Seeking to counteract the pressure and demand for performance and productivity of facilitated creative events, Queer Crafty Hang emerged in response to the desire for connection and community. Developed by Jude Akrey (they/them), a white, queer artist, this ongoing series centers community, care, and queerness through causal art making.
In collaboration with The Neighbourhood Support Coalition, who provided access to the Activation Station in Exhibition park, and art making supplies donated byArt Not Shame, Queer Crafty Hang has been successful in its goal to create a space for rest, care, and community.
What inspired Queer Crafty Hang?
I work in arts programming development and coordination. I spend a lot of time thinking about how community arts events and socially-engaged arts practices act as potential vehicles for social change and activism. Truthfully, I am always wearing my “facilitator pants”. I have been longing for a casual space to connect with queer community without expectations and demands for our labour. I wondered how it could benefit folks to have a space where there is no expected final product, no structure, no commitment- just somewhere to unwind, and feel creative and exist around people with similar lived experiences.
Does this event fill a gap in community or arts programming in Guelph?
I do feel- in our current socio-political context- it’s rare to find containers for queer and trans people to socialize and connect that don’t have exhausting demands. Facilitated programs and workshops are amazing opportunities for knowledge sharing, skill building, and structured engagement, but when you’re asked to commit to being in a space and putting effort into a program, that in itself can be a barrier for folks. I hope this event series can be a space where those feeling the weight of current local, national, and global political climates can come to decompress. I hope people feel relieved by the quiet, casual, comforting company they can find through Queer Crafty Hang, and that they are actually more creatively driven when they’re not being asked for anything.
Is there a specific goal or outcome you hope participants gain from attendance?
It can be so difficult for queer people to meet, connect, and build sustainable communities together- especially if you don’t drink, are immunocompromised/ disabled, or have to work to survive. Containers like Queer Crafty Hang bring people together in meaningful ways, but it’s a fine balance to determine how to best benefit your participants without asking too much of them.
At our last meet-up, we were able to have vulnerable conversations about our relationships to family and queerness, what’s happening politically across the US and Canada to eradicate queer and trans healthcare, and what we wish we could do for our community in these extremely difficult moments.
I hope that Queer Crafty Hang can provide the opportunity for folks to decompress, celebrate friendship, and connect through creativity. I also hope it acts as a discreet activism, where we can safely and accountably share our experiences, hopes, and criticisms of the world we’re navigating together while tending to each other’s needs and creating networks of care.
Now that a few Queer Crafty Hangs have taken place in what ways has the event met your initial expectations and how has it differed?
I tried not to have expectations for Queer Crafty Hang. I was interested in this project because I’m tired of facilitating and coordinating all the time- I wanted it to be a space to relax, meet new people, and make art.
I have a hard time taking off my “facilitator pants”. It’s hard for me to sit through the quiet moments and not try to bring people together or facilitate them in some way. Sometimes, people will come with their own groups of friends and not interact with the larger group, and I’m learning to accept that all presences at Queer Crafty Hang are wonderful as they are. Even if someone comes, and doesn’t talk to anyone or doesn’t make art, it means so much to me that there’s a space where people can come to unmask and listen to what their bodies need in that moment. I want to resist cultivating productivity in this space- and that’s been a bit difficult for me.
We’ve had a good turn out at each of the sessions, and people are even starting to bring other friends and become regular attendees! I’m grateful for everyone who has made the time and taken the brave step to come and be in community.
With only a few sessions left, how do you envision this series continuing or evolving?
Our last Queer Crafty Hang of the year will take place on September 24th, in a special culminating workshop for the Ontario Culture Days Festival.
For this event, I will put my facilitator pants back on, and be leading a free printmaking workshop. Participants will use linocut printmaking methods to create their own queer/2SLGBTQIA+ advocacy protest posters. In queer history and culture, printmaking is an active form of resistance, community building, and knowledge sharing. All materials will be provided and the workshop is free, but donations are welcome to help cover the costs of materials.
I hope, over the coming weeks, we’ll see increased attendance at Queer Crafty Hang better yet, see repeat attendees and start to build a functioning, sustainable community network and friendships. I do hope to continue an indoor version of this project through the winter months in an accessible space.
What would you tell someone that is nervous to participate?
I would tell any person nervous to participate that they are already being brave for even considering coming out to Queer Crafty Hang. We live in a world where existing queerly in public spaces can be endangering, disempowering, and taxing. You are welcome at Queer Crafty Hang if you are: questioning or out, you have a vibrant, expansive queer community or you’re still searching for that, you are creatively inclined or you don’t know anything about art, you want to talk and connect with people or you want to sit and do your own thing. Queer Crafty Hang is an all ages event. Your presence is valued, and there is no “right” way to participate in this event.
If you have any access concerns, I hope we can find a way to address them! If you feel nervous about showing up alone, reach out to me and we’ll go together! If you don’t have access to art materials but you’re interested in trying something specific, let me know so I can source those for you!
I would always rather people showed up imperfectly than didn’t come because they weren’t sure how to get involved.
Please note that Queer Crafty Hang is not completely accessible as it takes place in a grassy area. KN-95 masks are always available and attendees are encouraged to bring: a water bottle, blanket/chair, sun protection, and their own art project (if desired). Reach out to Jude if you have any questions/suggestions about Queer Crafty Hang.
Jude Akrey (they/them) is a white, queer, Autistic artist occupying Between the Lakes Treaty Territory No.3, otherwise known as Guelph, ON. Their work is dedicated to the ongoing exploration and perpetual re-definition of trans and Autistic experiences: ways of being in the world that are inherently transitory and ambiguous. Working primarily in painting, printmaking, and community-engaged methods, they create spaces for relational inquiry that resist normative timelines and forms. Jude’s work is rooted in trans and Autistic cosmologies, shaped by alternative methods of communication and care. They are committed to investigating the power of empowered communities through shared learning and community-engaged artmaking. Jude graduated from the University of Guelph with a BA(Honours) in Studio Art. Since graduating, they were selected as the 10th Annual Artist In-Residence for the City of Guelph and their project From One Queer to Another was awarded the Warren Garrett Inclusive Programming Award through the Ontario Culture Days Spotlight Recognition Program. They are a co-facilitator of the Queer Print Project based in Guelph, and have exhibited work across Ontario in Hamilton, Guelph, and Kitchener. @judeakrey on Instagram / judeakrey.com
