About

Colectiva Abya Yala

Decolonising feminisms in Naarm

We are a group of Latin American migrant women who formed the Colectiva Feminista de Abya Yala in Naarm (Melbourne) in 2017. Since then, we have been creating a space for the exploration of a Latin American perspective on feminism, embracing our 'mestiza,' mixed culture identity.

Together, we are driven to understand and reflect on our political memory. We aim to hack into the effects and consequences of historical violence resulting from colonial, capitalist, and patriarchal mechanisms on our bodies, territory, and all living creatures.

We meet every Wednesday at Blakademy (Blak Dot Gallery) to read, discuss, sing, prepare meals, and weave our feelings and thoughts into 'arpilleras.' This traditional textile methodology emerged during dictatorship periods in Latin America and was used by women to communicate and denounce what cannot be said in words. We also grapple with the challenges of our migrant identity.

Some of our recent projects include 'La Chakra’ -a community garden at Siteworks-, a documentary about the Winter Solstice Traditions from the South, and Community Days (founded by The 2020 Flourish Art Recovery Grant). We have also collaborated on various projects with other organizations such as Blakdot Gallery, Yo soy Collective, Pasifika Storytellers, and Make or Break Experiment.