LIMBO is a creative research collaboration between queer refugee community organizers/ artists, Framer Framed and Refugee Academy.

In collaboration, we aim to co-create meaningful knowledge on the challenges and resilience of queer refugees and the role of engaged scholarship. The organising team consists of: Fabian Holle (PhD researcher in this project, artist) - Noa Bawits (Framer Framed) - Alaa Ammar (space holder, queer/refugee community organizer & artist) - Sajad Salmanpour (MSc Sociology and Research Assistant in both this project and Refugee Academy).

We are researching how engaged scholarship can be mutually beneficial in terms of knowledge and resources for those involved (the queer refugee community, the art institution, academia, community organizers and artists). During the workshops, Alaa Ammar is present to provide social support, connecting mental health, social health and art practices. Collectively we work to make the space a safer environment. On March 27 2022, an exhibition was opened for the public, and stayed on display until May 8, 2022. 

Outside the workshops, Fabian may ask participants to engage in conversations about creativity, queerness, refugees, experiences within this project or similar engagements with Dutch institutions, and life in the Netherlands. These interviews will inform Fabian’s PhD research on the role of engaged scholarship in the lives of queer refugees in the Netherlands. We aim to take the co-creative aspect of this project seriously, so we are hoping that participants will share their ideas, visions and concerns with us at any time, also outside of the interview!

If you are LGBTQIA+ and have a refugee experience, you can participate in any workshop for free. Almost every Sunday at Framer Framed. We are also continuously looking for workshop facilitators from the queer refugee community to give creative workshops that have (elements of) storytelling in any shape or form. Please contact Fabian Holle via e-mail (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) for information and sign up.

Framer Framed
Oranje-Vrijstaatkade 71
1093 KS Amsterdam

In this video, we briefly explain the project and a main concept we use in our gatherings, which is 'holding space':

Booklet "LIMBO - queer exilic narratives"

We co-created a LIMBO booklet designed by Ariya. It entails most of the creative works, workshops, and reflections from the first period until the opening event on March 27, 2022. If you would like to have a (free) copy of the booklet, please send an e-mail to Sajad Salmanpour (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Workshops & Events

Creative workshops are/were given by: Alaa Ammar, Maha Youssef, Rochita Loenen-Ruiz, Lamin Barrow, Parisa Akbarzadehpoladi, Jerrold Saija, Mala Badi, Sarah Naqvi, Razan Hassan, Love Masisi, Ariya and others. 

2022

THE ART OF RESTRAINT - rope play & consent, with Maha Youssef
Sunday, 30th of January 2022 - 13:00h - 16:30h 

STORY CREATION, with Rochita Loenen-Ruiz
Sunday, 6th of February 2022 - 13:00h - 16:00h
Sunday, 13th of February 2022 - 13:00h - 16:00h

POETRY, with Lamin Barrow
Sunday, 20th of February 2022 - 13:00h (together with Parisa Akbarzadehpoladi)

BIOGRAPHICAL DRAWING, with Parisa Akbarzadehpoladi
Sunday, 20th of February 2022 - 13:00h (after Lamin Barrow) 
Sunday, 27th of February 2022 - 13:00h 

FIMO CLAY - ancestral communication technology, with Jerrold Saija
Sunday, 6th of March 2022 - 13:00h (together with Mala Badi)

CLOWNING, with Mala Badi
Sunday, 6th of March 2022 - 13:00h (together with Jerrold Saija) 

DEFIANCE DOLLS, with Sarah Naqvi
Sunday, 13th of March 2022 - 13:00h 

EXHIBITION-MAKING, with all collectively
Sunday, 20th of March 2022 - 13:00h 

OPENING EVENT, Organised by Mama Kil representing Sehaq Queer Refugees Group 
Sunday, 27th of March 2022 - 14:00h - 17:00h

FINISSAGE, with all collectively
Sunday, 8th of May 2022 - 14:00h - 17:00h

SAFER SPACE RITUAL MAKING, with Sarah Tazit and Fabian Holle
Sunday, 15th of May 2022 - 14:00h - 17:00h

COLLAGE, with Alaa Ammar and Fabian Holle
Sunday, 29th of May 2022 - 14:00h - 17:00h 

PHOTOVOICE, with Alaa Ammar and Fabian Holle
Sunday, 5th of June 2022 - 14:00h - 17:00h

FOOD AND STORIES, with Alaa Ammar
Sunday, 12th of June 2022 - 14:00h - 17:00h

POETRY, with Lamin Barrow
Sunday, 26th of June 2022 - 13:00h 

VU VIEWS, presentation of art works and research
Monday, 27th of June 2022 - 16:00h - 18:00h

QUEER POETRY NIGHT, with Unwanted Words
Saturday, 6th of August 2022 - 17:00h - 19:00h

PHOTOVOICE, with Alaa Ammar
Sunday, 11th of September 2022 - 13:00h - 17:00h

SOUNDSCAPES, with Razan Hassan
Sunday, 18th & 25th of September 2022 - 13:00h - 17:00h

CONNECTING JOURNEYS, stitching timelines together with Fabian Holle
Sunday, 2nd & 9th of October 2022 - 13:00h - 17:00h

TALANOA FORUM, with Yuki Kihara
Sunday, 16th of October 2022 - 13:00h - 17:00h 

ASH RESHTE food & stories, with Sahar Jamshidi & Hossein Razbari
Sunday, 23rd of October 2022 - 13:00h - 17:00h 

COLLECTIVE BRAINSTORM, with Noa Bawits
Sunday, 30th of October 2022 - 13:00h - 17:00h 

EXHIBITION TOUR & PAINTING, with Noa Bawits
Sunday, 6th of November 2022 - 13:00h - 17:00h 

CONNECTING JOURNEYS, stitching timelines together with Fabian Holle
Sunday, 13th of November 2022 - 13:00h - 17:00h

MAKE UP FOR THE EYES OF THE SOUL, with Love Masisi 
Sunday, 27th of November 2022 - 13:00h - 17:00h

SYMBOLS & FEELINGS, a visual journey inwards, with Ariya
Sunday,  11th of December 2022 - 13:00h - 17:00h

END OF THE YEAR CELEBRATION, organised by the LIMBO team
Sunday, 18th of December 2022- 17:00h - 20:00h

2023

SYMBOLS & FEELINGS, a visual journey inwards, with Ariya
Sunday, 15th of January 2023 - 13:00h -17:00h

LIMBO queer safer celebration – secret location. 
Sunday, 22nd of January 2023 - 14:00h - 00:00h.

RELEASING ENERGY – drawing, ink and stories with Marwa Mezher
Sunday, 5th of February 2023 - 13:00h -17:00h 

RECYCOLOGY - upcycling clothes with Nojan & Fardad
Sunday, 19th of February 2023 - 13:00h -17:00h 

RECYCOLOGY - upcycling clothes with Nojan & Fardad
Sunday, 5th of March 2023 - 13:00h -17:00h 

NOWRUZ – Persian new year celebration with Sajad, Nojan, Fardad, Ariya and others
Sunday, 19th of March 2023 - 13:00h -17:00h 

LIMBO

Newsletter - January 2023

With our research project ‘Engaged Scholarship and Narratives of Change’, we are...

Enabling and Obstructing Flow through Creative Co-Creation

In the last issue (#4) of Errant Journal, Fabian Holle wrote an article about Creative...

Safe Enough To Be Brave

For the last issue (#62) of FOAM Magazine, Fabian Holle and Alaa Ammar co-wrote a paper...

Queer Poetry Night x LIMBO

Join us for an evening of queer stories and interactions during the Queer Poetry Night...

DEFIANCE DOLLS, with Sarah Naqvi

The tactility of objects, fabric, and hand stitching, have a universal language with a...

CLOWNING, with Mala Badi

Clowning: a workshop about clowning and the making of joy within the practice of...

FIMO CLAY - ancestral communication technology, with Jerrold Saija

In this workshop, I will give a short introduction what Ancestral communication...

BIOGRAPHICAL DRAWING, with Parisa Akbarzadehpoladi

Themes such as 'women's challenges, sexuality and new environments' being highlighted in...

POETRY, with Lamin Barrow

For this workshop, our focus would be on exploring the basics of building a poem....