Garden of Queerdom
2022/ongoing - Social initiative and collaboration
Garden of Queerdom (GOQ) is an ongoing, herbal care initiative that centers the needs of the LGBTQIA+ community through workshops and events, that are all connected by the use of plants and herbal knowledge. GOQ organises workshop, events such as; queer herbal balm making workshops, herbal foraging events and community dinners and we make our own herbal balm making kits. We work in collaboration with other queer/art organisations, artists and institutes, with whom we have created a variety of different events.
Garden of Queerdom consists of me, the founder, and my partner Mandy van Pelt. We have worked together with/for other organisations and people such as RAUM Utrecht, WORM Rotterdam, Centraal Museum Utrecht & De Beach Amsterdam to create a more diverse perspective on queer care. With this project we offer different ways of coming together, outside of the queer night-life scene, where a lot of great initiatives take place for our community already.
Why queer?
As queer people, we are told daily where to fit in, and how to behave, whilst leaving little room to give us what we actually need. I personally found that there is a big need for holistic care and community support within our community, and I've created Garden of Queerdom as a way to make space for that. For myself, and for my community.
Why herbal?
As someone who has always felt a deep connection to nature, I believe that connecting to the earth is a very healing and supportive way to care for ourselves and our surroundings.
Herbology (the ancient knowledge of working with plants and trees) has many ways in which it can offer us support and ease, while bringing us into connection with the earth in simple, accessible ways. Working with plants and connecting with my community has been a journey into self acceptance, love and care that touches me deeply, and I am very proud of what we have created so far.
If you are interested in joining one of our workshops or supporting our community, you can stay up to date on our latest events and behind the scenes footage via our instagram page:
Below you will find a mix of images from previous workshops, events and a short documentary about the initiative.
This project has been put together in collaboration with:
Branding & Organisation:
Mandy van Pelt / Plakplaatjes @plakplaatjes - www.plakplaatjes.com
Illustration & Zine making:
Jake Carruthers @weak.boy