Project COLLECTIVE - Center for improvement of LGBT+ people status, started with the implementation on August 1st, 2016. The project involves the organization of educational, cultural and recreational programs, group and individual sessions of psycho-social support for members of LGBT+ community, on monthly basis, and the organization and implementation of several public major events on the local level dedicated to the LGBT + community and promotion of the rights of LGBT + people to the majority population in the Southeast Serbia. These events are organized with the aim to empower the local LGBT + community, especially younger members, and to channel some new activist forces that would be engaged in improvement of the rights of LGBT + people on the local level and beyond after the project COLLECTIVE is finished.
The first month of the project implementation was dedicated to the preparation for the upcoming activities and their promotion, primarily, to the group of potential users and beneficiaries, as well as among the general public. During that period closed Facebook group COLLECTIVE was created, where potential users are informed about upcoming activities, but also where they can share other facilities essential for LGBT + community. In addition, it is regularly reported about the activities in the scope of the project, on Women Space website and Facebook page of the COLLECTIVE initiative.
During the previous six months, standard, planned closed activities were organized, as well as several additional public events.
Standard COLLECTIVE activities (cooking workshops, film projections, recreational programs, group and individual sessions of psycho-social support) are held on a monthly basis, and, a group of about 30 people from Niš and the surroundings gravitates around these activities. In the time period from September through December we organized 4 cooking workshops, 4 sport and recreational activities, 3 film screenings (not including Queer Film Festival Merlinka), 8 group and 16 individual sessions of psycho-social support. All these activities are closed type and are organized in the premises of the Women Space organization in Niš.
During the first four months of the project implementation, COLLECTIVE activists organized and participated in several public actions.
First, on November 3rd, 2016, LGBT activist Marko Stefanović on behalf of COLLECTIVE initiative participated at the panel "Religion and LGBT+” in Media/Reform Center Niš organized by Association of Citizens Štek House. The panel was also dealt with the relationship between religion and church representatives to the LGBT + community, the relationship LGBT + community towards religion and what is the status of religious LGBT + people. Beside Marko Stefanović, speakers were Ph.D. Miloš Jovanović, sociologist, and Ph.D Ivica Živković, theologist. This event was visited by between 40 and 50 people.
COLLECTIVE initiative activists participated in the commemoration of the November 9th, the International Day Against Fascism, which was organized by the Antifascist Collective Niš. First, on November 7th in the premises of Women Space there was organized making of the banners, and that was followed by the projections of the film Before Night Fall. On November 9th activists of the Antifascist Collective Niš and COLLECTIVE initiative had antifascist street action.
COLLECTIVE initiative activists joined Zadrugarice this year in the organization of the third International Queer Film Festival "Merlinka" in Niš. Merlinka in Niš lasted three days, from 13th till 15th December, and during that time six movies were shown – three features and three documentaries. Projections were visited by between 250 and 300 people.
During the following months activists of the COLLECTIVE will continuing with their diligent in the realization of regular activities and in the preparation and realization to commemorate the important dates for the LGBT community and the preparation of the first small LGBT festival in Niš.
