The world-famous Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is more than a parade and parties that go all night. There’re plenty of arts and cultural events on offer.
Storytelling
Drag diva Joyce Maynge brings together a panel of LGBTIQ artists from various backgrounds to discuss how their identity impacts their work. Expect to hear various perspectives on the role of art in gender politics and other issues. One of the panellists, Jiva Parthipan, is a director, creative producer and arts-cultural worker based in Sydney and working internationally. They say, “My past work has been an explicit reading of gender and identity. My current work still has those ideas, but it is no longer the focus. Art can point towards such things [politics] and play an important part, but I am also mindful, as I get older, that it can be self-congratulatory.”
Visual art
How does Andy Warhol continue to influence artists’ queer identities and artistic practice? Scholar Richard Meyer discusses Warhol’s legacy, followed by a panel of local artists Deborah Kelly, Josh Feeney, Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran and Claudia Nicholson. Also, don’t miss Queer Art After Hours at Art Gallery of NSW, a specially-curated line up of queer performance artists.
Science and society
In this free lecture, Professor Martin Holt of the UNSW Centre for Social Research in Health, considers the radical shifts in HIV prevention associated with the use of HIV treatment. While these prevention strategies provided new ways to safely avoid HIV, how has this impacted the way we understand ‘safe sex’?
Craft
Chili Philly’s gorgeous crochet creations, in which tacos, watermelons and other snacks become cute headwear, have gathered a loyal Instagram following. Melbourne-based Phil Ferguson, also known as ‘the lonely boy’ and for his gentle, self-reflexive humour, will be exhibiting his wearable art at the Australian Design Centre.
Film
The Mardi Gras Film Festival offers a chance to browse a program in which any choice you make will ensure queer life is front and centre. The festival features a powerful drama about a teenager with disapproving parents, an Indian film that tells a story of 7 women struggling against social injustice and a biopic about a gay porn scandal.
