Monday 22nd July
Not a Point, A Spectrum
What creative possibilities do we bring into the world when we set aside that which is rigid about binary positions and embrace fluidity?
That is what we will explore over the course of a day of Performative Workshops and an evening of Participatory Performance.
All fluid. All expansive. All fun. All devised and presented by LGBTQ+++ artists in an LGBTQ+++ space.
The point is to embrace the spectrum.
2:30pm – 3:30pm:
Breaking the Accepted Rules (of poetry) with Emma McGordon
2:45pm – 3:45pm:
Fluid Qi Gong with Aitan Gardoni
4pm – 5:30pm:
College of Kings – A workshop led by Drag King Frankie Sinatra
6pm – 7:30pm:
It All fits - An LGBTQ+++ Participatory Performance space hosted by King Frankie Sinatra who will be accompanied on the piano by Drag King Al Dente and featuring spoken word artist Emma McGordon and musician/songwriter Samuel Peña Álvarez.
Meet the practitioners…
King Frankie Sinatra
One of London’s Legends.
They produced and hosted London’s largest drag king night - Kings of Clubs- from 2017-2024.
Their velvety voice is immediately captivating and the content of their songs both political and hilarious.
Smart jokes, riveting crowd work plus exquisite hosting means the searing satirist Frankie offers the audience a fun filled show to remember.
Frankie is now being accompanied by the toweringly talented Al Dente on piano. Like his name, Al is not too soft, not too hard, still a good mouthful. He’s been playing piano since he could twirl spaghetti round a fork.
He recently entered the drag world when King Frankie Sinatra noticed his exquisite fingering.
Welcome to the stage: Frankie and Al. They smashed their West End Debut at Crazy Coqs and are delighted to be bringing their magic to you.
Aitan Gardoni
Aitan, a highly qualified Shiatsu and JSD® body-mind acupressure Therapist and Teacher, adopts a person-focused approach in their practice, incorporating techniques such as mindfulness, self-hypnosis, and trance. With over 15 years of experience, this QiGONG practitioner is deeply passionate about aiding individuals in preventing and recovering from high anxiety levels, stress & depression, aiming to restore immediate benefits to their mental and emotional well-being, ultimately enhancing the overall quality of “Qi” and balance in the body.
Samuel Alverez
Sam is one of the first musicians in the world to have a Conservatoire Level Masters Course specially created for him, a ‘Piano Masters in Interpretation and Improvisation’ at Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, bringing together his skills in jazz, composition and classical. Graduating with Distinction in 2019, he spent the following year as a Fellow with the Composition Department.
Sam is the resident pianist for DEBUT at Shoreditch Treehouse in London (No. 1 Airbnb Music Experience Globally in 2018 – Forbes) where he was featured by Steinway & Sons, and he was also part of Yamaha’s ‘Live From Home’ Europe wide Live Stream series.
During lockdown Sam composed a musical one show of each colour all about his journey as a transgender person. Championed by GSMD as a musical having all the ingredients to be the next hit, the piece is garnering much interest from the world of musical theatre and is due to be released in 2024.
Emma McGordon
Emma McGordon is a multi-award-winning writer and performer originally from the North of England. She is a previous winner of the Julia Darling Fellowship and has been nominated for a Jerwood Compton Fellowship. She has been longlisted for a University Women in the Arts award and highly commended for the Rosamund Prize. She has worked as a Creative facilitator for over 15 years in diverse settings with many different groups. She is currently one of three Catalyst Award holders in association with Art Gene Barrow, CACN and University of Cumbrua where she is an Honorary Visiting Fellow . She also runs workshops for the National Theatre's Speak Up Project, The Poetry Society and Mental Fight Club.