Celebrating Queerness in Modern Turkey
Blue Devils United, the Duke Association for the Middle East, and other partners throughout our Duke community is excited to present "Celebrating Radical Queerness in Modern Turkey," an experimental artist residency from December 2 - 7, 2019. This project is meant to be a reminder that unheard voices and creativity play an outsized role in authentic community-building. Through the lived experiences of 3 Turkish queer activists and performers, the Duke community is offered a unique glimpse into how struggle and expression help intimately connect stories and lay the groundwork for sustainable community. Their stories share themes of deep internal and external conflicts, migration, integration, internalizing radical perspectives of queer liberation, enforcing positive culture-setting, and envisioning queer futures. This week-long residency will feature panel discussions, a film screening, drag workshop, drag show, and class visits all exploring how shameless creativity inspires queer community in modern Turkey.
This discussion panel, which we are calling A Conversation, seeks to directly connect the Duke community as well as the broader community to the experiences of these three incredible artists. Their stories share themes of deep internal and external conflicts, migration, integration, internalizing radical perspectives of queer liberation, enforcing positive culture-setting, and envisioning queer futures.