Saturday 18 Apr · 12:00-20:00
St. Margaret's House
FREE
QueerSouth AsianCommunitySocialPoetryYogaWellbeing18+
Come and celebrate our strength, our melanin, our heritage, and our ferocity.
On Saturday April 18th, we'll be running our very first alternative queer mela, designed by and for queer South Asian folks, and with a focus on building solidarity, nurturing health and wellbeing, and learning from our community peers.
Over two rooms, we'll be running a series of FREE workshops and masterclasses, covering everything from yoga and self-defense, to the theatre arts and social justice. We'll be ending the day with a celebration of passionate spoken word and poetry, all to celebrate our community's beauty, resilience, and talent.
This is Hum: An Alt-Queer Mela.
📍 Venue: St Margaret’s House, 21 Old Ford Road, London, E2 9PL
🚇 Nearest Station: Bethnal Green (Central Line & Weaver Line)
🗓 Date: Saturday, 18th April 2026
🕒 Time: 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM
🎟 Tickets: FREE - but limited due to venue capacity! Please only book if you genuinely plan to attend. Each workshop is separately ticketed, so you can mix and match which events you'd like to come to!
This event is predominantly dedicated to queer people of South Asian descent, creating a space where the community can come together, refine skills, access vital health resources and make new friends! Friends and allies are also welcome, but we ask those who are not of South Asian heritage why they are coming? Who are they coming to the space with? And if they are coming, how are they contributing to the space?
💃🏾 WHAT TO EXPECT 💃🏾
🔥 A day of queer South Asian defiance, solidarity, and joy 🔥
At Hum: An Alt Queer Mela, alongside a day of workshops, we’ll also be providing:
✅ Free STI home testing kits & sexual health information
✅ Guidance on accessing free hormones via the NHS
✅ Vaccinations for STIs
✅ Drinks & Snacks
🎤 EVENT SCHEDULE 🎤
Room 1
12pm - Does Anyone Own Yoga?
Whether it’s wealthy influencers in California, or far-right politicians in the subcontinent, everyone stakes a claim to own yoga. But does it really belong to anyone? In this decolonized take on the yoga class, we’ll be moving through a series of asanas, learn about the queer underpinnings of the practice, and confront the unjust uses of this ancient art.
2pm - Karma’s A Bhenchod
It’s time to bash back, and protecting yourself and those you love is central to building community and solidarity. In this workshop, we’ll be outlining the theory behind self-defence and how it’s been used in solidarity movements, while teaching you how to handle yourself should the need to throw hands ever arises.
4pm - Bollywood Beyond Binaries
Moving beyond gendered assumptions and roles in South Asian dance, this energizing class will explore how we can take the passion and colour of Bollywood dance, and make it an affirmation of our true selves.
6pm - The Desi Diaries
Maybe it’ll get blue? Maybe it’ll be funny? One thing’s for sure – it’s going to be queer and brown AF. Our latest monologue gathering brings together some of our hottest performers to wax lyrical about the weird, sexy, tragic, joyous, and beautiful experiences of being queer and South Asian.
Room 2
12pm - Are You The Drama?
We’ve got a LOT of stories in us and we’ve watched enough dramas on Zee TV to know we can do better, so why not bring your own tales to the stage? In this workshop, we’ll be exploring the basics of dramaturgy, character, and plotting, to take the stories you’ve been dreaming and craft them into something ready for the theatre.
2pm - We Don’t Talk About Chudai
Did your parents ever change the channel when kissing showed up on TV? If so, this workshop is for you! We’ll be discussing sex, pleasure, and consent, and why it’s so hard for us to talk openly and honestly with our South Asian peers about these very ideas. Expect filth, demonstrations, and self-love!
4pm - Stay Mad. Get Organised!
There’s more to activism then sharing stories on Instagram and having the “right” opinions. In this workshop, we’ll share the basics of organising, and give you the tools and space to think about how you can apply organising principles in your own lives, whether it’s to advocate for justice for yourself, your friends, or your community.
Come on down and, learn, connect, and celebrate all things queer and South Asian 🏠✨
❗ IMPORTANT ❗
🔒 Tickets: Spaces are limited, so please only sign up if you’re certain you can attend. If you can no longer make it, kindly cancel your spot or inform us so we can offer it to someone else 🙏🏽
♿️ Accessibility: The space is wheelchair accessible, and there are accessible ground-floor level toilets at the venue. If you have any concerns, please contact us to discuss your needs and we will do our best to accommodate you.
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ABOUT OUR FREE EVENTS
We like to keep the events free so they are easily accessible to our communities! If you want to donate please use this link.
Spaces at our events are limited and there is a cost implication for all the events we produce or take you along to. Therefore, it is very important and appreciated if you let us know when you can no longer attend an event so we can offer your spot to someone else.
Alongside this, we appreciate it if you could respond to any communication by the given response deadline so we can make the necessary arrangements for the event.
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