This Pride, DAFT! Events is here with a show promising to keep it queer, dirty, and downright messy. We'll be taking the p*ss out of corporations, and fighting rainbow-washing and the sanitisation of Pride, all while showcasing our top picks of incredible performers from Leeds' queer community.
Is your scene a little bit less ‘yassss, queen !’ and a little bit more ‘chaos reigns’? Is your idea of a good night out a little bit less ‘standing in the town square holding a paper fan covered in logos from a high street bank’ and a little bit more ‘standing in the town square holding a home-made cardboard sign’? Would you rather watch a hyper-specific, silly drag performance than sit through a speech about equality from a wealth-hoarding multimillionaire? Look no further! Our cabaret show is all good vibes with a sprinkling of social commentary, and will leave you feeling equal parts uplifted, empowered and extremely silly.
Dress code:
As always, themed costumes are strongly encouraged. We want to see queer twists on business classics. Think: (em)power suits; shirts and ties to make the sponsors cry; pinkwashing in pinstripe; fat cats and bureaucrats; causing a hullaballoo in your fanciest shoes; worlds first they/them oligarchs; more rainbow-dry-clean-only than rainbow-washing; deep pockets, shallow performative activism, etc.
Or, carry out an act of brandalism on a t-shirt with a company's logo on it! Bonus points if you can adapt it to make it queer (think: Theysbury's, Absolut Lezza, etc etc)
Tickets:
Make sure you buy your tickets in advance - it's cheaper, and it saves us a lot of stress as independent event organisers. Tickets on the door will be extremely limited.
If you are on a lower income and can't afford our general admission tickets, you can use the code PINKPOUND20 for 20% off. There is also a limited guestlist for free entry to the event if you're financially struggling - you can access this by DMing @itslivvicariously on instagram or emailing me at livvicariously666@gmail.com.
If you have the funds, please consider buying a ‘GA + Donation’ ticket. This show is independently ran, with ticket sales being split equally between performers and our staff.
(Refunds are always available until 24 hours before the show. If an emergency/upsetting circumstances happen and it means you need to cancel on the day and you want your money back, please DM me and I can sort it for you outside of Outsavvy)
We will have a free guestlist available for those who would not otherwise be able to afford to come. To access this, please message @itslivvicariously on Instagram.
House rules/safer spaces [essential reading]:
Our safer spaces policy closely aligns with that of Wharf Chambers (See: https://www.wharfchambers.org/safer-spaces/) , whereby no prejudiced behaviour (racism, ableism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, etc), violence, or harrassment is tolerated under any circumstances. As attendees, please be considerate of this and report any breaches to our Safeguarding Officers on the night so that they can deal with it accordingly. Please also be conscious of the space around you - if the room is crowded, please be mindful of other people's personal space.
Accessibility [also essential reading!]:
Wharf Chambers is accesible for wheelchair users. Ramps will be down on the night to ensure that the space is entirely step-free. Chairs are available on request for those who need them - if possible, please ask in advance so I have a rough idea of how many people will need them and can account for this. One unavoidable drawback of the event space we use is that it lacks good quality ventilation. If you have cold or flu symptoms which could be contagious, please either mask up or do not attend the show- refunds will be available through Eventbrite up to 24hrs before the event. We are committed to making these shows as accessible as we can - if you have any queries about accessibility before the event, please do not hesitate to ask and we will do our best to accomodate.
Audience participation:
At DAFT! events, we are committed to creating a fun and accepting environment. We aren't about roasting random audience members, we're more into uplifting and celebrating our audience members, and your level of participation is completely up to you. If you shout something during the show, the host will respond, but otherwise, we will leave you be! You also have the option of taking part in the mid-show game, but again, this is always completely up to you.
This show is 18+
You must be a member or guest of a member of Wharf Chambers to come. Joining costs £2 at wharfchambers.org/membership
Why corporate pride? A very rare serious note from the daftest show in town.
Brands love to use Pride to shout about their apparent support and inclusion of LGBTQIA+ identities. From our point of view, this is used as a distraction from real issues faced by the LGBTQIA community. Have you ever noticed how they never use their Pride messaging to support the trans+ community, which is deemed too controversial and not very ‘brand safe’?
To us, platitudes like ‘Be yourself!’ and 'Spread love not hate!' feel meaningless while persecution and discrimination towards the trans+ community is rife in our society, and backed up by policy such as the EHRC ruling. Not to mention, a number of brands with significant pride presence have extremely unethical business practices, some of which have targetted by the BDS movement.
Brand presence in pride marches is getting stronger, and we think the LGBTQIA+ community deserves a pride celebration free from this.
But, if you can't beat em, join em, right?