News Story

Shifting Power Hosts First “Thought Collective” on Queer AI in Margate

Wednesday 24 Sep 2025

This summer, the Shifting Power project launched its first “Thought Collective” in Margate, Kent—an experimental workshop exploring the intersection of queer theory and practice, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Led by Dr. Tracie Farrell and collaborating artist Liz Rosenfeld, the event brought together twelve queer artists and AI researchers to imagine how AI could support the creation of more inclusive, liberatory futures.

Rather than focusing on how queerness is represented in AI systems, the workshop asked a deeper question: What does AI mean to queer people, and how might it help them shape the worlds they want to live in?

The event was inspired by the concept of Thought Collectives (Denkkollektive), developed by 1930s microbiologist and philosopher Ludwig Fleck. Fleck argued that scientific knowledge is shaped by the historical and social contexts of those who produce it. Shifting Power adapts this idea to today’s globally connected world, where digital and subcultural networks influence how we think, collaborate, and innovate.

“Thought Collectives give us a way to preserve and explore perspectives on AI that are often marginalised in mainstream conversations,” said Dr. Farrell. “They also offer a structure for interdisciplinary collaboration that respects different worldviews and values.”

Image credit R. Justin Hunt. This picture captures Aisling Third and Season Butler.

The Margate Queer Thought Collective was designed around queer theory and practice, with a strong emphasis on care, access, and community. Margate was chosen for its reputation as a queer-friendly town and its vibrant artistic scene. The team intentionally supported the local economy by selecting unique venues that were both enriching for participants and rooted in the area.

Participants were selected from networks in London and Berlin, where both Farrell and Rosenfeld are active. The 2.5-day workshop began with a full day of knowledge exchange, where each participant shared an interactive practice that reflected their unique approach to knowledge-making—ranging from intuitive writing and movement to AI research and design.

These exchanges helped build trust and understanding across disciplines, setting the stage for the second day, when participants worked in interdisciplinary pairs to create diegetic prototypes—world-building concepts that imagine how AI might function in future queer worlds.

The prototypes participants developed were not utopian fantasies, but predictions of how queer people might navigate and shape future societies. Rather than centring power or portraying queer people as side characters in technological progress, the prototypes explored how technology might help decouple marginalised communities from dominant power structures.

Image credit to R. Justin Hunt. Photo of ChaTo and An*.

The Margate Queer Thought Collective offers a compelling counterpoint to dominant narratives in AI research, particularly around the concept of alignment. For many marginalised people, the idea of being governed by systems with different values is not a future concern—it’s a present reality. Shifting Power’s work highlights the importance of designing AI that reflects diverse lived experiences and value systems. As AI continues to shape our world, initiatives like this Thought Collective remind us that the future of technology should be co-created—not just by engineers and corporations, but by the communities who will live with its consequences.

In the coming months, Shifting Power will create an audio-visual exhibition of the prototypes to showcase. Check the Shifting Power website for more details.

For now, we extend our heartfelt gratitude toward our participants: Owen G Parry, Nicol Parkinson, Dalia Alfaghal, Season Butler, ChaTo (Carlos Castillo), Aisling Third, An* Neely, Tamm Reynolds, Joshua Woolford, Grace Turtle, Jo Burnham and Brian Plüss, and to Justin Hunt (producer of the Margate Queer Thought Collective).