A grassroots framework for safer spaces
On March 18th 2025, we premiered our new film about safety and inclusivity in the night time industry. ‘Bold Bodies, Safer Spaces: burlesque’s grassroots solutions to safety’ is the story of communities from Doncaster, Leeds and Barnsley and their grassroots approach towards safety. We worked with performers, producers and participants from burlesque, queer, kink, and … Read more
We have had a busy start to the year! In January, Jacki shared some of the Fabulous Femininities journey with our colleagues at the School of Performance and Cultural Industries at Leeds. She spoke about the relationships that have been formed during her journey on the project and also discussed the Fabulous Femininities documentary – … Read more
As we head towards the end of the year, here’s a quick look back on what the Fabulous Femininities team has been up to – and what’s coming up in the first few months of 2025. In April, I (Daisy) joined the team and quickly after that, we headed into a series of workshops across … Read more
[Admin: An Interview With Vanity Dare by Vanity_Dare was first published on our Yarn community] My name is Vanity Dare and I “fell into” burlesque. It became a sort of glass slipper moment for me. I took burlesque classes with Lady Wildflower and after creating an act during the intermediate course, she asked me whether … Read more
[admin: “Chartreuse – Hip Shaking Mama” Costume by Pinky Deville was first published on our Yarn community] The creation process of my chartreuse velvet costume, with the use of vintage fabric and upcycled vintage clothing. In early 2018 I had the creative itch for a new costume. With several UK shows coming up, a weekend … Read more
[Admin: An Interview with Medusa Has Been was first published on our Yarn community] I’m Antonio. My pronouns are he/him and I am 61 years old. Full disclosure: I was an actor for 20 plus years and then in my 40’s, moved sideways into actor roleplay for business training, and simultaneously went into academia, got … Read more
I’m very pleased to let you know that Fabulous Femininities team member Prof. Alice O’Grady has contributed to What Is An Institute For NightCulture? This book examines what a cultural institution devoted to night-culture might look like and is part of the efforts towards building such an institute in Amsterdam – the Institute for NightCulture (INC). … Read more
Over the summer, the Fabulous Femininities team held three workshops with burlesque performers and producers across the local area. These workshops were themed around a number of different themes such as “Mental health champions & amateur chair burlesque” and “complex intersectionalities and audiences”. As part of the workshops, we were joined by Abigail and Chloe … Read more
Burlesque is an art form which actively celebrates older performers and recognises how age can be a marker of experience, provenance and artistry. It seems deeply appropriate, then, that on October 1st, Fabulous Femininities team member Prof. Alice O’Grady will be speaking at the International Day of Older People event in Leeds. She will be … Read more
[admin: An interview with Seedy Frills by Seedy Frills was first published on our Yarn community] My name is Gemma and my performer name is Seedy Frills. I chose my name because my surname is Seed so I wanted to keep that. It’s also quite personal because growing up I’ve had the nickname Seedy from … Read more