Saturday 9 February 2019 Aberystwyth Arts Centre
7.45pm Round Studio £10 / £8 [PAST EVENT]
Hidden Worlds is an enthralling evening about queer lives, as Aberration celebrates LGBT History Month UK. With talks from artist Clive Hicks-Jenkins and oral history researcher Jane Traies, plus the Welsh premiere of the brand-new jukebox musical ‘Rebel Dyke’ written by and starring Karen Fisch. Scroll down for more about all these wonderful guests. And click here for a workshop on doing LGBT history (same day). We can’t wait to share this special night with you!
Aberration is brought to you by Enfys Aber and SpringOut, supported by Over the Rainbow guesthouse.
Clive Hicks-Jenkins
Aber art lovers will be familiar with Clive Hicks-Jenkins’ magnificent paintings and prints from exhibitions at the Arts Centre and National Library, as well as the Museum of Modern Art in Machynlleth. In an illustrated talk devised especially for Aberration, Clive will explore how he created a hiding place for his gay identity in the magical world of his art.
Clive says: “I was born in Newport in 1951, at a time when all the old prejudices still held sway. Even as a small child I sensed raised eyebrows – and raised concerns – when I was too much myself. So I learned to hide that true self, and make a secret world I could retreat to and be safe in. And I got very good at it.”
The early part of his career was as a choreographer and stage director. In the 1990s he began to concentrate on painting and has garnered praise ever since. Simon Callow has called him ‘one of the most individual and complete artists of our time’.
Jane Traies
Jane Traies will talk about her new book of oral-history interviews with older lesbians, Now You See Me (Tollington Press).
Jane is a writer, researcher and story-teller who was also at various times a historical novelist, a director of the lesbian publishing house Onlywomen Press and a Trustee of the York Lesbian Arts Festival.
For some years, Jane has been recording the experiences of the oldest generations of lesbians in the UK. Her new book, Now You See Me (Tollington Press, 2018), features some of these life-stories. Jane and interviewees appeared in the short films Now You See Me (Esme Waldron, 2016) and Older Than What? (Steen Starr, 2017).
For Aberration’s Hidden Worlds evening, Jane will talk about her work and introduce readings from the book. Signed copies will be for sale on the night at the special Aberration price of £10 (usually £11.99). Jane is helping to lead our workshop earlier the same day on how to ‘do’ LGBT+ history.
Rebel Dyke
Karen Fisch sings her way through forty years of lesbian clubbing and protesting in her new jukebox musical, Rebel Dyke.
Karen aka Fisch is part of the Rebel Dyke Project, a group of outsiders from the 1980s. Fisch has been a significant member of this lived legacy since her first Gay Pride March in 1978. She has gone via Greenham Common (Main Gate), The Black Widows All Women Biker Gang, Chain Reaction (the UK’s first SM Dyke club) to running her own women’s club nights in London for ten years
Since starting performing as Drag King Frankie Sinatra three years ago Fisch is now both producer and host of the drag king night Kings of Clubs at London’s legendary Royal Vauxhall Tavern. Frankie has graced the stage at both London and Amsterdam Pride.
Fisch encompasses all of this personal sistory in her one-woman jukebox musical. Rebel Dyke has only been seen once before at L Fest 2018, the UK’s largest Women’s Festival, where it was nominated for two awards and grabbed the attention of the Aberration team who immediately asked Fisch to bring it to Aber. She is now touring the show to select venues in England – we are the only one in Wales so far, so tell your friends to get over here!
Directed by Barbara Houseman, this funny and moving show featuring the Bad Boy with the Golden Voice will enthral and entertain you.
Host & warnings
Aberration’s Hidden Worlds evening will be mediated via your loud host Helen Sandler, who will as usual be pointing at you in disturbing new ways.
All welcome. Age guidance 14+ (some adult content). You don’t have to be queer to be here… but it sometimes helps to ask a queer friend what the hell is going on.
Workshop
We are very pleased to have arranged a separate afternoon workshop before the event on how to do LGBT+ history. Arranged and facilitated by Aberration’s own Jane Hoy, with sessions by LGBT+ historians Norena Shopland and Jane Traies. Book separately. Full details here>>