How do we define ourselves in a world that constantly tries to tell us who we are?

For the last Syzygy gathering, we brought our attention to the theme of identity. As self-identified women, we aren't strangers to the messy often uncomfortable yet equally liberating process of finding ourselves. Couple that with a culture steeped in labels, categorization, and multiple attempts to brand the female identity, we knew there was much to discuss on this topic.

So, we invited a panel of women-identified artists to share their personal journeys of discovering their own identities and finding the courage to express themselves through art. Our panelists included Sulafa Silim, Tahsin The Good, and Jenna Tenn-Yuk. It was an honest and open dialogue that took on themes of intersectionality, race, sexuality, and more.

In an exercise of collective catharsis, we then invited educator and writer Margeaux Feldman to lead us in a zine workshop. Zines are a non-commercial medium that women have used to express non-mainstream ideas and stories around identity. Together, we created our first Syzygy zine! We are so excited to share that soon.

The whole evening reverberated with open, curious, and badass energy as we listened to one another, hung out, and created together. We walked away feeling energized and even more connected to this emerging community. Thank you to each and every single woman who entered the space and made it so special!

Take a look at some of the moments captured by Aoife McCartan below and if you want to take a bit of Syzygy with you wherever you are then tune into the Syzygy Playlist curated by BanTOR Radio. Enjoy!