Hey, hope you’re well. I’ve been pretty inactive on this blog for a while – working on my PhD until the end of 2018 then trying to avoid writing as far as possible in 2019. (These things are connected.)
It looks like 2020 will be a bit more active – I don’t know whether this will include much new original writing on here but I’ll at least use the blog to flag up what I’m up to.
So here’s how things look for the next month or so…
How to Build a Hope Machine with Dr Duckie
The live version of my doctoral research with Duckie, offering pragmatic pointers for anyone wanting to crack on with utopia but wondering where to start.
It’s about the neoliberal wobble, the technology of queer fun and the power of homemade mutant hope machines: adaptive DIY grassroots projects that create better worlds one day, one show, one dance at a time.
Includes blackboard, index cards and glamorous assistant. More fun than your average talk (less fun than your average show).
Two free events coming up, more planned later in 2020.
• BRIGHTON Sun 9th Feb, 4pm, Attenborough Centre, BN1 9RA, free (part of New Queers on the Block). Click here to book.
• LONDON Sat 14th March, 7pm, The Chateau, SE5 8TR free (part of And What? Queer Arts Festival). Click here to book.
• I’m also presenting a hope-machine workshop at the HIV Prevention England conference in London on Tue 18th Feb in collaboration with ReShape/IHP, Catwalk for Power and Prepster. Click here for info.
On queer spaces/queer fun
I’m giving a couple of talks about the importance of queer space and the power of queer fun.
• The first is at an OutLaws/qUCL event, alongside Ben Campkin and Lo Marshall, at UCL on Tue 25th Feb at 6pm. Click here to book.
• Then I’ll be speaking at a nightlife-themed London Transport Museum Lates event on Fri 28th Feb at 8pm. Click here to book.
On queer film
For Sight & Sound, I wrote about the campaign to save Derek Jarman’s Prospect Cottage and got to visit this beautiful queer engine – a deeply moving experience. Read the article here and support the campaign here.
• Also for Sight & Sound, I contributed a Q-for-queer entry to their round-up of the decade in film. Read the article here.
• And I’m introducing the thorny Argentinian feature A Year Without Love at the Barbican on Thur 5th March at 6.30pm. Click here to book.
That’s about it for now – stay tuned…
