The industrial boom in Querétaro has brought with it a growing population of foreigners without family or social networks in the city. In response, various spaces for coexistence have emerged that allow them to expand their circle beyond work, promoting integration and cultural exchange.
This is how the project of Federica was born, a Uruguayan graphic designer who has been living in Mexico City since she was 10 years old. A safe space is the name of her collaborative studio focused on creating interpersonal ties.
“At first, the idea was that it would be only a store for entrepreneurships led by women,” explains the founder in an interview with Diario de Querétaro. “In fact, we started in one of the spaces of the Committee of Creative Studies, which was much smaller, barely half of the place where we are now. However, we grew little by little until the space became insufficient, so we decided to move. Although it is still a store, since we rent spaces for different ventures, in essence it is a meeting point and artistic collaboration.”
Today, the center is characterized by being a collaborative space, where various local artists have sought to connect with Federica to teach courses related to the promotion of their ventures, which range from the creation of cell phone cases, jewelry with resin and still life, wallets, decoration of ceramic cups and more; although, according to the founder, the gatherings do not always consist of learning a new skill, sometimes they are about the exchange of ideas between the participants, such as reading circles, biweekly dinners and picnics.
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“I have always liked to have deep conversations with people, listen to them and go a little beyond what is seen at first glance; so that is the environment I like to generate here. We have meetings for a little bit of everything, from those that only consist of talking and hanging out, to those that invite you to learn a new hobby,” she added.
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The art center is located on Luis Pasteur Nte. #51 in the Historic Center and formally opened its doors a year ago. “‘I found it incredible how this space has evolved, because at first we opened as a store, but it was the girls themselves who approached us who encouraged us to generate these activities. They made us notice a common problem in Querétaro: the difficulty in making friends. Many people come from outside and, when working from home, in industries dominated by men or moving in with their partner, their social circle is reduced to their immediate surroundings. In addition, some live in mini-cities or complexes where they have everything at hand — restaurants, gyms, supermarkets —, which leads them to lock themselves in their routine and makes it difficult to connect with new people. This has been shared with me by those who have been in the city for almost a decade as well as those who have arrived just a few months ago,’” she said.
The 2020 Population and Housing Census, conducted by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi), collected information on migration trends in Mexico. The data revealed that, between 2015 and 2020, a total of 195,760 people from other states in the country settled in Querétaro. Of every 100 migrants, 21 come from Mexico City, 20 from the State of Mexico, nine from Guanajuato, eight from Veracruz, and five from Hidalgo.
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While the main reason why people move to our state has to do with meeting relatives who live in Querétaro, the other three most popular reasons were the search for work, the change or offer of a job and because of the criminal insecurity or violence that is experienced in their place of origin.
“I would say that 80% of the women who attend our events are foreigners, many of them came here for their work or their partner, although there are also people who have lived their whole lives in the city, but over the years their friends left, so they attend these meetings to compensate for the absence of those who left,” said Federica.
Within A Safe Space, activities are organized weekly and have an average attendance of between 20 and 25 women, whose ages range from 25 to 35 years old.
Unlike the Fight Club, Federica’s project has no specific rules; however, it does emphasize maintaining a respectful treatment between the attendees. “In fact, the name came from the members of the community themselves, within the dynamics on several occasions it was said that here was a safe space for them, and I really liked playing with that concept, because the term space is also extremely abstract. The space can be moved, it can go hiking in the Cimatario, just as it can stay within these four walls. So yes, there are no specific ‘rules’ to follow other than listening to each other, not judging each other and respecting that there are people who think differently than you, because obviously you can’t be friends with everyone, but recognizing that there are different points of view and not taking things so personally,” she concluded.
What can you do in the space?
All of their activities are aimed at women aged 18 and over, although there is an opening for minors to attend in the company of a guardian. This Saturday, February 15, within the theme of Valentine’s Day, they will have a workshop for making lingerie. My most serious relationship is with myself is the name of this workshop in which those interested are invited to rethink the perspective they have of their own body through a guided session in which they will teach you how to create a set of intimate garments: bralette and panties. The appointment is from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and registration costs 1,500 pesos, which includes the materials to work with.
Later, on February 22, they will have a speed friending session, to connect with people with the same interests as you and generate new friendships; while on February 23, there will be an incense and dance therapy workshop called A safe space for me; On February 26th, there will be the second session of their book club, where they are currently reading The Vegetarian by Han Kang; and finally, on February 27th, there will be Thursday dinner: pizza, wine and friends.
Source: oem
