A R C H I

the queer work manifesto

on the opening night of their first showcase, gilded tongue presented the queer work manifesto, a list of ideals (rather than strict rules) offering a new vision of what queer work can be in performance art spaces. the manifesto will be present at every gilded tongue event and will change with time, allowing anyone to add to it and make it their own.

the main focus of the manifesto is that in creating work that we define by “queer”, we need to question its form as well as its substance. it is not enough to tell a queer story on a theatre stage if that story follows institutional rules in order to be told. if we question gender, relationships, bodies and constructs on stage, then we must question: what defines a stage? what defines an audience? what is theatre? what is a good performance? who has decided the answers to these questions?

if queer people defy institutions in their everyday life (by taking “queer” in its most political sense) then queer work must defy the corresponding institutions in whichever practice it takes form. as gilded tongue, we believe in empowering the community through our immersive installations: ultimately, it will be time to leave those institutions and create our own collectives based on freedom of movement and expression, and multidisciplinary and caring practices.

below is the current version of the queer work manifesto. if you’d like to anonymously suggest a new idea for a future version, feel free to fill out the suggestion box under it.