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Sym Stellium – I’m a cow / you’re a b*tch

I’m a cow / you’re a b*tch interrogates the intersections of patriarchal capitalism, misogyny and extraction from a transmasc and more-than-human perspective.

There is a tethering, between a trans body and the heart of a cow. Through this connection of needle and thread, there is also a delicate dance of weight, pain and distance. A relationship begins to form between Sym and the heart; between consumption and the burdens we carry, and the violence that is inflicted upon bodies seen as beneficial for (re)production and domination.

Through movement and meditation, Sym and heart attempt to navigate these undercurrents of patriarchal violence that exist in systems, the home and inside ourselves – and to find possible modes of resistance and refusal.

I’m a cow / you’re a b*tch was first presented by Fierce Festival at Fierce Jams 02, Midlands Sailing Club, Birmingham UK, 2026.

Co-presented with the Live Art Development Agency (LADA) as a part of the Future Kin project. Future Kin is a new network made up of ANTI Festival, LADA (UK), My Wild Flag (Sweden), Theater Rosendal (Norway) and Warehouse9 (Denmark), with funding from Nordic Culture Point. The network is dedicated to nurturing queer interdisciplinary performance practicecommunity and legacy across borders.

Supported by the Finnish Institute in the UK and Ireland, the British Embassy in Helsinki and the Nordic Culture Point.

Sym Stellium

Sym Stellium is a live artist and ritualist based in Birmingham, UK, exploring connection/communication on micro/macro levels. Sym’s work revolves around a healing justice praxis – unearthing themes of bodily autonomy, ancestry, chronic illness and time distortion.

Using a combination of movement, soundscapes, voice, ritual and meditative practices – Sym attempts to create embodied expressions of the ethereal and break down internalised colonial belief systems.

Sym has performed in spaces such as Eastside Projects, Graves Gallery, Mimosa House, NN Contemporary, Humber Street Gallery and Glasgow BUZZCUT festival in the UK – as well as Ban Workshop in Dakar, Senegal.

More information

Access Information

Event information
This event includes a two hour-long walk from a meeting point to LADA in Bethnal Green.
Once at LADA the event is seated. 
Various seating options will be available including fold out chairs, office chairs, a sofa and a bench. All are welcome to join in a relaxed space and are free to come and go as they please. The lighting will be fixed with no sudden changes and microphone amplification will be used. There are disposable masks and hand sanitiser available. After the discussion there will be an opportunity to socialise.

LADA space
The building is wheelchair accessible by lift and provides a wheelchair accessible ground-floor bathroom. All bathrooms are gender inclusive. There is no isolated quiet space inside, but there is a small quiet outdoor area. Some of the art on display in the space includes naked bodies. You can find more information and see photos of the space here. Should you have any particular access requirements, please email [email protected] and we will be happy to offer further support.

Content notes
Please email [email protected] if you would like more information on what to expect.

Please note this event will be recorded.

Banner image credit:

Irina Mackie

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