Get creative, playful, sens-ational and reflective to explore and express what it means to “be” – you, queerly, imaginatively, embodiedly, multifacetedly and naturally. Get curious about (your) nature and discover something new!
Queer-Natural Being is a fun, immersive and reflective journey into our senses and imagination to connect with the natural world around us, the creative nature within us, and all the things that could be, if we let ourselves be curious, dreamy and free. Play meets story-telling and mindful journeying, and what emerges is… well… that’s for you to discover by channelling this experience into writing, drawing, miming, singing, dancing, crafting, music-making, bioart – whatever form of creative expression you want it to be.
It’s time to awaken your senses, get lost in boundless imagination – and find your being in nature.
Join me on a dragventure of queer-natural discovery & play!
What is this workshop about?
An explorative workshop blending nature-grounding and self-discovery. Creative, fun, imaginative and reflective, you are invited to delve into your senses as well as your imagination to connect with the natural world around you, the natural world within you – and what it means to be or what you could be – if you let our nature express itself as queerly and freely as it wants to be.
We activate this connection with some grounding exercises, an immersive game of sens-ational bingo and playful nature-embodiment before channelling our physical sensing, moving and exploring into imaginative journeying, story-telling and creative self-expression. Guided by inquisitive prompts we discover a more intimate understanding of nature’s beings – their experiences, needs and dreams – and thus our own. You are invited to go on a journey with your chosen element of nature, enter into dialogue with it, let it tell you it’s story, let it inspire your own story and discover different forms and ways of being. How you are, how you want to be, how you could be and how you can express that. From the silly to the serious, from abstract to realism, from sky to soil, and everything in between.
There will be a choice of reflective, meditative and imaginative practices (guided or unguided). And a plethora of creative possibilities – please bring any materials (from pen and paper to paints to craft supplies), instruments or anything else you might want to create and express yourself with. This can be your go-to artform or something new you want to try out. All is welcome. Be messy. Don’t be perfect.
You are invited to share what emerges with the community – by performing, reading, telling, presenting – and witness others in their expression, listen to their stories around a cosy fire.
You might want to bring something comfortable to sit or lie on. There will be some creative supplies and foraged materials to share.
We will close the workshop with a choice of visualisation-meditation practice depending on what emerges on the day and from the group. (From Toulouse’s signature “Meet Your Inner Tree” to their personal “I am” practice, or poetry.)
Participation:
All exercises are an invitation for you to explore different aspects of being, embodying, creative creating and self-expression. You can participate in whatever way or however much feels comfortable to you. The exercises are adaptable to what you want to explore – they are about experience, not ability, they are about self-exploration, not performance.
🗓 When: Saturday, 19 December, 10:30 – 13:00 (2.5 hours)
📍 Where: Withdean Park, Brighton, BN1 8NA (details on exact meeting point closer to the event)
👉 Register: Free / donations welcome.
Part 2 of the Queer-Natural Discovery series:
Part 2 of the Queer-Natural Discovery series:
Part 1: Queer-Natural Movement – 12 December, 10:30 – 13:00 @ Withdean Park
Part 3: Queer-Natural Night – 2 January, 16:30 – 18:30 @ Hollingbury golf course / Wild Park nature reserve
Pick’n’choose your own adventure – even more fun if you join me for all three 🤩
Bring:
🎒 Clothes for the weather (waterproofs, comfy shoes with grip, warm layers…)
🎒 Water & Snacks (maybe a thermos flask with a hot drink; mug for communal hot drinks)
🎒 Something to sit on (mat, chair, blanket, etc.)
🎒 Writing, drawing, crafting, creative materials, props or instruments – anything you feel you want to explore and express yourself with – or nothing at all
🎒 Curiosity
What to expect:
🤓 Games, stories & meditations
🤓 Movement & Stillness
🤓 Time to create & reflect
🤓 Playfulness & Silliness & Profoundness
🤓 Connecting with & getting sensationally close to nature
🤓 Sharing in community
🤓 A human in drag
Offers of learning & experience:
🌱 Connecting to yourself/your selves, community & nature
🌱 Activating your senses and sensing the self & the other
🌱 Exploring, embodying, creatively expressing (queer) being
🌱 Being (a being and body of) nature
🌱 Queer perspectives in nature
🌱 To be curious and playful
Access & Needs:
Activities
The workshop involves moving around, moving in place, sitting, standing, lying down. You can participate as much or as little as you want and most activities can be done in any position. It is about the curiosity and experience of being, not about “ability”. Bring layers as you might be getting colder during still exercises. You do not have to be/remain still, sat down etc. during meditation exercises – if movement is what helps you – you do you (that’s the point!). There are some benches in the park but I encourage you to bring a stool, sit mat, blanket to sit/lie down as we might not be able to set up our base by the benches.
All activities are invitations to explore as feels good to you – you know your sensory yays and nays the best.
Ground:
The ground is fairly even on grass, a little slope, you/we may choose to also walk in the wooded area, which is a little less uneven with roots and stones. Depending on where you walk into the park from, it can be a little uphill/downhill. It is winter weather, so the ground might be wet and a little muddy – wear water-resistant shoes with grip, and that you feel comfortable in for walking.
Environment:
We are outside for the duration of the workshop – there might be wind, it might be chilly, it might be sunny, it might be wet, there might be noise from surrounding roads. It is a public park (although a less frequented one) so it is likely that there are other humans and dogs passing by.
Facilities:
There are no public toilets or cafes.
Getting there:
Nearby bus stops: The Deneway East, Tongdean Way East, Graham Avenue, Greenfield Cresent
Free (considerate) parking on residential streets
Relaxed participation:
You can step away any time, you are welcome to move and stim however allows you to be comfortable. While all participation is encouraged, all questions, interactions and activities are invitations and you can engage as much or as little as you want to.
Support dogs & humans welcome
Ask & Let me know
Please contact me directly via email for access requirements and questions before the event so I can prepare and adapt – where possible. I want to support you the best I can so you can join in and enjoy the experience. So let’s talk about it!
Welcome & Considerations:
All are welcome here – queer, trans, LGBTQIA+ and not queer support humans. All shapes & forms of bodies & brains. Whatever ground you emerged from, whatever ground you call (currently) home.
Enter & engage with: Respect, Consent, Kindness, Open Mind & Heart.
I’m aware that I (myself and on my own) can’t make a space fully safe, but I do my best to make it safer and ask you to help me with that. We can all contribute to looking after our own needs, creating a supportive group experience and taking care of our environment.
Discrimination, intentional ignorance and inappropriate acts will not be tolerated.
About me:
Toulouse Lost-Track is an eco-drag king who follows the signs of nature in an attempt find his own nature, or perhaps escape his nature, maybe become nature, what even is nature… He’s not quite sure at this point. But he invites you to join him on his dragventures and discover a world of queer ecologies and possibilities.
Out of drag, Mar is a multi-(ad)venturous, multi-skilled and multi-cultural human who feels most at home roaming from summit to sea and everywhere in between. Their aim is to create spaces of belonging, possibility and empowerment that allow fellow humans to (re)discover nature, (re)connect with their own wild spirit and care for all beings with kindness and kinship. They do this through drag, nature connection, wellbeing workshops and outdoor adventures.
E-Mail: dragventures.nature@gmail.com
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/toulouse_lost_track/