PUSH.PULL: Intersection of QTBIPOC Cabaret and Performance Art
Curated and Produced by Golboo Amani and Dainty Smith
December 2, 2020 – April 28, 2021
Online
2 hours
PUSH.PULL is a six-month online series of interdisciplinary events examining emergent and intersectional developments in performance art and QTBIPOC cabaret. Curated by storyteller, producer and stage performer Dainty Smith and multidisciplinary artist Golboo Amani.
PUSH.PULL questions what is considered legitimate art and what is seen as entertainment, by highlighting QTBIPOC cabaret performers as artists at the intersections of live stage performance and radical political performativity.
PUSH.PULL will include a three-part speaker series inviting performers and cultural creatives to engage in conversations at the intersections of visual culture, sex work, performance and politics by recognizing cabaret as a site of cultural production and community engagement.
PUSH.PULL’s partnership with Aluna also includes a series of five workshops led by professionals in the field, aimed at engaging audience participants and community members in immersive skill-sharing experiences deepening appreciation, interest and critical engagement across fields.
For more information about PUSH.PULL’s Showcase presentations, visit Buddies in Bad Times’ website.
PUSH.PULL is presented in association with Aluna Theatre & Buddies in Bad Times Theatre.
Sponsored by FADO Performance Art Centre.
EVENTS
Wednesday December 2, 2020 – 6pm – 8pm
Workshop: THE ART OF PEELING with Betsy Swoon
The Art of Peeling with burlesque performer Betsy Swoon is an intimate and interactive workshop where the artist shares her approach to PEELING and REVEALING. In this workshop Betsy Swoon breaks down the art of the STRIP and the TEASE, offering her insights on the importance of music and timing when producing seductive performances.
Wednesday December 16, 2020 – 6pm – 8pm
Speaker Series: GENDER BENDER: Beauty, desirability, lovability
The cabaret stage has traditionally held space for queer bodies to negotiate corporeal boundaries. Queer performance has historically taken place on the fringes of popular culture accessible only to those within community.
Wednesday January 27, 2021 – 6pm – 8pm
Workshop: MINDFULLNESS FOR PERFORMERS with Imogen Quest
Miranda EJ. Warner is creating visual and performance art exploring themes including race, gender, and sexuality, often through the eyes of a clown. Formally educated at University of Waterloo and Ecole Philippe Gaulier, Miranda has travelled extensively around the world as a designer and creator.
Wednesday February 10, 2021 – 6pm – 8pm
Speaker Series: POLITICS OF SEDUCTION: Desire and the radicalized body
Addresses how race is sexualized in ways that implicate class, respectability politics and policing. Cabaret gives space to cultivate the audacity to highlight bodies as visible, valuable and worth considering. We begin by imagining our bodies as important and worthy of being centre stage. Sign up via Eventbrite. * ASL Interpretation Provided *
Wednesday February 24, 2021 – 6pm – 8pm
Workshop: COMEDY WRITING with Anasimone George
Anasimone George is a comedian and producer from Toronto, known for her wildly descriptive stories. She is also known for one of Toronto’s fastest growing shows: SHADE. A show that celebrates women, the LGBTQ2S+ community, and performers of colour. She is also the creator of SHADE Fest and various other shows throughout the city. Limited capacity, register here.
Wednesday March 10, 2021 – 6pm – 8pm
Workshop: KRIPPING CABARET with Aggie Panda
Aggie Panda aka actually crippled aka cotton candy aka the Swiss army knife of people, is an autistic disabled content creator out of Toronto, Canada. They’re obsessed with music, all things pink, rocking dancefloor (in or out of their wheelchair), and bringing joy and light where possible. Limited capacity, register here. * Closed Captioning and ASL Interpretation Provided *
Wednesday April 14, 2021 – 6pm – 8pm
Speaker Series: UNUSUAL BUSINESS: The business of being a showgirl
So much of burlesque, and the risqué act of being sexy in public involves a performance. Looking at art, performance and the body as a business and being strategic about sex and sensuality and weaponizing femininity to make a profit.
Wednesday April 28, 2021 – 6pm – 8pm
Workshop: BODY LOVE with Dainty Smith
The Body Love workshop program created by Dainty Smith and multidisciplinary artist Ravyn Wnzg. Body Love is a burlesque and storytelling program designed to empower women, femmes, persons and Queer and Trans persons through theatrical elements, dance and performance development. Body Love is a series of movement workshops that begin with self-love meditation exercise then move into movement and choreographic mentor-ship. The workshop focuses on the love of our bodies – all shapes, sizes and abilities. The core foundation of this workshop is centered around empowerment, affirming body positivity, sexual empowerment and encouraging a deep sense of self and confidence. Read more…
Banner photography + design by Sly Pereira.