Creative Change Coalition, Technical Assistance Workshop: Producing Affirming Drag Events
Date: August 14, 2024
Time: 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm CST
Location: Zoom Meeting
Price: Free
Category: Creative Change Coalition
Create joy, affirmation and community by working with drag performers, who are artists, culture bearers, and community members. Producing drag events involves considerations around communication, safety, and planning. Learn how to thoughtfully and thoroughly plan your own programming from experts who design a variety of drag events, such as drag story hours, drag brunches and catwalk parties. Host organizations, producers and performers will share lessons they have learned and strategies to support programming that celebrates and uplifts.
Featuring Presenters from:
Drag Story Hour celebrates reading through the glamorous art of drag. Our chapter network creates diverse, accessible, and culturally inclusive family programming where kids can express their authentic selves and become bright lights of change in their communities.
Flip Phone Events produces drag brunches and dance parties in Boston, Chicago, Miami/Fort Lauderdale, Minneapolis, Nashville, New York City, Palm Springs, Phoenix, and Pittsburgh.
Little Theatre Auditorium is an arts based, artist-led non-profit organization working to amplify the storytelling of artists and culture-bearers, those from our immigrant communities, and those identifying as BIPOC and LGBTQ2IA+. Motivated by a belief in art as a catalyst for social movement and a platform for cultural exchange and civic engagement we regularly host, facilitate and provide support for artists through residencies and special performance series. This includes performance artists, teaching artists, visual artists, musicians and bands, and events like film screenings, lectures, workshops and community conversations and activities.
Guest Presenters:
Dominic (Dom) Facio (he/they), Executive Director of DomFreq Productions. Dominic Facio (Dom-in-ick Fah-see-oh) is a multidisciplinary artist with a focus on subculture, and challenges the status quo and provokes curiosity. Dominic has been creating since the mid-2000s, beginning with makeup design and photography, expanding to wearable art and, what they’ve become known for today, unique inclusive live production experiences with immersive ethereal aesthetics. In their daily life, they are a Rural Program Manager at Springboard for the Arts in Fergus Falls, MN. You can read more about Dominic on Creative Exchange.
Jaidynn Diore Fierce (he/him out of drag, she/her in drag). Jaidynn Diore Fierce is an entertainer born and raised in Nashville, Tn. She competed in Pageants and is a former Miss Genesis, Miss Nashville Gay Pride and Miss Tennessee USofA. Jaidynn was casted on season 7 of RuPaul's Drag Race and was able to show the world her Beauty, Talent, and her Bubbly personality. She has been able to travel and perform internationally as well as collaborate with a few celebrities such as Miley Cyrus, Lizzo, Heidi Klum, and Colton Underwood in live shows and filming. Jaidynn is a show director, producer host and entertainer. Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
Johnathan Hamilt (he/him), Co-Founder, Drag Story Hour. Jonathan Hamilt is a New York based Drag Queen that has been with Drag Story Hour for 8 years. He co-founded the NYC Chapter and was the national organization's inaugural Executive Director. He has presented at SXSW EDU, School Library Journal, American Booksellers Association, Public Library Association, and American Library. He serves his city as the Arts and Cultural City Commissioner and is on the board of his local historical society.
Chad Kampe (he/him), Owner, Flip Phone Events. Chad Kampe is owner of Flip Phone Events, a national drag production company. Flip Phone produces drag shows and brunches in 14 cities across the country. In addition to drag shows, Flip Phone produces themed cruises and dance parties. Flip Phone is all about pop culture, and all of the shows are themed and reflect current trends. In August, Flip Phone is producing a fourteen city tour with RuPaul's Drag Race queen, Alyssa Edwards.
Bethany Lacktorin (she/her), Executive & Artistic Director, Little Theatre Auditorium. Bethany Lacktorin is a performance artist, community organizer, producer and musician based in rural SW Minnesota. She is part of a thriving artist community that is motivated by rural community needs for public spaces to gather and share creative, transformative experiences as a catalyst for social movement.
Tara Lipsyncki (they/them), Executive Director, Drag Story Hour: Intermountain West & United Drag Alliance. Tara Lipsyncki (They/Them) is a dedicated transgender activist with a decade-long history of advocating for queer rights. Their work encompasses numerous published interviews and panel discussions on subjects like drag history, anti-trans legislation, First Amendment rights, and the body autonomy rights of minors and women. After moving from San Francisco, CA to Salt Lake City, UT in 2019, Tara has vigorously promoted diversity and inclusion within the queer nightlife and entertainment sectors. In 2020, they joined ARTEL talent, Utah's first exclusively PoC and Trans owned and operated collective of queer artists. Tara further established their leadership by founding The United Drag Alliance in 2023, a nonprofit aimed at continuing all-ages queer programming, including Drag Story Hour, despite facing multiple acts of domestic terrorism. With a rich background in professional performance, including skating for Disney on Ice, Tara has earned numerous accolades such as a Certificate of Recognition from the California State Senate for Drag Queens on Ice in 2018, and titles including Miss Golden Gate 2019, Miss Gay Pride 2021, and Miss Gay USofA Newcomer West Coast 2021. United Drag Alliance Instagram | Tara's website
Regan Lopez-de Victoria (she/hers), Programs Director, Drag Story Hour. Regan Lopez-deVictoria is a librarian, nonprofit professional, and the Program Coordinator & Grant Writer at Drag Story Hour! Drag Story Hour buoys existing community organizers and Storytellers with centralized support, resources, and training - a delicious amalgamation of tasks for Regan’s versatile skill set! Former professional roles include Assistant Archivist at The Juilliard School, Adult Services Librarian at Butte-Silver Bow Public Library (Butte, MT) and the Company Manager at INTIMAN Theatre in Seattle. She holds a MLIS from the University of Washington, BFAs (Theatre Performance & Design) from the University of Montana, and owns Ambitextual Consulting, LLC. Parent to three kiddos and many foster animals, Regan bounces between Ohio and Montana in pursuit of that infamous work-life balance.