Constellation

Frequently Asked Questions

Constellation is an anarchist festival organized by anarchists for anarchists and those curious about anarchism. The term “anarchism” means different things to different people. This can present many complications but also lends itself to fostering strong and vibrant political, social, and cultural movements. As such, Constellation seeks to be open to diverse understandings of anarchism. We do not wish to control what goes on during the festival, either at the weekend at CÉDA coordinated by us or the autonomously organized events throughout the city. While we will try our best to meet the needs and desires of all attendees, we cannot guarantee that we will succeed in doing so.

What is the Constellation organizing collective responsible for?

We take responsibility for several aspects of the festival, including:

How are tables and workshops selected?

We see our role as helping facilitate an anarchist space rather than as arbiters of what goes on within it. As such, we want to be open to different ideas and understandings of anarchism.

Tabling reservations are first come, first served and are confirmed on a bi-weekly basis. We ask all tablers to let us know how their project is anarchist or anarchist-oriented. If we believe that the question has been suitably answered (e.g., the tabler makes a genuine case for why their materials are relevant to anarchism or will be of interest to anarchists), we will reserve a table for that project.

Obviously, this is not a perfect system, if such a thing even exists. It’s important for us to try to set aside our perceptions or prejudices of certain ideas, individuals, milieus, etc., when assessing tabling reservations. Sometimes we may say “yes” to tables that we don’t necessarily like or agree with, and that’s okay.

Because space for workshops is quite limited, we set a deadline for proposals and have a more involved process for selecting them. Again, we try to ensure that workshops are relevant to anarchism or will be of interest to anarchists while aiming for a diverse assortment of ideas and skills on a given day. Other factors that may impact our decisions include time allowances, feasibility, and our own personal interests and opinions.

What if my table or workshop is not selected?

You are welcome to set up a table or conduct a workshop outside of CÉDA during the May 17-18 weekend, as long as you are mindful of others. You may also host your workshop somewhere else in the city and add it to the online calendar on our website to include it as part of the festival events.

How will you deal with conflict?

Political and interpersonal conflict are common tensions in anarchism. We acknowledge that at large events such as ours, there are bound to be people who disagree with, dislike, hate, or even harm each other.

The individuals who make up the Constellation organizing collective have varied experience with mediation and de-escalation. While we will try our best to engage with whatever events may unfold, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to help you deal with a difficult situation.

We encourage all attendees to be respectful of others and the space around them. In the spirit of self-organization, we believe that the success of the event lies in everyone taking responsibility for their presence and contribution.

What should I do if I need help?

If you need help for any reason, we encourage you to do what you need to do to maintain your safety or reach out to someone for assistance. This may be a friend, a comrade, or a person you don’t know.

You can also come to the welcome table (in the hallway at the front of CÉDA), where you can expect to find someone from at least 10 AM to 5 PM. We will also have medics equipped with first aid supplies and naloxone.

Will classism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, etc., be tolerated?

This is an anarchist event where one can expect to encounter hundreds of anarchists at any given moment. Though there are different opinions on how oppression and domination are manifested, anarchists usually confront these dynamics. If you feel capable, we encourage you to address oppressive behaviour. This might look like someone talking to someone about what they said or did, asking them to leave, or simply forcing them out of a space. You can also ask people around you for help or request assistance at the welcome table.