Community Practice & Facilitation Initiative

Beautiful Circles

Community Practice & Facilitation Initiative

Beautiful Circles

Layla Domingo – Founder, Facilitator & Curator – 2025– Present

A community-based initiative that brings women of the African diaspora together through facilitated gatherings centred on storytelling, reflection, and creativity.

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Project Type: Community initiative


Project Overview




Highlights



Beautiful Circles is a community-based initiative that brings together women of the African diaspora through facilitated gatherings centred on storytelling, reflection, and creative practice.

Created in response to growing experiences of isolation, disconnection, and the need for intentional community spaces, the project invites participants to engage with one another beyond productivity, performance, and social expectation.

Through guided conversations, reflective writing exercises, and creative prompts, Beautiful Circles creates opportunities for participants to explore themes of identity, belonging, memory, joy, and personal transformation.

Unlike many public-facing community initiatives, the gatherings remain intentionally undocumented and unrecorded, prioritising trust, emotional safety, and authentic participation.




Designed and facilitated community gatherings for women of the African diaspora in both South Africa and Portugal.

  • Developed participant-centred creative and reflective practices rooted in storytelling, connection, and collective care.

  • Created spaces for meaningful dialogue, vulnerability, and relationship-building across diverse communities.

  • Designed and led original programming focused on joy, freedom, emotional wellbeing, and belonging.

  • Established an evolving community initiative exploring alternative approaches to connection and care.



The Question

How can storytelling and creative practice be used to cultivate connection, belonging, and collective care among women of the African diaspora?

Approach

I designed and facilitated intimate gatherings centred on conversation, reflective writing, creative exercises, and collective storytelling. Sessions were intentionally kept unrecorded to prioritise trust, vulnerability, and participant safety.





The Question

How can storytelling and creative practice be used to cultivate connection, belonging, and collective care among women of the African diaspora?











Approach

I designed and facilitated intimate gatherings centred on conversation, reflective writing, creative exercises, and collective storytelling. Sessions were intentionally kept unrecorded to prioritise trust, vulnerability, and participant safety.





I chose to join the Women's Circle because I wanted to go to a space where I could meet like minded women and make connections through deeper conversations and initially I didn't know what exactly to expect but the experience was absolutely amazing I got to meet firstly so many new people some that I still talk to to this day and I got to learn more about them and myself in an environment that felt safe open and just beautiful it was an amazing time and I would definitely recommend that if you're thinking about joining beautiful circle’s that you go and make those connections




I chose to join the Women's Circle because I wanted to go to a space where I could meet like minded women and make connections through deeper conversations and initially I didn't know what exactly to expect but the experience was absolutely amazing I got to meet firstly so many new people some that I still talk to to this day and I got to learn more about them and myself in an environment that felt safe open and just beautiful it was an amazing time and I would definitely recommend that if you're thinking about joining beautiful circle’s that you go and make those connections




Beautiful Circles Testimonial


Beautiful Circles Testimonial


Reflection

Beautiful Circles reinforced the importance of creating spaces where people are invited to be present rather than perform. The project continues to inform my approach to facilitation, community-building, and cultural programming.



My Contributions

Throughout the project I have led all stages of development.

  • Programme Design

  • Community Facilitation

  • Participant Engagement

  • Event Coordination

  • Creative Workshop Development

  • Safeguarding and Space Holding

  • Community Building Strategy


    Outcomes

    Community Engagement

    • Facilitated gatherings across South Africa and Portugal.

    • Fostered meaningful connections among women navigating migration, identity, and belonging.

    Programme Development

    • Created original discussion frameworks and creative exercises tailored to participant needs.

    • Developed a repeatable model for community-centred facilitation and dialogue.

    Participant Experience

    • Cultivated spaces rooted in trust, vulnerability, curiosity, and mutual care.

    • Generated participant feedback highlighting the value of intentional community and shared reflection.




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Approach & Process

Research and context: A brief on how the project was researched or conceived.

Development and methodology: Identifies the unique creative, collaborative, or facilitative steps.

Production and facilitation: Details of the production, partnerships, and creative methods.