Our Story

How it started

Towards Braver Spaces started as Braver Spaces. At the end of 2020, two folx studying at St Lucas Antwerp approached a lecturer about the need for more engagement with material that was intersectional and had an understanding of colonial legacies impact on diaspora communities within the Belgium context. This idea, turned into an online space. By mid-2021, this online space became a physical reality with the help of Endeavours.eu. With a physical space, weekly check-ins were held. Check-ins that attempted to be safe(r) than the conditions some of the participants faced while studying or while working for different organizations. The gatherings were small, often no more than ten attending each week. Food was provided as well as refreshments. This created a condition which allowed for a braver space to be developed where not only safety needs were met, but also due to the facilitation of Imane B, participants could be speak out bravely about some of the experiences they were encountering.

In the Summer of 2021 we were ready to make a plan of what we wanted our space to be. It was an intergenerational space, though in the beginning most of the users were femme presenting and no older than 33 years of age. Since the first initial plans were scribbled and drawn on butcher paper, lots has been done. Two Summer Schools/camps were organized in 2022 and 2023. Both were made possible by the coordination of Imane and Latifah. While the one in 2023 included the compassionate involvement of Nona. Both could not have been possible without all the great facilitators who passionately facilitated different sessions. What made the Summer Schools/camps special is that they were held outside of institutions and mostly self-organized. The 2023 edition included participants from Germany, England, Ethiopia, and Palestine. The work was far from easy and there was lots of room from improvement. Also caused some of the coordinators to be exhausted.