In this session, you'll be introduced to the IGLYO staff, Advisory Panel and mentors. We'll be presenting the programme, aims and objectives of the Activist Academy. Finally, we'll be presenting IGLYO Code of Conduct and set rules for the week.

📍 Location: Les Ateliers des Tanneurs, Gamay room, 1st floor

In the second part of the Welcome Plenary, we'll be exploring our fears and expectations for the Activist Academy. Moreover, you will be introduced to the Accessibility Team, and we will get to know each other's accessibility needs to make sure everyone feels safe, included and valued. Furthermore, we will look into team roles and how to use them to create balanced teams during the Activist Academy. Finally, the Admin team of IGLYO will present the guidelines and rules for the reimbursement process.

📍 Location: Les Ateliers des Tanneurs, Gamay room, 1st floor

In this session you'll engage in interactive activities and explore key elements of strategic campaign planning like objectives, target audience, and messaging. Using ILGA-Europe’s “Come Out 4 Europe” as a case study, you'll gain insights into effective campaigning and refine your focus through targeted questions, setting the stage for impactful LGBTI advocacy projects.

📍 Location: Les Ateliers des Tanneurs, Gamay room, 1st floor

• 

  Katja Štefanec Gärtner

  Communications and Media Officer at ILGA-Europe

During this session, we will be sharing best practices with regards to campaigning for LGBTQI inclusion in schools. As a best practice, Darius Gervinskas will present Diversity Role Models' DfE-funded project ‘Embracing Difference, Ending Bullying’ and their use of storytelling for social inclusion, debunking disinformation, and trust-building in schools. Afterwards, participants will engage in a discussion on good practices to make schools and education more inclusive and queer-friendly.
The day will end with a reflective activity.

📍 Location: Les Ateliers des Tanneurs, Gamay room, 1st floor

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  Darius Gervinskas

  Advisory Panelist for International Collaboration at IGLYO

This session will start by focusing on misconceptions about being intersex and some of the main issues intersex people are facing today. We will later continue with a quick brainstorming session that will leave us with actionable ideas and applicable tips on intersex rights campaigning!

📍 Location: Les Ateliers des Tanneurs, Gamay room, 1st floor

• YB

  Yasemin Bahar

  Board at IGLYO Board and Staff

In this 90-minute workshop on digital activism, you will learn to harness the power of social media to make a meaningful impact. Led by inspiring activist Yasmin Benoit, this session covers essential tips and tricks for online advocacy. We'll delve into personal stories of combating bullying and advocating for diversity, and discuss the importance of representation in the media. Through interactive activities, you'll explore successful social media campaigns, identify patterns, and recognize the strengths and pitfalls of hashtag activism. You'll also brainstorm your own campaign ideas, understand the nuances of engaging content, and tackle potential challenges. Wrap up with a Q&A session to ensure you leave empowered and equipped to use your voice effectively.

📍 Location: Les Ateliers des Tanneurs, Gamay room, 1st floor

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  Yasmin Benoit

This session sets the tone for the programme of the Activist Academy. In this session, the participants will work together to build effective teamwork, and create a comfortable environment for sharing and collaboration. The "Animal Cards" activity is designed to encourage participants to explore and share their personal working styles in a creative and non-threatening way. This activity helps participants understand each other's strengths, preferences, and communication styles, fostering a more cohesive and supportive team environment.

📍 Location: Les Ateliers des Tanneurs, Gamay room, 1st floor

The purpose of this session is to connect, share experiences, and foster collaborations.
In this session, you will have the chance (if you want) to present your work and/or the work of your organisation in relation to campaigning for LGBTQI activism.
You can already think about which good practices you would like to share, and prepare some bullet points to explain them briefly to other participants.
If you want, you can also bring materials (e.g. stickers, flyers, brochures, booklets, reports...) to show to other participants as part of your presentation.
Who wants to present will be given a "station" where they can display their materials or their laptop with a presentation, and other participants will roam around and engage with the presenters.
Keep in mind that preparing this presentation is not obligatory, and that not everyone will need to present.

📍 Location: Les Ateliers des Tanneurs, Gamay room, 1st floor

During this session, we will be reflecting on the learnings of the day spent together.

📍 Location: Bruegel Hostel, common areas, ground floor

We will put at your disposal board games, and you will be free to play and relax with other participants!

📍 Location: Bruegel Hostel, Bar, Basement (-1)

This workshop delves into the concept of narratives—the underlying messages and assumptions that shape our understanding of the world. Participants will explore how narratives are formed, how they reinforce cultural norms, and why they are crucial in shaping public perceptions. Through interactive exercises, attendees will learn to identify dominant social narratives, analyze their impact, and develop strategies to shift these narratives within their own organizations and communities.

📍 Location: Les Ateliers des Tanneurs, Gamay room, 1st floor

• 

  Alla C

  SOGI Campaigns

This interactive workshop focuses on the strategies and steps needed to build effective coalitions and alliances. Participants will learn how to identify potential allies across various sectors, understand the different levels of effort required for successful partnerships, and gain practical insights into initiating and sustaining collaborations. Through discussions and exercises, attendees will develop a clear roadmap for enhancing their advocacy work through strategic alliances.

📍 Location: Les Ateliers des Tanneurs, Gamay room, 1st floor

• 

  Alla C

  SOGI Campaigns

Join us for a journey through time and space in the city of Brussels!
The guided tour covers the achievements and thoughts that evolved from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries to the present day, and includes information that dates back to the 17th century. Cosmopolitan Brussels thus serves as a springboard for our local, national and international history.
The city tour is offered by Marian Lens of L-Tour (https://www.l-tour.be/en/)

The meeting point of the LGBTQI+ walking tour is Les Ateliers des Tanneurs at 3:00PM. Please be on time!

• ML

  Marian Lens

  L-Tour

During this session, you will work together as a team on the first challenge of the Activist Academy, focusing on campaigning. Your mentor will facilitate the process and will be around to answer your questions. The IGLYO team is always available for feedback.

📍 Location: Les Ateliers des Tanneurs, Gamay room, 1st floor

During this session, you will continue working together as a team on the first challenge of the Activist Academy, focusing on campaigning. Your mentor will facilitate the process and will be around to answer your questions. The IGLYO team is always available for feedback.

📍 Location: Les Ateliers des Tanneurs, Gamay room, 1st floor

During this session, you will continue working together as a team on the first challenge of the Activist Academy, focusing on campaigning. Your mentor will facilitate the process and will be around to answer your questions. The IGLYO team is always available for feedback.

📍 Location: Les Ateliers des Tanneurs, Gamay room, 1st floor

You have 10 minutes to present as a team the results of your work on Task 1. There is the chance for other participants to ask questions, and members of the Advisory Panel and IGLYO staff will give feedback.

📍 Location: Les Ateliers des Tanneurs, Gamay room, 1st floor

During this session, we will be reflecting on the learnings of the day spent together.

📍 Location: Bruegel Hostel, common areas, ground floor

Join us for an inspiring mini queer short film festival at the IGLYO Activist Academy! We'll be showcasing a selection of bold and diverse queer short films that highlight the voices and visions of young queer activists and filmmakers. This is a unique opportunity to celebrate queer creativity and the power of storytelling.

🎥 Film Lineup:

Baby | Jessie Levandov | 2022 | USA | 8 minutes
Baby is a queer coming-of-age love story that introduces us to the world of Ali, a Dominican-American teenager from the Bronx, on a Saturday afternoon.

Valentine | Beck Kitsis & Chris McNabb | 2022 | USA | 10 minutes
Trigger warning: Gender dysphoria
A story about gender and identity, and how one couple struggles to redefine their relationship amidst transition.

QUEER IS | Sbusile Mhlanga & Lungile Khumalo | 2021 | South Africa | 10 minutes
Trigger warning: Homophobia, Hate crime
QUEER IS defies the myth that queerness is unAfrican, confronting queerphobia through a film made by and for queer people.

Commodo | Elettra Gotti | 2023 | Italy | 26 minutes
Trigger warning: Homophobia, Death
Commodo intertwines the filmmaker's story with themes of identity and social justice, exploring love and self-discovery after her friend Fabrizio's disappearance.

Venus | Faye Carr-Wilson | 2016 | UK | 5 minutes
Short documentary dealing with issues of disability and empowerment through drag performer, Venus Dimilo.
Note: Since the making of this film Sophie/Venus uses the pronouns They/Them. We ask you to be aware of this during the discussion of the film.

Jackpot | Adam Baran | 2012 | USA | 9 minutes
Trigger warning: Homophobic language, bullying
14-year-old Jack Hoffman sets off on a quest to find and retrieve a stash of gay porn from across town before anyone finds out.

SPOT Moldova Pride 2024 | Leo Zbancă | 2024 | Moldova | 4 minutes
Trigger warning: Homophobia
The short shows what would happen if all queer people would suddenly disappear from Moldova.

Come and immerse yourself in stories that challenge, inspire, and resonate with queerness!

📍 Location: Bruegel Hostel, Bar, Basement (-1)

In 1.5 hours, we will explore the main dramatic structures, journeying from Aristotle's theory to the formulas used at Pixar animation studios. We'll delve into why "Titanic" has potential of a horror movie or even science fiction and discover how crafting compelling stories can significantly amplify our activism efforts. By the end of the workshop, you will practice the creation of your own story.

📍 Location: Les Ateliers des Tanneurs, Gamay room, 1st floor

• 

  Leo Zbancă

  Organisational Development Project Coordinator at GENDERDOC-M

In this session, we will delve into the concept of artivism, where art meets activism to create meaningful impact in non-stereotypical ways. Drawing inspiration from contemporary examples, you will explore how your artistic talents can convey compelling messages, mobilise communities, and advocate for queer rights.

📍 Location: Les Ateliers des Tanneurs, Gamay room, 1st floor

• 

  Kerem Eğilmez

  Advisory Panelist for International Collaboration at IGLYO

During this session, you will work together as a team on the second challenge of the Activist Academy, focusing on creating an artistic medium for a campaign. Your mentor will facilitate the process and will be around to answer your questions. The IGLYO team is always available for feedback.

📍 Location: Les Ateliers des Tanneurs, Gamay room, 1st floor

During this session, you will work together as a team on the second challenge of the Activist Academy, focusing on creating an artistic medium for a campaign. Your mentor will facilitate the process and will be around to answer your questions. The IGLYO team is always available for feedback.

📍 Location: Les Ateliers des Tanneurs, Gamay room, 1st floor

During this session, we will be reflecting on the learnings of the day spent together.

📍 Location: Bruegel Hostel, common areas, ground floor

During this session, you will work together as a team on the second challenge of the Activist Academy, focusing on creating an artistic medium for a campaign. Your mentor will facilitate the process and will be around to answer your questions. The IGLYO team is always available for feedback.

📍 Location: Les Ateliers des Tanneurs, Gamay room, 1st floor

You have 10 minutes to present as a team the results of your work on Task 2. There is the chance for other participants to ask questions, and members of the Advisory Panel and IGLYO staff will give feedback.

📍 Location: Les Ateliers des Tanneurs, Gamay room, 1st floor

The workshop will guide participants in creating a personal memento of self-compassion, serving as a source of comfort and affirmation. Participants can bring meaningful objects to incorporate or choose from two suggested formats: a small box or a zine-style creation. The session will begin with a 15-minute introduction to set a safe, inclusive tone, followed by a discussion on self-compassion and queer pride. After a break, participants will have 40 minutes to create their memento, with the option to share and reflect during the final 15 minutes. The workshop aims to foster ongoing self-care practices, community building, and shared resilience through creative expression.

📍 Location: Les Ateliers des Tanneurs, Gamay room, 1st floor

• 

  Colibri Zahran

This session concludes the programme of the Activist Academy 2024. Here, you will be sharing your experience in the Academy, while reflecting on important and special moments, and while bringing symbolic closure.

📍 Location: Les Ateliers des Tanneurs, Mezzanine, 1st floor

Please check-out from your room by 11:00AM!