Preview
QUEERS ON THE MOVE: THE MAKE FRIENDS PROJECT
Toni Latour and Rina Larsson
Runs July 7 to August 6
The New Gallery
Tired of square dancing and pancakes? Looking for something new this Stampede? On Friday morning, July 8, just before the Stampede Parade, artists Toni Latour and Rina Larsson will bring us the first ever Cupcake Stampede Breakfast. This event will be one in an ongoing series of performances called Queers on the Move: The Make Friends Project.
Using dry humour to broach the subject of difference, the Vancouver artists will perform choreographed cheers sporting T-shirts and baseball caps emblazoned with slogans like "Many queers support local businesses" and "We have an apartment, a dog, a job and a future." Homemade pink cupcakes encouraging audiences to "Make a Friend Today!" are distributed afterwards. Each performance is tailored to its location, with new slogans and lyrics, so what the artists have in store for Calgary will be a surprise. There will also be an exhibition featuring images from the event, as well as materials from previous performances at The New Gallery.
Having a bit of fun without shirking serious issues, the artists feel their work promotes the visibility of positive queer images coming from queer communities. They’ve been inspired by past projects such as Lesbian National Parks and Services, where artists Shawna Dempsey and Lori Millan set up an information booth, presented lectures and even produced a field guide, which have employed a similar friendly-but-determined approach to outreach.
Unusually, this series of performances was originally designed for the printed page. Latour and Larsson created the work in response to a call for submissions from Toronto’s FUSE magazine, where it was published as an artist project in 2004. This may explain the emphasis on graphic elements such as slogans and posters, but the artists also insist on the importance of performance in everyday life, actually getting out there and engaging with an audience and making friends.
This will be the first appearance of the Make Friends Project in Calgary, but there have been previous performances at Vancouver film festivals in 2003 and 2004. So far, Latour says she has had only one difficult experience involving the project’s queer content. At a Vancouver multiplex theatre which had devoted one of its cinemas to queer films, a manager took offence to language included in a cheer – particularly the words "dyke," "femme," "trannie" and "queen." However, the reaction from the audience, which included mainstream moviegoers, was overwhelmingly positive. "Everyone cheered, kids smiled and laughed, and everyone loved the cupcakes," says Latour. After all, she adds, "who can resist free food and entertainment?"
So here’s a chance to start off your annual free breakfast marathon with a tasty dessert, and make some new friends while you’re at it.
Queers on the Move features an artist talk on Thursday, July 7 at 7 p.m. at The New Gallery. The free Stampede Cupcake Breakfast is Friday, July 8 from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. on the south side of the Epcor Centre building. |
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