GET QWEIRD: A Playground For Queer Live Art, launched as a twelve-week residency from January 2022 - March 2022.

During this 12 week residency of experimental art and performances, 11 Queer performance artists experimented with live art, exploring how they could push the boundaries of performance in a Q’weird and wonderful way.

Artists were encouraged to be as playful with the space as possible, experimenting with more immersive ways of engaging with our audiences. Each week there was a resident DJ performing, working alongside emerging queer talent to support them in developing their practice.

Altogether we had four DJs in residence. Astro directed the residency, providing coaching, reflection and feedback sessions, devising new performances each week for the duration of the residency, and hosting each show.

The residency was fully funded by Arts Council England! All of the work displayed was experimental, work-in-progress material that was developed in relationship to the space, the audience and the other artists on the residency. As an Arts Council funded the residency we decided to have free entry with optional donations, raising £4000 for Freedom Youth and Outspace LGBTQ Centre.

After successfully attracting an audience of between 150-250 persons each week the residency was extended and funded by the Queenshilling, with a second season of Get Qweird also running which was funded directly by Astro-Zenica and The House of Savalon.

In recognition of their work Astro is currently commissioned by Bristol Beacons as a community artist for the City Of Beacons project, facilitating a queer live art residency for LGBTQ persons aged 18-30 from April 2022 - July 2022.

See more here.

Photos by Charley Williams