Diana Raiselis
they/themQueer Space Project
Diana Raiselis is a writer-researcher, facilitator, and cultural manager working at the intersection of culture, urban policy, and civic engagement. Their current work, focused on nighttime, nightlife, urban governance and cultural policy, draws upon prior experience as a theatremaker and civic leadership educator in Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Diana has presented at convenings such as UNESCO Futures Summit, UN-Habitat World Urban Forum and CTM Festival, and guest-lectured in courses at MIT, UdK Berlin, UC Denver and more. Their work has been published by TU Berlin Universitätsverlag and transcript verlag. Diana is a past recipient of policy and arts fellowships in Berlin, Salzburg, Chicago and Los Angeles.
Project
QUEER SPACE PROJECT is a pilot programme that provides emerging LGBTQ+ nightlife entrepreneurs the knowledge, networks, and tools to create new spaces. Recognising the challenges involved in launching and running nightlife and cultural space in cities—navigating official processes, rising costs, and the search for space in ever-dense cities—QSP seeks to pilot a cohort-based approach to supporting LGBTQ+ nightlife and cultural practitioners in learning how to launch and operate nightlife space. Why? Because space is the essential building block for both cohesive communities and vibrant cultural life in our cities. Even as the types of spaces that LGBTQ+ communities seek are changing, coming together in spaces owned and operated by and for LGBTQ+ community (particularly women, trans, and QTIPOC people), are very much still necessary. In 2024, QSP will consist of an open community session and a series of cohort-only sessions, to identify the primary challenges and share knowledge.
