On May 31st in Barcelona, a group of people spent four hours exploring the boundaries between the personal and the collective. The workshop Our Story, led by artist Céline Lurac, demonstrated how theatrical practices can help create fanzines and real connections between people.
How did the physics of trust become the starting point of the workshop?
The day began with the “pendulum” exercise. One person stood in the center of a circle while others supported them as they leaned in different directions, testing the limits of balance. A simple mechanic – but its impact went beyond physical contact. “Sobretodo he sentido una conexión muy grande con el ejercicio del péndulo,” shared one of the participants.
Céline Lurac knows that for the queer community, a safe space is not a luxury – it’s a necessity. Too often, their stories remain untold. That’s why the first hour and a half was dedicated to connecting through movement, rhythm, and shared breath.
During this part of the session, participants moved through the space – at first taking up as much room as possible, then gradually less and less, until they found themselves physically close together. The group learned to move as one body.
From words to chorus
The text work didn’t begin in a typical way. Participants “deconstructed” the concepts of “identity” and “network” by writing down whatever associations came to mind. They then shared their reflections in small groups.
Next came the creation of personal texts using chains of associations – moving from one word to another, connecting them with verbs and pronouns. The result: short poetic statements about themselves and their ties to the world. The group began moving through the space again – now with their texts in hand. First, each person read their passage aloud while the group paused and listened. Then, everyone echoed the speaker’s words together, forming a living chorus of voices.
“Usar mi cuerpo como forma de expresión y conexión con mi vibra,” is how one participant described the process.
Fanzines as resistance: why DIY publishing became the heart of the workshop
After a short break, the story of fanzines began. In the 1980s, during some of the queer community’s darkest times, handmade magazines emerged. Homocore popularized queercore among punk youth, Australia’s The Daily Plague supported people living with HIV, and Jeff Junker’s Gutterfag told raw stories of gay, ill, and homeless lives.
These publications acted as informal support networks. People shared contact info for doctors, mapped out safe spaces, and circulated news from other cities. Before the internet, fanzines were social media.
Céline Lurac introduced participants to different folding and unfolding techniques and explained the concept of ‘adelfidad’, a term that combines brotherhood and sisterhood to dissolve gender boundaries in the idea of solidarity.
Groups of six began creating their own fanzines. Collage, illustration, exquisite corpses – the surrealist method of collective creativity, where one person starts a drawing or text and the next continues without seeing the previous part.
After four hours, participants were holding finished fanzines. But the real result was something deeper – a sense of belonging. “El fanzine com algo creatiu que espero poder seguir fent amb tot allo que vull compartir amb la comunitat,” said one participant, who had discovered a new tool for expression.
Many unearthed creative abilities they didn’t know they had.
Some used their bodies as a means of communication for the first time.
Others realized they could create not only for themselves, but with others.
Poder fer comunitat – the ability to create community – is how one participant summed it up.
Why It matters today
Our Story brings together organizations from five European countries within the Erasmus+ programme. Its aim is to explore the power of storytelling for marginalized communities.
Participants in the Barcelona workshop unanimously agreed on the importance of such spaces. In a world where queer stories are often silenced, creating spaces for authentic storytelling becomes an act of resistance. “La individualitat de la nostra societat ens allunya d’activitats que crein comunitat. Es molt important estar units!” noted one attendee.
Fanzines and theatrical practices proved to be valuable creative tools and powerful ways to foster connection. In an era of digital communication, in-person gatherings where people can share experiences and receive support carry a special weight.
The workshop may be over, but the fanzines stay with their creators – as do the tools to shape new stories and new spaces. Which means the project continues – in future fanzines, meetings, and shared narratives.
