What is your vision for liberated feminist futures?
Inspired by discussions at our last Feminist Unconference in response to the above question, and curated by Sedina Fiati, we at Nightwood’s Liberated Feminist Futures turns this question to you, our community. We were delighted to receive over 100 stirring and beautiful responses to this question, which we have offered as inspiration to poet Whitney French, visual artist Tannis Nielsen, and sound designer Olivia Wheeler, who will craft our collective cris de coeur into various mediums (including a lovely tote bag!)
Please read on to check out the rousing and resonant array of responses that were sent in for this powerful collaborative project!
An end to white patriarchal supremacy. Making Eve proud. – Farah Merani
breaking boundaries, claiming space, revolution. – Vanessa Sears
Loving exchange between women of many genders bringing all of who they are. – Sadie Epstein-Fine
Radical Love. – Anonymous
belonging. – Teiya Kasahara 笠原 貞野
A return to the most untethered experience of spiritual wholeness. – Anonymous
Woman knows her soul, unencumbered by conditionings and programmings. She is sovereign and free. – Rosalba Martinni
An inclusive and compassionate future. The power and opportunity to create whatever life we want. (Also lots of belly laughing.) -Deanna Kruger
work/life balance – Taryn Wichenko
Kindness, support, sharing of resources, and community amongst female identifying folks in this particular time of scarcity in theatre. Helping each other from jumping ship. Creating more ships to hold more of our creation. – Anonymous
Voice, support, safety, dignity, empowerment, respect, freedom. love, not silenced, free of reprisal, healing, thriving, reciprocity, integrity. – Erin Jones
Our differences are embraced and not used as weapons against us. – Jahnelle Jones
strength, but in a way that feels like a good hug – breton lalama
Audacious laughter, Safety to take Risks, Unapologetic Body Acceptance, Walking Down the Street with no Shirt, Menstrual Cycle Sick Days, Queer Love, Intersectional Feminism, Space to be who I Want to be, Following my Impulse, Making Statements with no need for Explanation, Spreading Myself Wide. – Rebecca Bauer
Ability to just be. Be free from expectations. Free from toxicity. – Sarah McCarthy
A future kind and free with food and shelter for all filled with music and dance. – Shahrzad Arshadi
I dream of being fearless. I dream of being safe in my own body. Sharing not shouting. – Kydra Ryan
a world full of gentleness, equity, and rest where extractivist capitalism is replaced by radical softness and abundance for all. – Jocelyn Pitsch
Unafraid to walk anywhere anytime. – Jane Luk
Cries of pleasure – Victoria Mnatsakanyan
Having the walls between men and women shattered, to wholly understand and forgive each other. – Katya Brisebois
Judgement-free choice & community action – Patrick Lynn
roots of trees- exquisite spider webs of connections -supporting one another with care – Zita Nyarady
Not having to even think about it. – Anonymous
clarity/choice/fervor/joy – Elizabeth Whitbread
A world of possibilities and of being nurtured in community, where we’ve found, healed, and re-integrated all elements of our Divine Feminine selves. – Emily Schooley
My vision of a liberated feminist future is women in power, small businesses by women, being of the women is future or she is the future as a statement. Also women empowerment, and women supporting women. – Hunyah Irfan
One where women are completely autonomous to envision a world that has their best interests at heart. – Ethan Joshua
Elimination of female age discrimination – Renée Baillargeon
Polyvocal. Feeling of release. Openness. Sharing. Encouragement. Reclamation. Unlearning, rebuilding. Freedom to be. – Alex Cameron
Women are free, safe, protected, respected, empowered, honoured and loved! – Melissa Cornelius
Radical joy, leading with love, reciprocity and interdependence. – Amanda Lin
Women aren’t corrected when we speak our truth. – Marcia Johnson
A future where humans of all gender identities feel valued, empowered and interconnected. – Taylor Trowbridge
My girlhood dream of equity and justice fully realized. – Hope McIntyre
Freedom without Fear. Refusing to smile & ‘keep the peace’, if that peace does not include my own and that of my sisters. – Lizzie Moffatt
societal/etymological boundaries stretched to make “feminist” a foundation that supports a possible that feels home + expansive to all – breton “beau” lalama
Having dreams and goals unencumbered by societal norms that purport to define a woman’s role – Cecil King
Women at all intersections, comfortably resting, together. Long, consequence-free, restorative naps. – Erika Morey
Freedom to write what I wish, no matter how it offends the gatekeepers. – Andrea Scott
Freedom, trust, equity, guidance, collaboration, joy, opportunity, untamed – Faly Mevamanana
A space without condescending questioning and the freedom of all my parts, both internal and external from active aggression. – Megan De Sousa
decolonized,
compassionate,
curious,
just,
untangled from capitalism, (did we burn it down?) – Carly Chamberlain
A liberated feminist future = freedom from, freedom to, and being proud of the beautiful humanity of your whole story. – Emma Schmiedecke
Walking through darkness, free of fear; offering ideas without judgment or restraint – Trudee Romanek
Rest that is not “earned.” Value that is not derived from productivity. Freedom that is not acquired in exchange. – DM St. Bernard
a LIBERATED feminist future is when we raise sisters up. IGNORE the patriarchy’s lies – we are not each other’s competition. – Caitlin Oleson
Walks at night; Unafraid of men. – Blessing Nwodo
Hear us roar. – Thalia Gonzalez Kane
Scorched earth. – Anonymous
Community-knitted is possibly to be achieved when we help each another to ascend toward the top of the mountain. And that is when the love is flowing among us like we find the peace, love and harmony at the shrine finally. – Tamyka Bullen
Waxing viscid rules into the rooted woods unfurling til the fields of the sea crash open to swallow our dive. – Alexandra Montagnese
A vision that center’s Women of African indegeneity, in and out of diaspora by way of whichever stop along the slave trade route as pioneers of the “new s’cool” because of our intrinsic knowledge of self and worth that have stood the demands and rigors and violence of our varying experience. We are. I Am. – Sodienye Waboso Amajor
Medusa – risen and reclaimed – Dian Marie Bridge
free, bold, emblazoned, hopeful, light, fierce, love, peaceful, free – Samantha Marchionda
I see a vision of centring care in our lives – care for ourselves, our loved ones, the earth, care for ritual and celebration, care for the daily activities of living. Time would be infinite resource. – Sedina Fiati
Softness is never weakness – Olivia “Margo” Prunean
Infinity loop wrapped in a circle – the centre: a breathing altar of fire, earth, air, water and heart of woman. – Sophie Caroline Dow
self-awareness – Merlin Simard
Expansive, joyful, and secure masculinity (we are all connected). – Ali Joy Richardson
Authentic, unfiltered, experimental, bountiful, self governing, inquisitive, inviting, unconstrained, uncontrollable, empowered, uplifting, enlightened, unified. – Shannon Pitre
Fearlessly speaking, Boundaries intact.
Empathy replaces criticism.
Physical expectations evolve
Into loving embraces.
Constraints melt away.
We are everywhere,
Strong. – Cora Kennedy
Equal pay, representation and respect – Reva Lokhande
I have no vision, I only have hope. – Jessica Watkin
To me a liberated feminist future is living in full sovereignty of my life. Without apology. – Dainty Smith
safety, pleasure, siblinghood, belonging, generosity, care – Andrea Donaldson
Thinking big picture and acting on little details leaving nobody behind. Leadership is rooted in lived experience a caring heart an inspiring vision and a curious listening ear. Valuing time, the planet, creativity, stories and everyone gets paid a living wage and health and dental care. – Anonymous
The female spirit in all of us is given room to grow and shout and play, regardless of our gender expression. – Brendan McMurtry-Howlett
Unbridled female expression and celebration. – Melissa Morris
A little girl who doesn’t need to ask her mother why only boys are allowed to play basketball on TV. – Sadie Berlin
a future where we don’t dream of labour – Naz Afsahi
Free to express ourselves without the fear of mockery, repercussions or violence threatening our experience of the everyday. – Lindy Finlan
Where we can grow eyes, ears, arms, fruiting organs and more from trees, where these orchards are sacred, and where these harvests are never rejected. – Maddie Bautista
The freedom to become. – Merry Lin
Constant becoming. – Anonymous
Behold the galactic storm when women stand together in righteous anger. Behold the beating hearts of résistance. Behold the revolution. – PJ Prudat
Complete body autonomy for everyone. Softness. Toughness. Unashamed rest. – Lisa Alves
Universal basic income, trans liberation, abolition, safe and free childcare, climate justice, racial justice, land back. – Anonymous
A full understanding of intersectional identities and the absolute safety of Black and Indigenous and 2 Spirit women, girls, femmes, kwe and non-binary kin. Indigenous sovereignty and Black liberation. Matriarchal leadership. – Yolanda Bonnell
Unapologetic existence, acceptance and support. – Anonymous
bodily acceptance for all femme persons! – Anonymous
Deconstruct the outdated – build up with vigour – Julia Dickson
People of every gender embracing their feminine energy. No more maligning of femininity. – Maureen Barnes
Every single person free to express who they truly are, and not be scared of being hurt or killed. – Anonymous
We raise our children together because they need all of us. – Anonymous
A world where every person is safe to be whoever and do whatever they please, while supported by the community. – Carolyn Bayley
walking to my car, going on a run, saying no, and fear not being part of the equation, just freedom. – Emma Burke-Kleinman
Elevating female/2–Spirit/trans/gender neutral/non-binary voices like their your favourite dessert. Indulge! – Reneltta Arluk
A starry-skied, sweaty-legged, music-blaring, fear-free run in the night. – Breanna Maloney
MORE REST LESS EXPECTATIONS FREEDOM TO BE FREEDOM TO BE FREEDOM TO BE FULL – Kate Werneburg
completely free from the threat & fear of gender-based violence – Anonymous
A journey back to the heart. – Monice Peter
What about me is NOT handed down from the patriarchy — my adherence to it, my rebellion against it? – Carling Tedesco
righteous anger, raucous laughter. – Brefny Caribou
The liberated feminist future I desire has space to err without fear, for care-filled conflict, for abundant joy, for our self-authored selves. – Nikki Shaffeeullah
Trans-liberation and inclusion – Rosalind Goodwin
Holographic Nightvision -without- internal monologues: reach outwards into the ecosystemconstellationmicrobiomes. Easy(/ing) breathe(/ing) noswerfnoterf intersectional but also Aph Ko says dismantlecategories – Nina Pariser
Women don’t need to get into lifeboats first, because there are enough lifeboats for everyone, borne together to safe harbour. – Pip Bradford
Space. Wearing Red proudly. Indomitable joy. Unleashed desires. Climaxing. Embracing darkness. Releasing shame. A world with no labels. – Alexandra Fiallos
intrinsic, care-full, ever evolving – Anonymous
The collective consciousness, body and spirit existing radically free of the limits that gender forces onto all of us. – Riley Ough
The knowing of all knowings that we are here – Katie Gorham
Where I can make decisions for my life without constantly questioning if I am contributing towards stereotypes about my community. – Jaedie Sansom
Unapologetic – Anonymous