LEAF : Learning through Ecological Art Forms in Queer Site-Specific Performances
▶Summary
The LEAF project aimed to achieve interconnected objectives: First, to raise awareness of environmental issues—including water scarcity, dying glaciers, and ecological fragility—through innovative...
▶Objectives
The LEAF project aimed to achieve interconnected objectives: First, to raise awareness of environmental issues—including water scarcity, dying glaciers, and ecological fragility—through innovative eco-somatic queer performances in public spaces in Iceland and Poland. Second, to enhance social inclusion and diversity by engaging intergenerational groups of activists, particularly participants with fewer opportunities, including LGBT+ individuals, in all stages of the project. Third, to develop sustainability competences among participants, educators, and education leaders, equipping them to become agents of change in environmental activism. Fourth, to foster intercultural and intergenerational learning, strengthening European identity through collaboration between Icelandic and Polish participants. Fifth, to disseminate project results, methodologies, and artistic techniques through educational videos, workshops, trainings, and festival presentations, ensuring the project’s outcomes reach wider audiences and contribute to the long-term integration of eco-somatic, queer-informed, and performative approaches into education and activism.
▶Activities
The LEAF project implemented a comprehensive set of activities in Iceland and Poland, combining eco-somatic laboratories, site-specific performances, dissemination including creation of short films, and project management. In Iceland, site-specific performances were presented at the Dansdagar Festival and Hamraborg Festival and films shared online as well as applied for screening at Boreal Festival in Akurayri. Polish laboratories were documented and screened in Reykjavík, fostering cross-country exchange. Public screenings took place during Resisting Extinction actions in Szczecin and Warsaw, while workshops at the Festival of Ecological Movements engaged educators, activists, and community members in eco-somatic practices. Dissemination activities included social media outreach, press releases, festival collaborations, and sharing educational videos online. Partner meetings, both online and in-person, supported planning, research, monitoring, and reflection, while the four-day final evaluation meeting in Reykjavík combined observation of performances, structured evaluation sessions, and discussion of lessons learned.
▶Impact
The LEAF project produced a range of tangible and intangible results. Concrete outputs include a series of eco-somatic queer laboratories and performances in Iceland and Poland, as well as video documentation of workshops and performances published online. Educational resources, including audiovisual materials, were developed to share project methodologies with educators, activists, and community groups. Participatory workshops in both countries engaged intergenerational groups of participants with various backgrounds, enhancing social inclusion. The final evaluation meeting produced structured reflections, best practice documentation, and recommendations for future projects. Beyond tangible outputs, the project strengthened transnational cooperation, promoted cultural exchange, and fostered lasting networks between Icelandic and Polish organisations. Local communities and festival audiences gained awareness of ecological issues, while online dissemination extended the project’s reach internationally.