Brussels doesn’t always reveal itself instantly.
It moves slower. Quieter. Sometimes it hides what matters most in plain sight.
But step into the right room and everything shifts.
Since 2018, FOR ALL QUEENS has been creating those rooms. A Belgium based collective shaping spaces where ballroom, performance, nightlife and activism intersect, centering voices that are too often pushed to the margins.
On May 13, as part of Pride, they join Standard Talks at The Standard, Brussels for a conversation that goes beyond celebration. Into structure. Into culture. Into what still needs to change.
Ahead of it, we spoke with Zelda, founder of FOR ALL QUEENS.
FOR ALL QUEENS started in 2018. What was missing at that time that pushed you to create it?
FOR ALL QUEENS is deeply connected to ballroom culture. What does ballroom represent for you beyond performance?
Ballroom is often reduced to an aesthetic or a trend today. How do you push back against that?
What does it take to build and protect a ballroom community in a city like Brussels?
Your work centers Sub Saharan and intersectional voices. Why was it essential to build something specifically for those communities?
What does “for all queens” really mean in practice?
Your work moves between art, nightlife, fashion and activism. Do you see these as separate worlds or one ecosystem?
What does Afro Pride mean to you, beyond visibility?
Brussels is often underestimated culturally. How do you see the city today in terms of queer energy?
FOR ALL QUEENS is deeply connected to ballroom culture. What does ballroom represent for you beyond performance?
Ballroom is often reduced to an aesthetic or a trend today. How do you push back against that?
What does it take to build and protect a ballroom community in a city like Brussels?
Your work centers Sub Saharan and intersectional voices. Why was it essential to build something specifically for those communities?
What does “for all queens” really mean in practice?
Your work moves between art, nightlife, fashion and activism. Do you see these as separate worlds or one ecosystem?
What does Afro Pride mean to you, beyond visibility?
Brussels is often underestimated culturally. How do you see the city today in terms of queer energy?
What still needs to shift in Belgium when it comes to representation and access?
From underground venues to places like BOZAR or now The Standard, Brussels, how does the energy shift when the setting changes?
Pride is more visible than ever, but also more commercial. Where do you position FOR ALL QUEENS within that landscape?
What does it mean for you to step into a space like The Standard today, and what role should places like this play in supporting culture without reshaping it?
How important is it for venues today to move from hosting to actually engaging with the communities they platform?
What does a safe space actually feel like?
And finally, what does being a “queen” mean today?
From underground venues to places like BOZAR or now The Standard, Brussels, how does the energy shift when the setting changes?
Pride is more visible than ever, but also more commercial. Where do you position FOR ALL QUEENS within that landscape?
What does it mean for you to step into a space like The Standard today, and what role should places like this play in supporting culture without reshaping it?
How important is it for venues today to move from hosting to actually engaging with the communities they platform?
What does a safe space actually feel like?
And finally, what does being a “queen” mean today?
May 13 at The Standard, Brussels
FOR ALL QUEENS joins Standard Talks on May 13 for a conversation rooted in culture, community and change.
More than a talk. A shift in perspective.
Register here.
