
Warsaw, Poland
Our website: http://www.u-f-a.pl/
Our e-mail: kontakt@u-f-a.pl (write to us if you have any questions!)
PLEASE PASS THIS EMAIL TO THOSE WHO MAY BE ABLE TO HELP US!:)
This is what already happened in UFA (since 30.10.07)
[events organized either by UFA or by outside groups/institutions]
Longer projects
* GENERATIONS IN ACTION 2009: a big project for women, with computer courses, English courses, Wendo trainigns, legal advice, psychological adivce, job advice [UFA]
* WE, THE WOMEN OF MURANÓW: a project where women aged 50+ meet to explore the history of our district, learn about its history, acquire new skills (eg photography) and create an amotional map of the district [UFA]
* ACTIVISATION: a project on cyber empowerment of women aged 50+ [UFA]
* EXPERIENCE TRANSFER - from Daughters to Mothers: computer classes for older women (supported by OSKa Foundation: the concept of individual work in pairs (young volunteer – older beneficiary) appears to be very efficient; this project can serve as an example of our approach: it enables the meeting and cooperation of young women, mostly queer and/or feminist or anarchist, with older women from different social groups) [UFA]
* QUEERMASH I. Lesbian-Bisexual-Transgender-Queer Empowerment Project (September – December 2008): supported by Embassy of Kingdom of Netherlands and consisting of fundraising workshops, WenDo self-defense course, coming out, relationships, sexuality workshops, improvisation theatre, creative writing, photography, movie and visualisation workshops, discussion series, integration events such as poetic slams) = 300 hours in total [UFA]
* ZEBATKA - bike fixing workshops for girls and women [UFA]
Workshops
* queer zine workshop [UFA]
* 2 hiphop workshops for women, carried by female rap performers Zecik and Mc Sznyta [UFA]
* Deconstruction DIY movie workshop “Queermission” [UFA & Bildwechsel]
* 3 silkscreen printing workshops [UFA & Sito Skład]
* drag king workshops [UFA & Da Boyz DK group]
* Wing Tsun self-defense for women workshops [UFA & EEWTO]
* StrangerFestival: international moviemaking workshop for youth (www.strangerfestival.com) [Kultura Miejska Association]
* TRANSworkshop of image and style for TG people [Trans-Fuzja]
* adbusting workshops [a-fe anarchofeminist group]
* workshop on trans matters for NGO activists [Trans-Fuzja]
* WenDo self-defense workshops for women [Feminoteka Foundation]
* Open Creativity Workshop „Sweat” cycle [a-fe anarchofeminist group]
* vegan cooking workshop [Kultywator 3Miejski]
* 16 Days Against Violence against Women workshops
* visualisation and movie workshops [UFA]
* Transfamily [TransFuzja] FILMUFQA - queer movie workshops [UFA]
Festivals
* FAQ! Valentine's Day minifestival: DK workshops, discussions on female and queer sexuality, independent queer porn screenings, open stage evening [UFA & Kvir Svera]
* International Girl's Day: workshops, exhibitions, movies [UFA & W Stronę Dziewcząt Association & Feminoteka Foundation]
* Queer Shi(f)t festival [Queer Shi(f)t collective]
* Valpurgy's Night 2008 events - 2 days of queer workshops, meetings, concerts [Emancypunx]
* Reproductive Justice Days 2009 [DeeSeR group]
* Pussy Days - first festival of this kind in Poland, with workshops, movies, discussions, parties, art events etc. [Boyówki Feministyczne + UFA]
* A Million Different Loves? queer film festival [UFA + AMDL]
* participation in Revolutions of Women 2010 festival (10 events)
Discussions & meetings
* series of meetings for elderly people from neighborhood with aim of familiarizing them with UFA's idea: movie + discussion [UFA]
* L-Watch discussion meetings around „L-Word” series [UFA]
* several meetings on the situation of women and queer in other countries: Dominicana, Morocco, Kyrgyzstan, Iran, Israel, Ukraine [UFA]
* 12 meetings of Lesbian and Queer Cinema Discussion Club [UFA]
* 35 movie screenings (mostly independent productions) + discussions [UFA and/or Bildwechsel]
* 12 queer book discussions (such groundbreaking publications as „When Woman Loves Woman“, „Homobiographies“, „Rust“, “Homofamilies”, polish edition of Alison Bechdel's „Fun House”, first polish lesbian popular novel „One day out of grounhog's life” , Edward Abramowski, "Boston Marriages" [UFA and/or others]
* meetings of Manifa – Warsaw women march - organizers [Porozumienie Kobiet 8 Marca]
* anarchofeminist Critical University meetings [Critical University]
* monthly meetings of TS, TG, TV, CD support group [Trans-Fuzja]
* Feminist Think Tank meetings [Think Tank]
* alert meeting concerning Elba squat and independent culture center eviction [UFA & Elba]
* series of discussions about exclusions in LGBTQ movement (on the example of Warsaw Equality Parade) and queer theory studies [UFA & InterAlia web magazine]
* „Deviants and She-Deviants in the Forest” meeting during Vegan Week [Empatia]
* "Sexy or sexism? Debates on pornography", 2 meetings
* Anti-facist march - information meeting
* The Crisis [Lewicowa Alternatywa]
* meeting with activists from the World's Women's March network [UFA]
* "Why do we go to the 8th March March?" - a meeting for beginners [UFA]
* 'Why do we need pornography? A clash with non-heteronormative porn" - a meeting and discussion with a sexologist, Alicja Długołęcka [UFA]
* a meeting with activists form Gender Lviv [UFA]
Concerts
* numerous queer and/or female (or female fronted) hiphop, folk, punk, reggae, jazz bands' gigs: Zofkahar, The Slux, Rae Spoon, All or Nothing, Edelweisspiraten, Jah Dollz., Lakme, All Day Hell, Jordi Rubi, Lianne Hall, Masskotki, Bernay's Propaganda, Don't Fuck With Columbus, Bullet Court, Yassne, Germ Attack, Stagnation is Death i 90210 [UFA and/or others]
Fundraising events
* for Djane Pinkshot's urgent surgery [UFA]
* for Pro-Choice Association [Pro-Choice Association]
* for all-female soccer championship [www.kobiety-kobietom.com lesbian webportal]
* LesKA: Lesbian Alternative Cinema screenings and benefit party [independent lesbian moviemakers]
Performative arts
* 6 performances of first Polish lesbian cabaret ”Barbie Girls” [UFA & Barbie Girls]
* several DK shows [UFA and/or others]
* "Liminalna - I am the dream I'm not supposed to dream" a theatre play by Teraz Poliż group
Visual art/multimedia projects
* Miss Demeanor: Erotic in Dark - lesbian poetry and art event/performance by Beata Sosnowska, Maria Cyranowicz, Agnieszka Weseli [UFA]
* art project Genderqueer Revolution - Lidia Krawczyk i Wojtek Kubiak [UFA]
* Anti Valentine's Day art party [UFA]
* “Manipulation? Provocation” - women art project: 10 artists' works (paintings, photos, performances, movies) shown during Re:Visions Independent Art Festival [UFA]
* „Ctr C + Ctrl V” photo project [Fyo Path]
* FOTUFA – mostly female group of young photographers, formed after Queermash photo workshops; 1 group exhibition [FOTUFA]
* QueerPhoto – project by Monika Kokoszyńska
* "Patchwork" - exhibition [Stowarzyszenie Praktyków Kultury]
* "I love my vagina" - photo session by Agnieszka Delfina, during Pussy Days
Exhibitions
* 10 women and queer art exhibitions: Katarzyna Bogdanska, Nansze, Mei, Scieta Glowa Marii Antoniny group [UFA]
* exhibition of Agata Grzybowska and Maciej Szal photos [80+ Festival]
* exhibition of Martyna Sołtysiak/Małgorzata Justyna photos [KPH]
* GenderBender – photos by Joanna Combik (Cracow)
* "A Room on her Own" - photos by Agnieszka Michalska
* 2 photo exhibitions in We, The Women of Muranów project
* Transstories - photots by Magda Malinowska
Club and integration parties
* „Bed-in for New Year's Eve” event [UFA]
* Hairspray 1-4 cycle: promotion of independent female electro music [UFA]
* several theme events, such as pirate party, Gender Blender, Queermash, GenderBending Story, Bishop is not God and others [UFA]
* Women's Day celebration parties in 2008 and 2009 [UFA]
* Trans Party IX [UFA & www.crossdressing.pl & Trans-Fuzja Foundation]
* Trans Dans Lans – transpeople meeting [UFA & Trans-Fuzja Foundation]
* Gennema Lesbian Party [Gennema Group]
* cycle of Transfridays [UFA + TransFuzja]
* "A Bishop is Not a God" - dress up for clergy party [UFA]
* Les Suaves Sauvages [UFA]
* And you shall love thy sister... [UFA + Food Designers]
* New Year's Eve: Mega VIProom [UFA, Lambda Warsaw, Homiki.pl]
* Revolutionary Pre-8th March party, Lifescars+Zrobię To Sobie+DJanes+akcja Komuny/Warszawa [UFA]
Research projects
* „QUEERSTORIA - The (Un)Forgetable History of LBTQ in Poland“ Project [UFA]
* “Europe Supports Artists” research project [UFA in partnership with Bildwechsel Hamburg and Glasgow]
* "Other Auschwitz" [UFA + Young Socialists Association]
Other events or projects
* 2 all-volunteer and D.I.Y. renovation and interior design projects [UFA]
* free internet cafe/computer room [UFA]
* webpage www.u-f-a.pl, updated daily; December 2008 - launching of new webpage, based on Joomla! open code CMS [UFA]
* 6 second hand and handmade clothes/objects fairs with queer fashion show [UFA]
* Body Benefits 1-3 cycle: all around & about female body [UFA]
* integration Sunday breakfasts [UFA]
* Queer Fitness group: weekly trainings [UFA]
* Vegan Easter event [UFA]
* presentation of Wing Tsun: chinese martial art created by women [EEWTO]
* III Animal Rights Activists Convention [Viva!]
* European Young Feminist Network seminar [EYFN]
* Bildwechsel independent art archive and reading room [Bildwechsel]
* presentation of independent women and queer movements in Poland and abroad in „Krytyka's Polityczna” REDakcja [UFA]
* „Reclaim Your Education” conference on paid studies idea [CIA]
* "NGOisation" - open discussion [UFA]
Meetings, rehearsals
* Opera Buffa – schizophrenic's performance group
* Orlando - trap? - a queer theatre group
* Warsaw Food Cooperative
* Teraz Poliz - women theatre group "Death Theatre"
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