Nightlife-streaming
This time last year, things felt quite different. The Dutch government’s announcement to close nightclubs and bars was news and although troubling, the decision posed a creative challenge, forcing people to look for innovative ways to keep nightlife breathing.
Director, United We Stream. Club Church, May 2020
One project - United We Stream - worked to bring performances out from empty clubs and into peoples’ living rooms. Viewers were able to donate, providing a way to support the thousands of people working in clubs, as artists, producers and DJs, all suddenly without income.
Director, United We Stream. Club Church, May 2020
Drag artist, Sletlana. Club Church, May 2020
In May last year, I made some pictures inside the queer cruise venue Club Church during their live stream as part of the project and members of The Drag House of Hopelezz performed. Looking back, it was a real privilege to be present.
In the 12 months previous to the arrival of Covid-19, I went to the closed club every week to meet with my drag king family - The House of Løstbois - just one of several groups that use Club Church as a community space, out of hours.
Angelina’s Loqui’s wig in plastic. Club Church, May 2020
Drag artist, Lolo Benzina. Club Church, May 2020
Downstairs at Club Church, May 2020
Clubs are an important and unique way for us all to gather and for the LGBTQ community, they often turn out to be much more than just nightclubs. They become safe gathering spaces, places to be ourselves without judgment, places where we can initiate discussion and engage with queer art and culture. For the more marginalized among us, they provide real safety.
Drag artist, Angelina Loqui. Club Church, May 2020
Gender performer, Belle Dommage. Club Church, May 2020
Cloakroom. Club Church, May 2020
“For the queer community, it’s very important to reflect our lifestyle and needs to one another as a subculture because, at the end of the day, we do not have much outreach. Most of what we see around us, in newspapers, commercials, and movies is still completely straight-focused. I need my group, my family with who I can at least have political debate who reflect from the same position as me - as a queer person.” - Anne Rodermond, Manager of Club Church
Drag artist, Sletlana. Backstage at Club Church, May 2020
Drag performers - Taka Taka, Angelina Loqui and Belle Dommage. Club Church, May 2020
“Drag is an artistic practice of queer communities with queer language. You can not practice clearly at art academies and you can not practice in other types of spaces so you need to be able to gather these people in a club in order to make a sense of belonging.”
- Taka Taka, Drag artist, Drag Mother and Creative Director at Club Church
The LGBTQ community has been emancipated for just over 50 years - a very short period of time in human history. Building culture, embracing our sexual and gender identities, and continuing to express ourselves without shame, is still important and urgent work. Accessing our potential outside of heteronormative structures and continuing to flourish as individuals is vital. Queer venues like Club Church afford us the freedom to explore and exist in a way that makes space for this.
Drag artist, Taka Taka. Club Church. May 2020
Drag artist, Angelina Loqui. Club Church. May 2020
Experiencing queer/drag performance as either a viewer or as a performer invites us to understand who we are; who we might be and what we may, or may not become. The return of queer gathering can’t come quick enough.
