Queer Community Building

This workshop will run from 9:30 to 4:30 on the 20th & 21st of March, presented by hosts from the Jeder Institute & Tathra Street!

Come out and join us for this transformative two-day community building workshop. Discover how to create the conditions to empower individuals, organisations, and businesses in the LGBTQIA+ community.

Together we’ll explore how we can collectively build stronger, more resilient communities by leveraging our unique strengths, talents, and experiences. Rather than focusing on needs and deficits, we’ll explore ways of mobilising local wisdom and community assets to address complex, intergenerational challenges.

Facilitated by LGBTQIA+ community members Dee, Lee, Steph and Tathra with a deep care for queer community building. We will deep dive into foundational concepts like Asset-Based Community Development, Trauma-Informed Community Building, Community Conversations, Power and Privilege and Conscious Co-design, all tailored to the unique dynamics of queer communities.

Whether you're a community member, pride organiser, or part of an LGBTQIA+ organization, this session will offer a fresh perspective of what's possible in our diverse communities. At the end of the two days you will come away with practical tools, frameworks and processes that can be put into practice right away, to foster sustainable, inclusive change.

For ANYONE wanting to explore and gain further understanding of Queer Community Building

● Queer Leaders
● LGBTQIA+ Not for Profit organisations
● Individual community members and change-makers
● Queer social connection and social groups
● Public sector Advisors and Policy Officers
● Pride/event organisers

This will be a two-day participatory event, with plenty of space to stretch out, walk in nature and grab a coffee or tea. To keep the cost of coming together to a minimum, we will be asking participants to bring a lunch plate to share. 

Note: if you have specific dietary requirements, please feel free to cater for yourself only. 

We want you to be comfortable as we gather and learn together, feel free to wear your
most comfortable clothes and kick-off-able shoes.

This event will have no cost to attend, however, participants will be invited to contribute to cover costs of the venue.

Below is an example of what contributions could look like:
- Government and Corporate, $300
- Not for profit organisations, $200
- Community members - $150
- Youth and Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander - $75

At the end of the two days participants will be invited to contribute to event costs based on their means and the value they experienced.

Please contact us if contribution is a barrier to your participation.

Your hosts for this event:

Lee Griffiths - I have a passion for community and always have, this is why I do the work I do, facilitating ABDC training, workshops and strategic planning. I have spent the last 14 years working in local government and the not for profit sector creating the conditions for government and organisations to walk along side community to strengthen outcomes across Australia and the UK.

From my grassroots roots voluntary work to my previous leadership positions, the golden thread has always build on recognising the strengths, assets and opportunities communities already have to bring about the change they want.

Steph Bitter is a young and enthusiastic individual, passionate about supporting people to realise and express the most authentic version of themselves. With a background as a writer, performing musician and songwriter, they studied a Diploma of Community Services to align their passion for rights and social justice with a love of connecting with people. Steph blends Asset-Based Community Development, Participatory Community Development, and Person-Centred practices to support individuals and communities to find belonging and create authentic meaning in their lives.

Dee Brooks - Through her down-to-earth style, Dee Brooks brings people together in dynamic ways to realise and engage the full potential of their networks and communities. Dee is an Intentional Nomad who has traveled and worked in over 20 countries. Based on two decades of grassroots work, her work has inspired people at hundreds of events and workshops worldwide where she offers community engagement and development training and also provides professional co-design, facilitation and keynote addresses for conferences, forums and events.

Tathra Street - Tathra is an accomplished facilitator, passionate about the power of group wisdom. She skillfully cultivates collective intelligence to lead groups to their own answers. Everything from strategic planning to business development and finding creative solutions to complex problems. Tathra has been the co-chair of the Community Reference Group of the Victorian Pride Centre for the past 5 years. She has been out longer than Ellen and is a proud queer community member.