Look Again X Aberdeen Performing Arts are committed to spotlighting and supporting LGBTQIA+ creatives through a new cabaret event. This collaboration aims to amplify the presence of queer artists in cultural programming in the city. Creative practitioners are invited to respond to selected objects from the RGU Art & Heritage Collections by using them as inspiration to propose new performance works for the cabaret.

Project Brief
The selected collection items have been examined through the lens of the LGBTQIA+ community by the producers of the cabaret, highlighting their relevance to queer identities and experiences. Fashion within the queer community serves as a powerful means of self-expression, defiance, and community building. For many queer individuals, clothing is a language through which they communicate their identities, and it offers a space of creativity, resilience, and authenticity, shaping personal expression. This dynamic relationship between fashion and queer identity is reflected in the selected collection items, each offering a unique perspective on queer narratives.

Mantile Veisaite “Boarding Completed”
• Veisaite’s design explores the intersection of aviation and fashion, drawing inspiration from the contrast between feminine flight attendant uniforms and masculine sheepskin bomber jackets. Through leather craftsmanship and the incorporation of aviation typography, this work challenges gender norms and celebrates the fluidity of queer identities within traditionally masculine domains.

Cameron Lyall “NO-PLACE”
• Lyall’s exploration of “NO-PLACE” through fashion reflects the queer experience of navigating undefined spaces and identities. Lyall’s unisex designs, sustainable processes, and community-focused practice embody the resilience and adaptability of queer individuals in creating their own spaces of existence and stability during uncertainty.

Linh Khanh Bui – “Thalassa”
• Bui’s design delves into the fear of deep bodies of water and the creatures that inhabit them, reflecting on the vulnerability and resilience inherent in queer identities. Through delicate knitted structures inspired by marine organisms, Bui creates a visual narrative that resonates with queer individuals’ experiences of navigating deep emotional waters.

2024 Timeline
• Deadline for applications: 14 April
• Selection panel review: 17 April
• Notification of successful candidates: 22 April
• Queer Cabaret: 22 June

Venue
The cabaret will take place at the Lemon Tree in Aberdeen. Three selected artists/collectives will receive £500 each.

For further information, please contact lookagain@rgu.ac.uk or visit https://lookagainaberdeen.co.uk/opportunities