Squish is a queer and feminist cultural platform supporting culture-makers belonging to gender and sexual minorities. Through the use of multidisciplinary events, mainly exhibitions and movie nights, the organisation questions identity politics by applying an intersectional approach. Therefore, attempting to redefine and question contemporary proletariat, the organisation shares perspectives from queer folks, working class makers, non-Dutch and non-white people, and gender minorities, emphasising self-representation. Combining research-based and nonacademic approaches, the organisation mixes entertainment, arts, and community support.
On this page you can read about our values and goals, our interest for music, our interest for arts, our visions of queerness and feminism, the team members, Squish friends.
Our values and goals
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We want to offer a space for individuals to feel free and safe.
We want to be inclusive, sharing voices and views from artists and makers who don't belong to dominant categories.
We won't tolerate oppressive and discriminant behaviors such as racism, class contempt, sexism, ableism, heterosexism, transphobia, sex-workerphobia, body shaming.
Our feminism is inclusive and intersectional.
We want to let the people express themselves on subjects and issues that concern them.
We want to deconstruct heteronormativity and fight against the fetishizing of non heterosexual and non cisgender people.
We want to fight against the white gaze and fetishizing of non white people.
We want to create interactive and stimulating spaces, where different visions and opinons can be shared and debated.
We want to bring happiness and recklessness.
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We want to be humble, keep learning, and eliminate the oppressive behaviors we might still have ourselves. All your comments and feedback on that topic are more than welcome.
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We only want to involve, offer a platform, and support financially people who belong to minorities. It's the reason why our team and the artists we involve are queer people and people of color.
Allies are more than welcome to our events, and we are happy to share, laugh, love, and unite together.
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The music we like
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We love all kinds of music, but we specifically love PC Music/Hyperpop, disco, (post)punk, (all kinds of) house. We’ re always open to your suggestions! Don’t hesitate to send us some of your favourites.
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Our interest for arts
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We consider visual arts as a subjective reaction to a cultural, economical, social, or historical environment. Consequently, art isn't only a recreational medium, but also a political tool. By sharing and curating their realities, artists and creatives have the possibility to be loud and bring concrete changes.
We don't necessarily want to work with artists who consider themselves as activists or militants, but want to share and exhibit content connected to our values and goals.
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Our visions of queerness and feminism
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It's not simple to frame and clearly define those two concepts. They gather different movements, perspectives, etc. Depending on the context, they can have very different meanings. For now, the team is composed of two people, so we will propose you two different visions of queerness. Feel free to add your own by sending us an email!
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Queer can be an umbrella that gather non heteronarmative narratives, an expression of non dominant sexualities and gender identities.
Being queer can also mean identifying as a non heterosexual or a non cisgender person, willing to deconstruct heteronormative norms, and questioning the political implications of non dominant gender and sexual identities. Being queer should be synonym of being inclusive and respecting everyone's identity.
Queer is different, daring, worldchanging. Being queer means not fitting into any of the boxes society demands people to fit into. Queerness is exploring the boundaries between gender identities and sexualities. Queer is inclusivity, and anti-prejudices. In queer one can find beauty, because queer is nonconforming non-heteronormative fucking the partriarchy cracking the system celebrating differences – unique.
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Being a feminist means fighting for gender and sexual equality in all layers of our societies, taking in consideration everyone's particularity (race, social class, gender, health, etc.), letting concerned people express themselves, questioning heteronormative dynamics, fight against toxic masculinities, recognize the existence and legitimacy of all genders and sexual orientations, do not consider people making different choices than us as oppressed, be aware of specific oppressions, willing to learn from our peers, respect people's choices considering their way of living and thinking.
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The team
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Squish friends (names are linked to their websites)
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CultureHub
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Huidenclub