“I write these words to bear witness to the primacy of resistance struggle in any situation of domination (even within family life); to the strength and power that emerges from sustained resistance and the profound conviction that these forces can be healing, can protect us from dehumanization and despair.”

― bell hooks, Talking Back: Thinking Feminist, Thinking Black

To write is to recollect, realise and affirm oneself. It allows one to take control of one’s narrative and understand one’s grief and reality in  society. A society that often does not reflect these experiences, leaving us with fragmented selves and desires. Telling one’s story, be it through words or one’s voice is an act of resistance, one that brings us closer to ourselves and our communities. We welcome queer refugees and migrants to a writing workshop on connecting with your voice as a way to connect deeper with your self and your life experiences. Where: Les Migras Berlin. When 17:00, 22.10.2026.

What is the ideal structure of a 2-hour, small group, intimate writing workshop? What in specific is the core of our approach for this workshop in particular? To answer this, let’s begin by what stimulates me the most in a writing workshop? I) Reading poets together (using voice or other devices), II) writing together (alone or in collaboration), III) sharing if we like. For a 2 hour workshop, it is vital that we dive in immediately. In opposition to ice-breakers, I like to start with the body. Grounding or coming-home is a preparation, an invocation (after all bearing witness is a vocation). Instead of words, we use breath and motion or any other specific method of grounding. Focus here is repetition and an extension of time. Imagine a door opening out of nowhere. Just here, right in front of you, it opens. Where does this door lead us?
Where does the door lead us? Use this question to introduce yourselves to the group. Always give time for reflection (up to 5/8 mins and encourage note-taking). Remember articulation needs grace and grease. It may be shy and waiting, quiet and gazing. Or afraid. So soft and bare, silence is where we hear the reckoning. In the dark empty mouth of the door, appears something. What is it? Would you like to tell me about it, as if to a friend? If it is an intimate group, you the possibility to make this a conversation. The key as the workshop facilitator is to be able to remember the filaments and details of what participants share in these talks. Best way to do this is to listen intuitively instead of trying to remember the details. When specifics fail, always rely on the shared feeling. Put up words on the flipchart or whiteboard. Remember, they are filaments. Encourage referring to the filaments as we converse. Workshop facilitators do not speak unnecessarily. Use silence to the participant’s advantage.

Following this, a few poems are read in the circle. Read one poem out aloud to ease them into the exercise. Also set an example. Pick a simple, clear poem to read. Read out aloud, enunciate, follow the rhythm. As much as this is a reading/voice exercise, this is also a listening exercise. Depending on accessibility and expression, this can look different for different people. N-e-v-e-r- assume that a person is not trying their best. N-e-v-e-r- push. If no one wants to read, I read a few more poems. Rhythm opens doors. Keep the energy. Add more filaments to the board. Estimate this to be 45-50 mins in. That means, you’ve held a tight house! You are very much in the flow, but this means keeping time. A—l—w—a—y—s.
Poems we will read tomorrow:

“Once my silence held you spellbound” and “One-eyed”, from Ms. Militancy by Meena Kandasamy
Several poems / excerpts from The Perilous Journey to Beyond my Nose by Michael Onsando

“Bone Work” and “In the days of separate lives” from Where Stories Gather by Karuna Ezara Parikh

Pick poems that are clear, bold and powerful, poets who wield emotion as their strongest suit. No compromise in voice or self. This is a better teacher than any classic notions of what is poetry. Note that this space is your opportunity to really break vulnerabilities. Give young poets a chance to hear how poets write with their self and “I” or “Us” or “We” or “Our”. Resonance is key.

You are now left with 55-50 mins. This is when you open the room for writing in silence, sitting together in the same room.
Check in at 40-45 mins if they would like to continue writing or share. From here on, you do not have to mind the time. After this, time is the organiser’s problem. The workshop has officially ended. Talk about what you as the facilitator listened to and heard: keep it brief. For example, “as one of you mentioned earlier in our introduction round, the idea of what a door changed for me… Sometimes I could smell it more than see it… then there was none…” Pass the ball.

Archive!!! Repeat!!!