Creative Transcendence: From collective trauma towards collective healing.

What an honour to be alive in these radical times, where African women recognise the agency they ought to have in their different capacities and are answering calls from the depth of their hearts to improve the quality of lives for other women. Our healers are reaching into the earth and its offerings to pull out healing methods that reconnect us to each other. The writers are finding words to express exactly what it is that we feel and weaving together expressions that gently draw us to our healing.

The white man’s imagination…

For a long time, we have “lived in the white man’s imagination”. An imagination that does not recognise us nor even attempt to create spaces for us to bloom gloriously. In our attempts to survive, we have seen our mothers slowly move away from begging for a “seat at the table” and creating spaces that recognise them as humans deserving of joy and pleasure. Yet all of this, is best done in community of people who see you, listen to you and value you.

Audre Lorde’s words could not have been more true.

“Without community, there is no liberation…but community must not mean a shedding of our differences, nor the pathetic pretence that these differences do not exist.”

In creating a space where we can collectively imagine better realities for African women, we will learn of the beauty of our differences and discover how our liberation lies in community.

The Huddle
Connect with fellow African women to collectively imagine an identity that isn’t catalysed by pain and trauma.

Together we will envision the future of our dreams. By collaborating to break down the effects of systemic and generational traumas, we will reimagine what healing means to us, and by doing so we will liberate our creativity and imagination. We will co-create imagination tools and practices throughout this journey, investigating their effectiveness for our purpose.

Wondering if it’s for you?

Do you desire to heal from your trauma and deepen your connection to other African women?

Understanding how generational traumas have been packaged and passed down to create a shared embodiment of systemic trauma is crucial to us figuring out what’s on the other side of this sustained pain. Together, we will explore what this trauma is, explore how we can use language to free ourselves, visualise what healing is and curate experiences that will help us turn our ideas into practices.

Do it to

• Name your trauma. All that remains unnamed gains control over us because we cannot treat the unknown.
• Through collective imagination practice, explore the possibilities available to you, to heal and liberate your creativity.
• Visualise your journey that other African women can refer to when embarking on theirs.

The journey in detail

Our kickoff session sets the tone for our engagement over the coming weeks.

Upon our initial meeting, we will meet collectively to decide our meeting frequency based on our availability, between weekly and bi-weekly. We will commence on the 1st of July, enjoy a break from the 5th of August and resume on the 2nd of September, with the intention to enjoy our last session together on the 7th of October.

This is a peer-led journey and we will all take turns designing and hosting a session. We will record our collective progress in the form of a visual journey board.

At the end, we will have a collection of healing theories and practices to share with our chosen family and friends, during a curated show and tell.

About your host

Hey there, I’m your friendly neighbourhood curator — a true lover of the arts and all things transformative! With a head full of diverse cultures and life-changing experiences, I’ve always been a bit of a dreamer, imagining a better world in my head.

The well-being of African women is at the core of my heart and I do this work through Kurapa Moyo, a community for African women to heal, expand and cultivate their own pleasure. I am committed to exploring what this healing is through embodied practice which grows our collective imagination of what it is to be well. I can’t wait to hear from you!

Anne-Sharlene’s depth of wisdom, warmth and truth sets her apart. Through her work, she revolutionises community and healing. Tealee A. Brown

Q&A

Who do you define as African?

In the context of this huddle, we define an African woman as a woman of Black African descent from the continent who has historically and continues to experience systemic discrimination due to the colour of her skin. We recognise the diverse racial backgrounds that have roots in Africa, making individuals of various races also identify as Africans. However, in acknowledging our diversities, we must also acknowledge the existence of privilege that may differ based on racial factors. This space will be exploring the experiences of Black African women based anywhere in the world, given you can make the session timings.

How demanding will this space be in terms of time commitment?

To fully engage in this space, we kindly request a weekly commitment of 2 hours, which we will collectively agree upon to accommodate everyone’s schedules. Additionally, you will have the freedom to explore take-back prompts at your own discretion and in your personal time, allowing for a more individualised and self-paced experience within this collective experience.

How much does it cost?

Participation is absolutely free! All you have to do is show up.

How will you approach equity, inclusion and accessibility?

I want to welcome and support anyone with a strong intention to take part in this Huddle, and aim to ensure that your identity or background will not be a barrier.

The Huddle format we’re using centres peer-to-peer learning which can be a really inclusive approach to education. The non-hierarchical relationships can create an environment that welcomes each of us to bring more of ourselves into the learning process, and you will likely be brought together with people with different perspectives, ideas, experiences and more.

On application I invite you to tell me about your access needs and preferences and I will also invite the group to share what they’d like to with one another, so that the group can co-creative an inclusive space.

Ready to be part of this journey?

Does this sound like something you would be interested in but require more details? Feel free to book a 30-minute chat with me. Alternatively, you can email me at anne.murapa@gmail.com.

If this is a space that you would love to be a part of, sign up using this link. Excited to hear from you!