This virtual collage making circle is a communal space for LGBTQ+ people to explore themes of grief through the use of mixed media. 

About your facilitator:

Amaryllis Ara (ze/zir/they/them) is a multi-modal conceptual artist and folk practitioner based in Jamaica. Ze is fond of rabbits, forests and being near the sea. Zir practice is experimental, acknowledging the queer body as a site of self and collective liberation. To anchor this acknowledgement, ze creates worlds through words, collage, digital media production, and containers for communities to tend their flames through shared practice and processing.

Their practice has foundations in visual storytelling, astrology, media production, gender theory, and trauma-informed mindfulness + somatic meditation practices. In their most recent work, Vesta Cay, Amaryllis utilized digital archiving, web design, community intervention, creative non-fiction, astrological practice, subjective mapping, collage, and digital illustration to document Queer Jamaican deaths, and create communal grieving space. Fueled by memory and curiosity, zir work creates futures with marginalized experiences at the forefront; theirs included. Amaryllis’ practice unites research, imagination, spirit, and emotional alchemy.

About this circle:

• For LGBTQ+ folks anywhere with priority for Jamaicans.

• welcomes grieving LGBTQ+ folks across the Caribbean and its diasporas.

• What to bring:

  • Basic collage tools:

    • Scissors and/or craft knife

    • Glue or glue stick

    • A ruler

    • Paper (mixed media paper or any kind of blanks sheets)

    • Scrap paper(newspapers, magazines, old labels, photocopied photos, any images you feel represent your grief or the person/thing you are grieving)

  • If none of the above tools are accessible to you, you will receive a digital collage toolkit to use via canva. Bring digital copies of images you feel represent your grief or the person/thing you are grieving

  • A journal for processing.

  • A blanket, pillows/cushions, stim toys, crystals, or other comfort items.

  • Water bottle or have water accessible to hydrate.

• Ideal for LGBTQ+ people who:

  • are facing any kind of grief.

  • want to find alternative methods for processing their grief.

  • benefit from art/scrapbook/junk journaling.

  • want tools to strengthen their emotional capacity.

*No prior experience required.