About

From September 16 to September 25, 2010, the second International Queer Culture Festival will take place in Saint Petersburg.

The idea on which this festival is based — the art of being yourself — is both very simple and very challenging for our country. Try to remember when was the last time you did what you really wanted. Are you being the person you truly are? When was the last time you have really thought about this?

The ability of being yourself and not just presenting an image, regardless of existing stereotypes, is becoming a rare art for modern Russia. The Queer Festival opens a space for artists and viewers, inviting everyone to think who we are and why it is so difficult for us to be ourselves.

The freedom of self-expression, the variety of genders and gender self-perceptions all found an echo in the idea of the International Queer Festival 2010 and became a basis for the slogan:

the art of being yourself.

During the Festival citizens and visitors of St. Petersburg will have a chance to attend events with Russian and foreign poets, photographers, musicians, actors, dancers and many others. We wil also held a number of workshops and discussions on socially important topics.

The new for St. Petersburg format – queer culture festival – is initiated by St. Petersburg civil rights organisations  and will be led by the human rights LGBT organisation “Coming Out”. The main objective of the project is to form a common art space for people who are in essence and nature queer and who speak out against violence and gender stereotypes imposed from outside.

Organisers of the Festival are interested not only in developing the social and cultural domains of action in St. Petersburg and Russia but also in exchanging experience between Russian and international queer and other communities. To achieve these goals the Festival gets together foreign experts from cultural, artistic and scientific fields.

Try becoming yourself for 10 days!