Hi friends, community, and supporters of queer creative futures,

I'm reaching out to ask for your help in bringing a living archive to life at the first inaugural TVCE Symposium.

My project, “Poor Images for the Richness of SELF/s: Slow Processing Film as a Time Capsule for Our Collective Queer Futurity,” invites attendees to participate in a unique film-photographic experience using disposable cameras—and I need your help covering the cost of those materials.

About the Project:

I will be distributing disposable cameras to participants during the symposium to document their experiences, emotions, and perspectives throughout the event. But here’s the twist: the photos won’t be developed until next year’s symposium.

This delay is intentional—and deeply meaningful. It resists the constant immediacy of digital culture and honors the slow, unfolding process of queer becoming. Like our identities, these images are allowed to stay in flux, to be imperfect, and to hold space for multiple truths at once.

Inspired by:

- TJ Bacon’s theory of SELF/s: a vision of queer/trans identity as fragmented, evolving, and non-linear

- Hito Steyerl’s “poor image”: a challenge to perfectionism and capitalist image culture

- and the lived experiences of trans and queer communities who often develop outside normative timelines

...this project is a form of queer refusal—resisting the pressure to be polished, fast, or consumable.

Why I Need Your Support:

Disposable film cameras are central to this project, and I’m aiming to raise £260-£400 to cover:

- Purchase of 14+ disposable cameras

- Supplies for safe storage and labelling

Every contribution, no matter how small, helps bring this collective art piece and time capsule to life.

Why It Matters:

This is more than a photography project—it’s an act of community memory, resistance, and imagination. It creates a slow, analog space for us to witness each other, outside of performance or pressure. By supporting this project, you’re helping build a future where queer and trans experiences are held with care, slowness, and reverence.

With gratitude and love,

Kars (they/he)