A new theatre festival exploring the themes of gender is coming to Liverpool.
From Monday, 27 September, Genderland Festival will rock the city with entertainment including drag shows, talking circles and cabaret theatre.
Hosts at Mooncup Theatre hope the fully-accessible festival will be a safe space for members and allies of Merseyside's LGBT+ community to explore the gender spectrum and engage with complex ideas of what it means to exist outside of the gender binary.
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Rebecca Clarke, founding member of Mooncup Theatre, told the ECHO : “Genderland Festival is an opportunity for the queer community and allies to share and learn together in safe, creative spaces, exploring the gender landscape and unravelling the socially constructed ‘norms’ that have been thrust upon, and can harm, us all.
“So often in conversations about gender, I hear people say they’re worried to ask questions about gender for fear of getting it ‘wrong’.
“Genderland is also about allowing space for people to share thoughts, ideas, feelings about the complexities of gender, without fear of making mistakes, because knowing the right ‘terminology’ shouldn’t be a barrier to acceptance and growth.
“And it wouldn’t be Mooncup if we weren’t going to have a bit of anarchic fun with it too. Do watch out for our ‘drag promenade’ across the city and cabaret events and make sure you grab yourself a ticket.”
The festival supported by Arts Council England is aimed primarly at the LGBT+ community, the organisers are clear everybody is welcome and encouraged to take part.
Genderland's programme includes talks on gender and language, the history of gender and transgender awareness and activism, in addition to a panel event that will allow attendees to hear from voices from across the gender spectrum.
There will be a chance to take part in workshops focussing on a myriad of topics including gender exploration, poetry and a drag workshop, which will see festival-goers take to the city's streets in full drag.
Isobel Balchin, also a founding member of Mooncup Theatre, said: “We all experience gender, whether we realise it or not.
“However, there is a chasm of difference within our society around ideas of gender, with people that challenge the so-called ‘norm’ often suffering discrimination just for existing as their true selves.
“At a time when Liverpool’s queer community is still reeling from a series of hate crimes in recent months, we wanted to offer a platform so that the voices of those from marginalised groups can be heard and validated.
“Genderland is really about hearing from these different voices and sharing your own, to help each other navigate the worries, wonders and downright weirdness of our own gender identities.”
Genderland Festival will culminate with a special cabaret evening where queer creatives from across the North West will showcase their talents.
Events will take place in locations across Liverpool, with the majority being held at Metal Liverpool.
The full festival line up and ticket information is available to view on Mooncup Theatre’s website.
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