In the lead up to our new workshop 'i See You, i See Me', we asked four Create Space team members to discuss their relationship with masculinity, sex and self-image.
What barriers and societal structures currently surround masculinity? How do our other intersectional identities (race, religion, cultural background, gender etc…) interact with our own masculinity? How can we create space for more vulnerability, intimacy and self-love as a queer man?
About our speakers:
Jani Toivola is a writer, actor and speaker. With a mother from Finland and a father from Kenya, Jani was born and raised in Helsinki Finland. He served as an MP from 2011 to 2019. He is the first black member of the Finnish Parliament and one of the few openly gay politicians in Finland. His biggest political success was passing the same-sex marriage act in 2016. Before becoming a politician Jani was known as an actor and tv-host. He has published two books in relation to identity and fatherhood, and is currently working on his third book, a memoir about the male body experience. He's also developing a drama series for TV and is the proud father of a 7-year old. @janitoivo
Jason Kwan is a dark pop singer/songwriter and a youth worker at AKT, a charity supporting young LGBTQ+ people experiencing homelessness across the UK. He is also a trustee at Male Survivors Partnership, supporting men, boys, trans+ people, and non binary people who have experienced sexual assault. Jason is a queer non binary person from Hong Kong, living in East London. @jasonkwanmusic
Rico Jacob Chace is a videographer, writer and vocal activist, fighting avidly for the rights of LGBTQIA+ people and Black people. As a board member of TransActual UK, he continues to strive to change UK legislation for non-binary equality and raise the Black Queer intersectionality question in all forums. He continues to speak out about the complexities of sexuality, gender and racial perceptions. And has also launched ‘Against Racism’, a nine-part show exploring the various forms of racism and how we collectively can make a difference. @rjchace
Ajay Pabial is a London-based queer artist of South-Asian heritage on a mission to shine the light on other creatives from culturally diverse backgrounds and LGBT+ intersections. He runs his own social enterprise, Art Clubbers CIC, and he's a Civic Futures Fellow for the Mayor of London. He’s also on our Board of Directors at WE CREATE SPACE. @ajay_pabial
Date : Saturday 4th September
Time : 13:00 - 16:00 GMT / 8:00 - 11:00 EST
Location : Virtual
Audience : LGBTQ+
Cost : FREE (Donations accepted)
A playful self-enquiry workshop for those wanting to explore their relationship with sex, masculinity and self-image. Led by a team of mentors and coaches, we'll start to challenge pre-conceived ideas of what it means to be a queer man in 2021. We’ll be introducing new teachings and tools for bringing about more awareness, compassion and intimacy when engaging with oneself and others.