A decolonizing club dance ritual entering queer people of colour

Decolonizing is often considered a political and administrative process, dismantling the oppressive mechanisms that are rooted in the colonial project of land grabbing, enslavement and exploitation, which continue to function today. Throughout history, people have been resisting and fighting against the oppressive system of colonies. Historically, resistance has often been rooted in spiritual practices.

                   What does spirituality mean to you in a process of decolonization?

                                                 ACT OF MATERIALIZATION

                                                             a writing ritual

Start by writing to an ancestor that could support a spiritually transformative process of yourself in relationship to other queer people of colour. This could be a biological ancestor of whom you know the name of, don’t know the name of it could be non-biological ancestor with whom you feel connected because they have been particularly meaningful for the person you have become today.

You will have about five minutes to write to your ancestors.use any writing style that you like,such as poetry,or by writing down words intuitively. Please address your ancestors at the beginning of your writing. Below you can find three elements to guide you, in no particular order.

                                                               Emotion or feeling

Express an emotion or feeling which you are currently experiencing. This might be a feeling particular to the day, or an emotion that has been with you for a longer period of time.

Question or request

This can be related to knowledge about the past, and/or guidance for the present and future it might also break with linear notions of time.

Sacrifice or promise

Make a sacrifice or promise to your ancestors which involve giving up or acquiring a certain habit,but it could also involve giving up on material wealth.

When the dance starts, you are invited to dance as well by sharing the space, while taking into consideration from which standpoint you are dancing in relation to other queer people of colour. Our community member who has to the closing ritual, as the dancers continue to dance.

You can follow her to guide you outside to burn your written text: This is the act of dematerialisation.