Lesbian Spring Convention

21 – 24 May 2010 in Hamburg, Germany

Dear lesbians, join in :-)

What is the LFT?

The LFT is a self-organized lesbian festival of politics and culture that has been around for 35 years. It grew out of a lesbian tradition in Berlin in the 1920s which saw lesbians meeting for walks on the Pentecost weekend. This culture was forced to go underground during in the Nazi years, and it was only at the beginning of the 1970s that lesbian networking became visible again on a public scale. The LFT was started by Berlin lesbians and has since been hosted by lesbian organizing teams in many towns. This year, the LFT will be in Hamburg.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us :-)
Lesben Leinen Los!
A cordial „Ahoi“ from the Hamburg LFT organizing team

2010@lesbenfruehling.de
www.lesbenfruehling.de/hamburg2010

LFT 2010 motto: „Lesbians loosen the ropes - cast off between Hamburg and South Africa“

Lesbians cast off the ropes. They do not want to be restrained but free. They set out, maybe taking a boat, and cast off. They also cast off the things that tie them down. And they liaise with lesbians who live elsewhere.

There is a lot of space, in all directions, between Hamburg and South Africa: How do lesbians live, here and elsewhere – in South Africa, in Poland, in Iran, in Argentina, in Spain, in Russia, in Germany and its neighbouring countries – and how do lesbians live when they are on the move?

Translation from English into German and vice versa has already been organized for some of the events: the international panel discussion, the workshop on the South African campaign „Act to End Hate“ and the presentation by lesbians from St. Petersburg (Russia). Lesbians requiring or offering interpreting services for any of the other 120 workshops are asked to contact the volunteers’ desk. Services will be provided according to supply and demand. There is a list of all workshop titles in both German and English. Next to each event, you can put your name down for either supplying or requiring this service.

LFT Demo 2010: Saturday 22 May, 11am

The LFT demos are legendary. Our demonstration's motto is „Lesbians loosen the ropes - cast off between Hamburg and South Africa“ and it will take us into Hamburg’s city center. At the Jungfernstieg („Virgins' Steps“) we will stage a Kiss-in. There are still many places in the world where two women risk their lives if they show more than sisterly behaviour in public. With the public kiss-in we put ourselves and send support to all women throughout the world that like to kiss women, and who would like to do this publicly and without repercussions. At the Town Hall Square there will be speeches on lesbian persecution and migration, and a feminist perspective on war and militarism. The South African activist Phumi Mtetwa from Johannesburg will speak about the situation of lesbians in her country.

Accessibility as a key principle

At the LFT, accessibiliy is a key principle. We have tried to make the Hamburg LFT fully accessible, enabling lesbians with disabilities to participate self-sufficiently. Assistance is provided on request. The venues are all wheelchair accessible. Wheelchair-accessible accommodation and a transport service are available. Sign language interpreters have been engaged and are available for selected workshops and evening events. There is an induction loop at the venue of the opening and the closing plenaries and the evening programme. Additionally, a mobile FM system for hearing aids can be used in smaller rooms and during guided walks.
There is an emergency room for lesbians in crisis situations. The relaxation rooms are equipped with hospital beds and additional wheelchairs are available, e.g. for the demonstration.
On prior notice, the programme is available in braille, in large print and as an audio version.
For more details please contact us in advance (barrierefrei.2010@lesbenfruehling.de, fax 03221-1241387) or at the LFT accessibility desk on site.

The Day Programme

For this part of the LFT, we reflected on what kind of new things we want to learn. We set out to collect topics and sought out speakers. In the programme you now find old and new names and topics. There will be about 120 events in the colleges and in town. She who has prepared the workshop should not be the only one who talks, rather, we urge all participants to contribute their views. As a result we have asked the speakers to think up a way to promote active participation in their workshops.

We thought that certain issues were most important and these have been arranged into the following five topic areas

• Internationalism / Migration / Being on the move
• Resistance / Survival / Individual and social forms of organization
• Finance / Poverty
• Health / Exercise
• Taboos in the lesbian community
  

For each of these topic areas, there is one „thematic room“ which is open for discussion, exchange and networking.

As a special event at our LFT, there will be an international panel discussion entitled „Connecting Hamburg and South Africa“. For this purpose, we have invited speakers from South Africa, Poland, Argentina, Spain, Iran and Germany. The panel discussion is scheduled for Sunday at 2.30pm.

Apart from the workshops, we will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the LFT arts exhibition with numerous works by lesbian artists from near and far. Furthermore, there is an extensive programme of political exhibitions, history, spirituality, exercise groups and around-the-clock social contacts. There will be merchandise, food and information stalls, a handycraft market, intergenerational meeting places such as the Jules-Café and the SAFIA oasis, as well as a memorial room.  

We warmly welcome lesbians and their children, childcare is available. For details, please contact us.

The LFT is a gathering for lesbians. It offers lesbian issues that are contributed by a variety of lesbians. The LFT 2010 in Hamburg sends a warm „welcome“ to all lesbians, intersexuals, transgenders, and to male-to-female-transsexuals who define themselves as lesbians. We wish for a respectful atmosphere, in which every single lesbian feels welcome and at ease.

The evening programme

Our stage programme will consist of mostly local musicians, cabaret artists and presenters that we would like the world to see. Additionally, there are a few guests from elsewhere.
By popular demand, the disco will start as early as the stage programme. There is one main dance floor so you can really „bathe in the crowds“, as we say in German. Your bubble bath foam is made up of a whole range of fragrances, from Salsa on Saturday to the young lesbians' disco on Sunday night – something for everyone, we hope.

What We Reckon with

At the LFT, all participants set up and manage things together. The Organizing team has prepared everything on a volunteer basis. We trust in the solidarity and the dedication of all lesbians involved in the LFT. We have maintained graded admission fees based on income. In order for the LFT to be successful we rely on everyone to volunteer to help for at least two hours in whatever way they can. Every participant chooses her preferred two-hour service or more. It is only because every individual takes on a task that the admission can be so affordable for those who need it. At this year's LFT, the 'Sozialkarte' has been incorporated into the range of prices for your ticket. So lesbians on a low income do not have to make a special application beforehand, but can adhere to the graded admission fees listed below. It is the first time that an LFT has taken this leap of faith – let's see if it works!

We have a tight budget and have made some applications for funding. Currently, not enough income can be generated in this way. Additionally, we have tried to attract donations from private funders or firms, but this is not easy either. This is why it is essential that participants undertake a fair self-assessment when it comes to the admission fees. Some speakers are relinquishing their speaker fees. This is how we can come out even!

Donations

We would like to enable all lesbians who are interested to participate in the LFT, so your donations are very welcome! Maybe you know someone who can't participate due to other commitments but is willing to support the LFT financially:

gleich und gleich Hamburg e. V.
Account number: 441 430
Bank code: 21060237
Bank name: EDG, Kiel
BIC: GENODEF1EDG
IBAN: DE64 2106 0237 0002 4414 30

Purpose: donation (If you wish, we will send you a donation receipt for donations over € 50. In this case, please state your address.)

Tickets

Season tickets
Admission, according to your monthly income

Monthly income Euro	Season ticket Euro
up to  600	20-40
up to 700	50
up to  800	60
up to  900	70
up to  1.000	80
up to  1.200	100
up to  1.400	120
up to  1.600	150
up to 1.800	180
over 1.800	180 plus x

Day tickets
A day ticket includes the evening programme and is 40, 60 or 80 Euros.

Evening tickets
A ticket for the evening costs € 15 per evening (if you can give more: € 18, concessions € 10). These tickets are only available directly from the box office. 

Venues

The LFT will mainly take place in three venues: in two schools that are situated near the underground (U-Bahn) station Schlump and in the main cafeteria of Hamburg University (Campus).  Additionally, there are lesbian city tours to interesting Hamburg tourist spots.
In the Vocational school (Gewerbeschule, G2) Bundesstraße 58, 20146 Hamburg) you will find the following: Reception and registration, LFT info points (e.g., floorplans), baggage room, food & drinks, the arts exhibition, exhibitions, the market place for craft work, networking and merchandise, the area for young lesbians, as well as some of workshops in the general programme.
In the Trade school (Handelsschule, Schlankreye 1, 20144 Hamburg) you will find: workshops, exhibitions, the mid-term plenum, the SAFIA-Oasis, a mother-child-lounge, and a memorial room.
The main Student Union's canteen on the Uni Campus (Mensa, Von-Melle-Park 2, 20146 Hamburg) is the venue for the evening programme, the opening and the closing plenum. The demonstration starts next door (Audimax).
The distance between the two schools is just about 600 metres, the gym dormitories are in this area, too. From the G 2 to the university campus it is about 2 km.
There will be quite few LFT signposts, just watch out for the logo.

Arrival

Please find direction details on www.lesbenfruehling.de/hamburg2010/arrival.html

Reception

In the G 2 foyer, the registration opens on Friday at 5 pm, till 9.30 pm for participants, speakers, artists and exhibitors. On Saturday registration is possible from 8 am onwards, as well as throughout the course of LFT.
Here, you will also find the Volunteers' desk to sign up for your two or more service hours, the Accessibility desk, the Organizing team's desk, the Accommodation desk, the desk where you can buy catering tokens („Bonkasse“), as well as site maps and lists for the workshop programme.

Accommodation

Campsite
The Campsite “Buchholz” has been notified about your possible registration. If there are enough early registrations, the keeper will reserve a special area of the campsite for LFT participants. Please sign up directly at: Camping Buchholz, Kieler Str. 374, 22525 Hamburg, Phone: +49-40-540 45 32, www.camping-buchholz.de. The bus line for the Campsite is No. 4, which directly connects Schlankreye and the campsite's bus stop Basselweg.
Youth hostel
As a highlight of the LFT, it is possible that an entire hostel is full of lesbians - if you have registered on time! The price is € 23 per night, including breakfast. The registration deadline for the Youth Hostel is May 5. For current information on spare places after the 5th of May, please check out our homepage. The hostel is easily reached by U2 (red line) from Horner Rennbahn directly to Schlump. Detailed directions are available by email beforehand or on registration at the accommodation desk.
Gyms
For lesbians on a tight budget, or the desire for short distances, there is the possibility to stay in our two gyms. The price is € 5 per night.

A cordial „Ahoi“ from the Hamburg LFT organizing team

2010@lesbenfruehling.de
www.lesbenfruehling.de/hamburg201