In the wake of the 'Barbenheimer' opening weekend, I have felt a positive shift in the world. Something that I wasn't expecting from a global cultural event which developed organically out of two extremely different movies coincidentally opening in cinemas on the same date. At first we all thought it would be purely a numbers... Continue Reading →
Celebrating cocktails and community
Back in 2003, when my blog looked very different to how it does today, I posted some very short musings pondering the joys of meeting people you don't know off of the internet. The comments thread then played host to the beginnings of a small Manchester blogmeet. That was when I first met Lyle and... Continue Reading →
Ovation: Challenging the lack of gender diversity and inclusivity in theatre
I like hearing about creative projects, especially ones by women for women. Having recently discovered Ovation - a new forum for women and female identifying creatives in British theatre, aiming to provide opportunities for networking and skills development - I thought I'd help them spread the word with a quick blog post. The Ovation website... Continue Reading →
Reflections on Eroticon 2018
It's been a week since I was standing up in front of a room full of friendly people in Camden, London, giving a talk about the history of the bra. This time it wasn't a fashion conference though, as I was back at Eroticon, the conference for sex bloggers, erotica writers and other erotic creatives.... Continue Reading →
A performance made in 72 hours?
Every wanted to start the year with a new challenge? Ever fancied getting on stage to perform, but don't have much time to commit to rehearsals beforehand? Well, I know a bunch of people who have answered yes to both of those questions and are doing something about it. They'll be taking part in this...... Continue Reading →
Orlando
In the early hours of the morning of Sunday 12th June 2016, a gunman opened fire at the gay nightclub Pulse in Orlando, Florida, killing at least 49 people and injuring dozens before he was shot dead by police. Last night a vigil in Soho, London (and many others across the country) showed that the... Continue Reading →
A new salon for Open Barbers
Have you ever felt unwelcome in mainstream hair salons or barbers? Have you feared getting a haircut because of how you will be judged, and all the incorrect assumptions the salon staff will make? For many LGBTQ folk, getting the haircut they want, at a price they can afford is a an ongoing battle. Thankfully,... Continue Reading →
Goodbye IDHQ, one of London’s vanishing queer spaces
This morning, Irreverent Dance founder Amanda Leon-Joyce announced the closure of the dance community's home, IDHQ, as the spectre of redevelopment rears its ugly head. This sad news was a shock to this close knit community of people who, before discovering ID, mostly thought they would never identify as a dancer. But the support that... Continue Reading →
Join us at the Irreverent Dance Showcase!
Around about this time last year, I was getting ready to appear in the Irreverent Dance Showcase. A glorious celebration of what our bodies can do and what a community can achieve, this annual performance gives people who never thought they could be dancers a chance to show off the fact that... yes... yes they... Continue Reading →
Europe’s First Gender-Neutral Dance Studio
Yesterday saw the opening of Europe's first gender-neutral community dance studio. After Irreverent Dance's successful Kickstarter campaign at the end of last year, followed by months and months of legal wranglings, property searches, stress, tears and tireless work from many wonderful people, Amanda and the ID Board made the formal announcement on 29th May that... Continue Reading →