Collective residencies / QLGBTI+ / Olot
KYLE RUBINI
From Monday, 17 February 2020 to Friday, 28 February 2020
Bio
Kyle is an HIV Prevention Worker at a Canadian AIDS Service Organization. In this role he provides sexual health education, supports queer men through one-on-one and group programming, coordinates a PrEP Clinic, and facilitates a queer youth group. Having recently finished his Master’s Degree in Women’s Studies and Feminist Research, Kyle continues his academic work independently. His research interests include: sexual health, queer male culture, and stories as cultural communication.
Project
During my stay I will be working on a graphic novel currently titled Stories and Worlds. It is planned to be both a discussion of theory, and the story of my life, foregrounding theory and using my personal experiences as practical examples. Stories have guided me throughout my life and I have long been captivated by the way we use these experiences in fictional worlds to guide our experiences with reality. Western society consumes stories en masse, affecting our mindset similar to how the food we consume affects our bodies. The characters and events of stories have long lasting impacts on how we perceive the world, interact with others, make decisions, and more. This project hopes to make accessible the popular theories about how fictional worlds can alter our realities.
A Chapter Worth Reading
I came to the Faber Residency to write about how stories affect our lives. Which I did. However, my stay here has become a story in itself. The residency delivered on its promises: we were provided with an exceedingly comfortable working space surrounded by a picturesque landscape. The shared apartment amenities made it even easier to feel at home. But it was the people that transformed this from a writer’s retreat into an adventure.
By hosting its first QLGBTI+ thematic residency, the Faber Institute created a space for queer scholars and artists around the world to meet on common ground. This is rare. Queer community and space are often fragmented, and it was so special to connect with this international group of creative thinkers. During almost every meal we found ourselves naturally leaning towards discussions about our projects, our perspectives on various political situations, and our local queer culture. When it came time to present on my work, it felt organic because we had already fallen into a rhythm of discussing queer topics and sharing resources.
As far as the work itself, I was able to get more accomplished than expected. Gavina and Pepa made sure we had everything we needed, and were always so patient and helpful when I could not understand the non-English laundry machine. They seem to run the program with ease, though I know it must be more difficult than it looks. I never expected an excursion, but the day Pepa took a group of us out to see local sites was integral to my experience here. It let us bond as a group, while also appreciating local Catalan culture that I would never have seen otherwise.
I leave this program (reluctantly) with a renewed inspiration and a fresh perspective on my graphic novel. I also leave with new relationships. I leave knowing I have friends across the world I can go to for professional advice, words of encouragement, or a fresh bottle of wine.