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Jun 21, 2023 · Megan Hoetger


Writers’ Camp · Days 7 through 14


As the notetaking, movement sessions and conversations continued through the second week in the Heesterveld studio, the Black Speaks Back (BSB) scriptwriting team decided to open up their inquiry to followers on Instagram and put the question out to them: “What does ‘intimacy’ mean to you?” As a grassroots media collective, such open access feedback loops are a critical part of BSB’s practice – in this case, the inquiry brought a range of responses, many of which focused on the small gestures of touch and care, such as ‘my baby making food for me’ or ‘my friends and I to be able to kiss each other on the forehead’.

Alongside opening out, the group also began to wrap up. In the final three days at the studio, they staged a ‘pitch time!’ where each member was given the floor to share their notes and reflections from the eleven days of the writers’ camp. The words pinned to the wall behind collective member Chris (Ci) Rickets in the final story screenshot say it best: it was an “orchestra of intimacy”.
Day 7 · Reflections and feedback
Days 8 through 14 · ‘Pitch time!’