I've gone and done something a bit radical, folks. Still needing to pinch myself now and then....
I'm going to be playing at the Sydney Fringe Festival. Some of you probably don't know what that is, so if you don't feel like doing a quick Google - it's an annual creative arts festival, specifically to feature up-and-coming creatives. They have Fringe Festivals in many different cities around the world (the most famous probably being Edinburgh Fringe). I don't know if this is true of all Fringe Festivals, or all years, but the way it worked was that there's no selection process as such. You make a submission, and if it fits the rules and guidelines and such, then you're in. The catch is that you have to do a lot of the work - they'll find you a venue, but then you need to do a lot of the marketing and promotion, pay some of the costs involved, all of that sort of thing.
But yeah. I'm going to be playing at that. Sharing some of my music, some of my stories....it feels a bit crazy. I haven't done an event like this before. I've played for a lot of people before - a couple of talent nights and such - but not an event this.....prestigious is I think the word I'm looking for. Feels a little scary? Kinda did the submission on a whim. It's something that I've thought about doing before, but never really got round to it. Thought this year I'd give it a try. And now it's happening. We have a venue, we have dates (yes, multiple!), we have things starting to be organised.....I have no idea how many tickets I'll actually sell, or how many people will come. But it's happening!
I've called the event Rainbow Religion. The basic idea is to do the songs from my latest album (I say latest album, but it hasn't been released anywhere, just written) that I've written, Life To The Full, and tell some stories related to them. It's talking about my experience of coming out as queer later in life, after growing up Christian - some of the deconstruction that I've done, and reconstructing back into something that I believe in now. Reconciling the queer and the faith. I feel like that's a lot of what I talk about, write about, these days, when I do write. It's either about queer stuff, or about how that interacts with Christian stuff.
Because it's important. For so many reasons. I think there are a lot of queer people that have a lot of trauma from the church - either from being raised in it and thrown out, or just the hate directed at them by the church; then there are a lot of people in the church that are queer and afraid to come out, either because they don't think it can line up with their faith or because they're afraid of the reaction from people around them; and there are lots of people in the church as well who just really don't understand queerness, sexuality, gender, well at all. There are a lot of bridges that need building, and I feel like I can help to be a part of that, and a part of that healing process. Doesn't mean that I think every church is about to be affirming - but there are churches around that are, and that are more sex-positive. And it feels like the affirming church, and the queer church, is growing. Which is awesome. It feels like there's a lot of generational trauma that's slowly being undone, and slowly being healed, and words of life spoken into that. And I hope that I can be a part of that, with the music that I play, and the stories that I share.
When things get a bit more finalised, I'll certainly be sharing more information - it's a few months away yet, but we're already making plans! I believe it's going to be good. And maybe I'll see you there :)
