The 2022 Queer Leadership Summit:

A one-day virtual experience designed to equip LGBTQ+ leaders with tools and knowledge for building a more inclusive, healthier, and sustainable Queer Future.

We're bringing LGBTQ+ leaders together through a dynamic schedule of wellbeing workshops, self-empowerment sessions and inspiring speaker panels. Through shared experience, story-telling and personal discovery, the agenda has been design to inspire and empower; equipping participants with the necessary tools, knowledge and passion they need to collectively create change within their own communities and organisations.

PROGRAMME OVERVIEW:

10.00 : Welcome

10.10 : Grounding Exercise

10.20-11.20 : Panel - Be The Change.

with Ben Pechey, Chloë Davies, Eva Echo and Geff Parsons.

Though we stand on the shoulders of giants, the actions we take as Queer Leaders will also inform our legacy. Being the change we want to see in our communities and organisations calls us to draw on the very essence of our values, beliefs, unique expression of our identities, without losing sight of our wellbeing needs. Being the change doesn’t mean being perfect, and being a role model doesn’t have to involve being on ‘that’ list. Understanding that we all have a scope of influence is so important. In this panel we’ll discuss what it means to show up in the fullness of ourselves – how authentic leadership can help sustain our drive for change. 

11.30-12.30 : Workshop - My Voice, My Story.

with Shiva Raichandani and Andrew Seedall

Being a change-agent, improving where we are today to create belonging and inclusivity are no small tasks. On this journey, we are often asked to ‘tell our story’. Storytelling is a transformational tool for activism, it has the power to educate informally and humanise the reality of our lived experience through emotional connection. And in that respect, the stories we choose to tell can bring your purpose to life, or they can sometimes hold us back. In this session, we’ll explore how to find confidence in storytelling and lean into the wisdom of our voice to help us get out of our heads and into our hearts.

12.30-13.00 : Talk and Panel - Navigating The Media.

with Ben Pechey, Yasir Mirza and Chris Kenna.

The media plays an important role in shaping public and political attitudes towards minorities in general. Discourse around LGBTQ+ issues may have evolved, and in some instances, led to constructive change but this has yet to be said for Transgender, Queer and Non-Binary folks who still find themselves at the centre of hate rhetoric and controversy. As Queer Leaders we’re regularly being called to speak out for our community, especially within the organisations we work for, and during Pride season in particular. Our statements and stories are sought after by the press; just as we freely use our social platforms to shed light on the issues we stand for. In this discussion, we’ll explore how to pitch ourselves authentically and navigate the media to have meaningful impact. 

13.00-14.00 : Break

14.00-14.30pm : Mindful Reset - Guided Practice.

with David Kam and Char Bailey

Challenging the status quo is no simple task. And sometimes, our words can fall short. Whether we lack the grounding or the confidence in what we're saying – doubt and fear can prevent us from truly expressing ourselves. Mindfulness is an essential tool for self-expression. It also helps cultivate creativity by growing our experience with self-awareness. In this session, we’ll explore short mindfulness practices to help focus our attention and tune into our own intuitive process. 

14.30pm-15.30pm : Talk -  Queer Resilience and Intra-Community Allyship.

with Eva Echo, Rico Chace, Yaz Senghor and Max Marchewicz.

Pride season offers us a platform to share our history, our journey, our resilience – the unique strengths and qualities that derive from our lived experiences of being queer in a heteronormative world. As leaders within our organisations and communities, we often hold the power and privilege to lead our ERG networks, or our company’s DEI objectives. But when our bias is left unchecked, we can unconsciously become gatekeepers to those us whose intersecting identities create more barriers to representation. In this panel we’ll discuss how to become better allies – who empower and create space for the most marginalised folks within our community to tell their stories.

15.30-16.30pm : Workshop -  Finding Your No: Self-Compassion and Healthy Boundaries. 

with Dr Paul Taylor-Pitt and Tash Thomas

Being a visible Queer Leader during Pride comes with added pressures, responsibility and often hidden personal costs. Authentic Queer Leadership is about challenging the status quo, but it’s also about honouring the energy we invest as change-agents by listening to our bodies and making a conscious effort to look after ourselves. Setting boundaries is an act of radical self-compassion. Studies show that self-compassion helps foster the resilience we need to effectively help and lead others.  

16.30 : Break

16:40-17.40pm : Workshop - Emotional Regulation and Integration.
with Jamie Clements.

Pride gets us to reflect. We're often looking back to look forward. When we’re listening people’s stories and sharing our own, emotions can often come to the surface. We’re also probably going be challenged, and feel frustrated at times… In this session we will experience how breathwork can be used as a tool for self-regulation. Together, we’ll explore a short practice to support us in having better influence over our internal state of being (how we think, feel, behave, and react) – which equips us to face more confidently the complex dynamics of transformation and change.

17.40pm : Final Breakout
17.50pm : Conclusion
18.00pm : Close

We're creating a space to welcome, and best reflect, the rich plethora of identities within the Queer Community. A space for new ideas and meaningful conversation; for Queer Leaders to collectively learn and imagine a united vision. You'll get to connect with other LGBTQ+ activists on a global scale and learn from those driving forward change within their organisations and communities. With a focus on representation, this is a space and platform for all to be seen and heard.

• Become more informed and intuitive with the decisions you make as a change-maker.

• Cultivate more confidence with knowing, connecting with and sharing your own story.

• Discover new self-care tools for managing your own mental health and wellbeing.

• Hear new perspectives and feel empowered to lead, help and support others.

• Refresh and recalibrate your core values.

• Understand better your actions, thoughts and beliefs as an ally of the entire LGBTQ+ community.

• A safe space to discuss, learn and get curious.

DATE : Friday 13th May

TIME: 09:00 - 18:30 UKT (GMT) 

LOCATION: Online

COST: £100 (Community) - £500 (Corporate)

THE TEAM:

All sessions delivered by our We Create Space Collective.

Maylis Djikalou (she/her) - Programme Director

Michael Stephens (he/they) - Founder

Char Bailey (she/her) - Facilitator 

Eva Echo (she/they) - Host & Speaker

Dr Paul Taylor-Pitt (he/him) - Facilitator 

Shiva Raichandani (they/them) - Facilitator

David Kam (he/him) - Facilitator 

Andrew Seedall (he/him) - Facilitator 

Chloë Davies (she/her) - Host & Speaker

Yassine Senghor (she/her) - Speaker

Yasir Mirza (he/him) - Speaker

Tash Thomas (she/her) - Facilitator 

Ben Pechey (they/them) - Host & Speaker

Rico Jacob Chace (he/him) - Speaker

Jamie Clements (he/him) - Facilitator

Max Marchewicz they/them) - Speaker

Chris Kenna (he/him) - Speaker

Geff Parsons (he/him) - Speaker

TO BRING

Comfortable clothing for a bit of movement.

Journal / notepad / pen.

ACCESS REQUIREMENTS:

Closed caption will be enabled throughout this experience. Please let us know if you have any specific access requirements. Send us an email if you'd like to ask a questions. Email: [email protected]

KEY TOOLS:

These sessions will offer a mix of storytelling, disruptive thinking and innovation tools, strategic insights, specialised terminology, and language, along with personal leadership skills, self-inquiry, and holistic/somatic practices. They will be interspersed with key teachings from the realms of coaching, mentoring, consultancy – inside and outside the DEI space.

YOUR PRIVACY:

We offer a safe space to get curious, open up and discuss important topics with others. Naturally it is a completely confidential space, where individuals can openly share their feelings and thoughts with the option of anonymity. 

YOUR SAFETY:

Your safety is our main priority and need to be clear that we're not offering crisis support. For this reason, we would highly recommend individuals with concerns relating to pre-existing mental health conditions, substance misuse and related disorders to seek alternative and immediate professional help. 

We understand that not everyone is in a position to afford this event with everything going on right now. We're offering free spaces to Queer Leaders and Activists who work for a charity / LGBTQ+ non-profit. Please request access via: [email protected]

We're doing our best to make the summit as accessible as possible. Closed captions will be enabled throughout this experience. If you have any questions around accessibility or suggestions you would like to make, please feel free to email us at [email protected]

If you are part of a larger organisation, business or LGBTQ+ ERG you may be able to secure internal funding for your entire network to attend these events. We’ve created a separate business case pack for you to use.

DOWNLOAD FULL PROGRAMME HERE

DOWNLOAD BUSINESS CASE HERE

Special thanks goes to Pride at JTI who are kindly sponsoring these events. Their contribution will allow for more Queer Leaders from the charity and non-profit sector to attend.