Queer Joy
An LGBTQIA* Celebration
Fri 24 Feb, 7pm - 11pm
For LGBT+ History Month we’re throwing a party for everyone to come together and celebrate our gorgeous LGBTQIA+ community in a safe and fun space.
The evening of entertainment, celebration, reflection, and creativity will be hosted by local artists Matty May & Grace Duggan, with drag kings, comedy and popup DJ performances which will take us into the night across our newly refurbished Studio 3 Arts venue.
See below for the fabulous live line-up.
You’ll also have an opportunity to explore earlier Be & Do artworks, projects and borough archive materials, with images and sound pieces available to experience. This celebration builds on the foundation, trusted community and relationships that have been nurtured over the past three years through Studio 3 Arts’ Be & Do programme.
QUEER JOY – An LGBTQIA* celebration will bring the energy of our online Queer Cabaret (2020) whilst offering the first in-person party for the Be & Do programme. Take a look at some of the best bits from past Queer Cabarets and Be&Do events at Studio 3 Arts
In partnership with London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
THE ARTISTS
Meet the performers taking to the stage at Queer Joy.
Cortina Ford
Cortina Ford is a Comedy Burlesque Performer from Dagenham. She has been performing burlesque since 2016 and began her burly career with Cardiff Cabaret Club under the tutelage of Foo Foo Labelle. She placed runner-up at Burlesque Idol 22 and is a regular performer with House Of Burlesque London. Her routines are the perfect theatrical blend of storytelling, strip and comedy, paying homage to the Showgirl greats.
Sam Reynolds
Sam Reynolds is an all-dancing/clowning/stripping/lip-syncing entertainer that has performed across the UK with both Duckie and Carnesky, was awarded funding by Arts Council England and the British Council to work with Pineapple Lab and Fringe Manila in the Philippines, and won Striptease Artist of the Year at the 21st Sexual Freedom Awards.
Spoiler Rotten
Kimberley Capero (she/they) is a queer, working class actor, theatre maker, drag artist and queerlesque performer from Dagenham in East London. She is a writer and audio artist too. Since graduating from East 15 Acting School in 2017, she’s worked in live and recorded performance and in the growing alternative cabaret scene as Ford boi drag king Spoiler Rotten. Spoiler Rotten is Ford’s Dagenham Dream. A factory lad. He thinks cars are sexy and he’s done hiding it. He brings the Ford Factory to life. Think oily drag king meets burlesque meets 00’s raver meets boi racer. Oil spill-worthy gender bending with a political twist. Inspired by a motoring obsessed family and a rooted connection to Dagenham’s Ford factory. Spoiler has performed at many of the UK’s top venues and festivals including The Roundhouse, Soho Theatre, Royal Vauxhall Tavern, Latitude Festival and The Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Kimberley can’t wait to bring their acts to home soil for Queer Joy.
Your your hosts for the night - Grace and Matty
Grace Duggan is a community artist and theatre director; their work often intersects with topics of class and queerness and she doesnt shut up about being from Barking. Grace has delivered workshops and collaborated with organisations such as Stratford East, Company Drinks, The National Theatre, Young Vic Theatre, The North Wall and The Royal Court. Grace currently works with community groups around the UK.
Matty May is a working-class queer artist, host, writer and full time Barking babe. Their work is vulnerable, uncomfortable and a little bit funny. Matty’s debut solo show ‘If You Love Me This Might Hurt’ about mental health, queerness, class and suicide debuted at Camden Peoples Theatre in October 2021. They have been the lead artist on projects including ‘The Queer Wall’, ‘Bleeps & Bloops’ as well as leading Be&Do and its artistic response with Grace.
RoxXxan
Birmingham-born rapper RoxXxan is challenging society’s perceptions of beauty while carving out space for women in the music industry. RoxXxan is a Rapper model, DJ, podcaster, storyteller and not only has she worked with Big names industry names RoxXxan has also been on campaigns for Schwarzkopf, Mercedes and Samsung to name a few. ROXXXAN IS BACK and in full swing and ready to get stuck in and be visible EVERYWHERE!!
Where?
Address: Studio 3 Arts, Galleon Centre, Boundary Rd, Barking IG11 7JR
15 minutes walk from Barking town centre and train/tube station.
Tube & Train:
Barking has great public transport connections with District Line, Hammersmith & City, Overground and C2C services all coming into Barking Station. You can get from central London to Studio 3 Arts in less than an hour.
Buses:
The 62 Bus runs along the Gascoigne Road and stops close to Studio 3 Arts. Get off at the stop called ‘Boundary Road’, then we’re just a minute’s walk along Boundary Road. (https://tfl.gov.uk/bus/route/62)
Other buses in Barking are: 287, 5, 368, EL1 EL2 – then 10-12 minute walk
Be & Do - Queer Joy Can Happen Here
Find out more about Be & Do our project for Barking & Dagenham’s LGBTQIA+ community and check out the audio & visual artwork Being Visible.
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