For the very first time, queer contemporary arts festival Fambo will be held on Saturday September 29 at 107 Redfern, 10am-6pm. The daylong extravaganza offers a unique opportunity for community members, children and families to engage and celebrate queer arts and culture.
The message for this festival is total inclusivity. 107 Redfern creates a space where gender is not binary or imposed, different bodies are not othered and creative expression is encouraged, celebrated and safe
Artistic Director and queer parent, Jenn Blake, was inspired to create Fambo in response to the damaging effects of the 2017 postal plebiscite on marriage equality and the government’s inability to support a Safe Schools curriculum.
“There is so much to enjoy and celebrate about the LGBTIQA+ experience and very little opportunity for children and families to connect and participate together in experiences which ultimately validate our identity and strengthen our sense of belonging,” says Blake.
“It is my hope that Fambo creates a space in which all children and families feel welcome to be their authentic selves and feel inspired and uplifted by some of Australia’s most exciting contemporary queer artists.”
Highlights of the Fambo program include a cooking demonstration with Shahmen Suku’s alter ego drag persona Radha La Bia exploring cultural identity, gender and storytelling; a collaborative installation utilising everyday materials led by queer femme Arab artist Nicole Barakat; a design workshop with First Nations artist Dennis Golding, exploring symbols of childhood from both modern and traditional culture; and a photographic installation by Kieran Butler where the audience are invited to destroy the work and take home a wearable piece of art.
Throughout the day, engaging story time sessions will be presented by star of the NITV documentary Black Divaz and Inaugural Miss First Nations 2017 winner, Josie Baker. Concluding the Festival in style will be a two-hour dance event hosted by Heaps Gay, A Heaps Small Party, paying homage to queer music from both past and present.
This is a unique opportunity for Sydney to come together to celebrate, learn, create and party in a safe and inclusive space. For the full program of workshops, performances and activities visit https://fambo.com.au.
