Drag Declares Emergency! Costume and Banner Making Workshop

What does emergency mean to you?

Where do Disability Liberation and Climate Justice meet?

Does drag have a role to play in any of this?

Join disabled artist and drag king Lady Kitt to create mythical drag creatures and mischievously recraft narratives around disability, gender, sexuality and climate emergency. This workshop will particularly focus on climate emergency challenges for disabled people and disabled-led drag and activism. The workshop is open to and welcoming of people who identify as disabled and people who identify as non-disabled.

No creative experience required, materials, tools and refreshments provided.

Book your place here!

You can bring along a garment or a prop to customise, if you would like.

Expect:

• 15 mins gentle landing time at the start of the session to arrive and familiarize yourself with the space
• Costume & banner making from second hand, recycled, reused and natural materials
• A variety of flexible making processes and invitations to get involved
• After care: 3 x 10 min slots after the official end of the session to chat to Kitt 121, if needed, and debrief about anything from the workshop

There will be opportunities to:

• Find out about some of the mythical, fantasy drag creatures which have been created as part of the Drag Declares Emergency project so far!
• Learn a little about the history of drag as an activist folk art
• Discuss what climate emergency and disability liberation mean to you, in a supportive and creative environment
• Share ideas about how drag might help us address pressing challenges in our lives and communities

In Drag Declares Emergency we focus on drag costumes and props made from recycled, reused and natural materials. We have particularly taken inspiration from Chimeras: mythical creatures with parts taken from different animals. These hybrid characters are often associated with wild imagination and implausibility.

We’ve used Chimeras as a starting point for investigating themes and experiences of “Othering”. Mythologising (and with that either denying or eulogising) of othernesses seems particularly insidious with disability – disabled people being the focus of “inspiration porn” while simultaneously being disbelieved, ignored and denied our basic rights. This myth-ing/othering is sometimes also applied to queer folk and people (and other animals) affected by climate and ecological emergency.

Drag Declares Emergency started in 2021 through a residency with Craftspace in Birmingham and is currently continuing in partnership with Festival of Thrift in Billingham and QUEERCIRCLE in London, supported by Craftspace and funded by Arts Council England.

There’s a Drag Declares Emergency exhibition and resource on Craftspace’s website. You can take part in our #EcoDragChallenge.

Access: BSL interpreter, there’s helpful information about navigation on a Midlands Art Centre access video with BSL and captions and a 3D virtual tour of the building so you can see the floorplan/layout. Disabled parking, wheelchair accessible with level access throughout, the textile studio where the workshop will take place is on the ground floor. There are accessible toilets including a Changing Places facility. The catering facilities are on the ground floor – plastic straws will be available. There’s quiet space in the park. £10 travel bursary claimable at the workshop. Watch a BSL and captioned film by Lady Kitt about Drag Declares Emergency project. See FAQ’s for general access info. Scroll to the end of this section for extra access information about the activity.

FAQ

What information can you provide about access to the venue and accessibility of the activity?

There is disabled parking. The venue is wheelchair accessible with level access throughout. The textile studio where the workshop will take place is on the ground floor. There are accessible toilets including a Changing Places facility. The catering facilities are on the ground floor. BSL provided.

What can I find out about access on the venue website?

The ‘Visit’ section of the website has a section about access. There’s a video and a 3D map that you might find useful.