Dear kvirrrz!

This is a first compilation of the frequently asked questions from the kvir_feminist_actziya_2013. A lot of information is already included in the call, but here are further things worth of knowing.

• Who are you people? How are you organized?

The kvir_feminist_collective_vienna came together through the organization of the first

kvir_feminist_actziya festival last summer. We see ourselves as an autonomous collective with self-organized structures, where reflecting on hierarchies takes a big role. The actziya and the collective see themselves as a space of visibility and empowerment of kvir migrants from the imagined space “the East”, although the majority of the collective are people are coming from Germany and Austria. However, we hope this will change in the future!

Our collective is not a NGO or any other kind of institution, even though all individuals of the collective are somehow linked to certain institutions and initiatives from Vienna and beyond are also parts of other queer-feminist collectives.

• What does it mean: D.I.Y./D.I.T.?

Our Festival ist a D.I.Y/D.I.T Festival, which stands for “DO  IT YOURSELF” and “DO IT TOGETHER” and it’s about collectively shared responsibilites. As mentioned above, we are a self organized political collective, just a bunch of activists and not some fancy established institution, therefore it is vitally important for all participants to contribute to the organization of the festival as far as they have the ressources and the time.

• Where will the festival take place? What is the location? Is/are the location/s accessible?

Supposedly, the festival will take place in the same location last the last year: the TÜWI and the seminar rooms of BOKU. The last one is wheelchair-accessible, while the TÜWI is not/only partly and this is fucked up and we know it…So please inform us in advance in terms of needed wheelchair access, so we can together discuss possible ways and solutions. We will work hard on trying to make the festival a as accessible as possible.

• I  am from a “Western” country. Can I still come to Vienna?

If you are in the privileged “Western”position, e.g. a non-migrant coming from a country like Austria or Germany, you are very welcome to come and support the festival. But then you should be able and willing to listen, instead of forcing your own ideas and strategies on others. We will work hard on creating a space for people without “Western” privileges, especially in the festival programme, and expect other “Western” privileged people to do the same. In addition to that, we cannot reimburse you for any of your travel costs, except for special cases.

• Will  there be translation during the festival? Which languages?

The working languages during the festival will be English and Russian, as most of the participants speak either the one or the other. We will also try and organize a D.I.Y. translation into other languages. However, we hope and expect participants to support each other and translate for each ohter, in case they know more than one language and are able to translate.

• Do you cover ALL of my travel costs? I mean: really ALL of it?.

Yes, we will cover all of your travel expenses given that you choose tickets at reasonable prices. Please do your best to choose the cheapest way of travelling and make sure to book your tickets as soon as possible. Flying is okay, if you live far away and the flight is not super expensive compared with travelling via trains/buses.

• How  do I get my visa for Austria? What do I need for it? Can you reimburse me for my extra costs for the visa?

We kindly ask you to take care of your visa yourself. We can help with providing you an invitation, but unfortunatly we don’t have enough resources to get all the information for you. Please try to find out the conditions the Austrian embassy of your country has in terms of getting an Austrian Visa. As Austria is a really small country, there might be no Austrian embassy in your city/region. In this case other embassies/consulates usually represent Austria and issue Austrian visas. Usually it is the German embassy, but sometimes also embassies from other countrties. So please find out, what embassy/consulate is responsible in your case!

As soon as you provide us with the information on what you need from us, we will do our best to assist you in getting the Visa in time. Due to limited ressources, we can only cover a tourist visa in special cases.

• Where  will I stay in Vienna?

We will organize accomodation with local residents who can spare a free room or a couch for you to crash on. We will provide you with the contacts of your hosts before the festival. We see activities as living and cooking together during the festival as an integral part of the chosen DIY approach and hope that you’re open to become part of the process.

• How to I get around in Vienna?

Prior to your arrival please get in touch with your hosts: we will provide you with their contacts in time.You can aks them for detailed descriptions of how to get to their place and ask them, whether they could pick you up from the train/bus station, the airport etc…

To get around in the city it is best to purchase a 72 hour ticket for 15.40€ from Wienerlinien. Please keep all your tickets, as we need the originals in order to reimburse you for your costs.

• I was part of the festival last year and want to come again. Is it possible?

 Yes. In this case we still want you to send us your fill out sheet. Also, we expect you to take responsibilities and share your imopressions/knowledge on the festival with other participants.

If there are other participants from your city/region attending the festival, it would be great if you could organize a preparation meeting in order to minimize the administrative effort and share information among each other.