Following its inaugural global conference and arts event in São Paulo, Brazil, in September 2023, JUNTES will return from 16 to 18 November in Belfast, Northern Ireland, across a three-day programme during the Outburst Queer Arts Festival. This will be a space to learn, share, create and dream together to activate change towards feminist and trans solidarity.

An initiative of ILGA World, the Centre for Feminist Foreign Policy, Outburst Arts and Risco, JUNTES centres the use of art to explore challenging and complex issues and ideas, helping us better understand each other and our world by bringing together artists, activists, writers, and policymakers to explore new approaches to changing the narratives around gender. The coming together aims to continue the discourse and action to foster solidarity among global trans and feminist movements and collectives, which comes at a crucial time of extreme societal hostility and polarisation, specifically focusing on the anti-gender and anti-rights movement. At a time of growing disinformation and dangerous anti-democracy trends, there has been a profound and troubling division and violent rhetoric, even within our community, particularly around gender issues and trans rights. If we are to effectively address the more significant underlying causes of violence and inequity, we need to build a movement together to change the stories and conditions that are causing harm.

As JUNTES continues to explore art and its ability to support us in having more generous conversations with each other and build the fierce and effective feminist and trans coalitions and solidarity needed now, we invite you to engage in dialogue during this staging. Go to something you might not usually consider attending at the Outburst Queer Arts Festival and share about it. Talk about it with someone you know and someone you don’t know. Talk about what seems impossible and find someone to talk to who suddenly makes it seem possible.

Join the whole Outburst Queer Arts Festival in Belfast from 9 to 18 November 2023 (and the JUNTES track of the event during its final days) to make a space to learn, share, create and dream together to activate change. Remember to keep the conversation alive online by using #JUNTES in your social media posts, and follow Outburst Queer Arts Festival online for more festival updates.