'Stop Relying on that Body' is a 15 min show. It will be performed after ‘Burnt Out In Biscuit Land’ by Touretteshero on 8-9 June, at Turner Contemporary.
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Unlimited Awards Margate-Based Drag Performer Tivoli with a Micro Commission
Thanet is set to welcome Tivoli, a Margate-based drag performer, for a unique and hopeful performance supported by the Unlimited micro commission programme and produced by the Thanet-based arts company, Looping the Loop.
Tivoli was born during the lockdown as part of a drag internship with Shelley Grotto, and Cara Couture. After appearing at queer venues around Thanet, Tivoli will be showcasing their performance 'Stop Relying on that Body' - a show that brings together music, movement, and comedy to tell the story of two personas inhabiting one very wonky body, all while challenging traditional notions of drag performances.
"I am thrilled to be working on 'Stop Relying on that Body' thanks to Unlimited and Looping the Loop," says Tivoli. "I am excited to challenge traditional notions of drag performances and showcase my unique perspective. Through this show, I hope to inspire audiences to think differently about chronic illness and medical trauma."
Ellie Jones, Artistic Director of Looping the Loop, notes "Through this program, we can support disabled artists in creating new, exciting work that challenges norms and inspires audiences. We’re delighted to support Tivoli's 'Stop Relying on that Body' alongside Touretteshero’s new show ‘Burnt Out In Biscuit Land’."
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Tivoli is a Margate-based Drag Performer who disappears and reappears intermittently.
Named after the Roman Palace buried under Margates woodlands, Tivoli was born in lockdown as part of a drag internship with Shelley Grotto, Casey Sea and Cara Couture. Since then they have appeared sporadically at queer venues around Thanet. Tivoli describes their dress code as 'unicorn fever dream,' always in flats, because good posture is fundamental, and falling from a great height is not cute. As a drag queen who can't dance, Tivoli focuses on storytelling through music, movement, and comedy, creating a touching and inspiring performance.
'Stop Relying on that Body' is a deeply personal show that explores themes of chronic illness, queer community, and medical trauma through a hopeful lens. The performance brings together the big stuff with joy, finding the surreal in the serious and bringing it together into something beautiful.
Named after the Roman Palace buried under Margates woodlands, Tivoli was born in lockdown as part of a drag internship with Shelley Grotto, Casey Sea and Cara Couture. Since then they have appeared sporadically at queer venues around Thanet. Tivoli describes their dress code as 'unicorn fever dream,' always in flats, because good posture is fundamental, and falling from a great height is not cute. As a drag queen who can't dance, Tivoli focuses on storytelling through music, movement, and comedy, creating a touching and inspiring performance.
'Stop Relying on that Body' is a deeply personal show that explores themes of chronic illness, queer community, and medical trauma through a hopeful lens. The performance brings together the big stuff with joy, finding the surreal in the serious and bringing it together into something beautiful.
What can the audience expect?
It's very much a blend of performance styles being brought together in one show - comedy, movement, lip-syncing, a lot of chiffons. The show is deliberately structured in a way that supports my own needs and makes them very visible. It was important that I didn’t try to “push through” and ultimately make myself unwell, which is something I have learnt the hard way.
I am collaborating with some of my favourite creatives in Thanet to make the show, and I'm really excited to be sharing something that's cross-genre, with a balance of serious and silly.
Why is it different from another drag show?
Every drag show is different, and what I like particularly about drag in England, particularly Thanet, is that anything goes! The great thing about drag is it is a very individual thing, there is no right way to do it, and although mainstream forms of drag are popularized on TV, every drag show I have seen gives something different.
I think the main difference of this show versus something people might ordinarily think of when they think of drag is that this has been constructed primarily as a piece of theatre, centred around storytelling which incorporates drag rather than a drag show you might expect to see at a club or pub night.
Drag has always been used as a way of communicating difficult or complex topics, and for a lot of people, drag is about trying out life in a new persona. I wanted to use the performance as a way of saying - hey, what if you used that persona to be a bit kinder to yourself?
Name of collaborators:
Kit Griffiths (They / Them): creative consultant - @kit_griffiths
Performers (queens):Shelly Grotto - She/Her - performer/Queen
Pamela Handmeyourson - She/Her - performer/Queen
About Unlimited:
Unlimited commission extraordinary work from disabled artists that will change and challenge the world. They have partnered with the Collaborative Touring Network (CTN), a network of 8 towns around England which share a long-term, collective vision to make our towns and cities better places to be through arts and culture. Looping the Loop is part of this network.
It's very much a blend of performance styles being brought together in one show - comedy, movement, lip-syncing, a lot of chiffons. The show is deliberately structured in a way that supports my own needs and makes them very visible. It was important that I didn’t try to “push through” and ultimately make myself unwell, which is something I have learnt the hard way.
I am collaborating with some of my favourite creatives in Thanet to make the show, and I'm really excited to be sharing something that's cross-genre, with a balance of serious and silly.
Why is it different from another drag show?
Every drag show is different, and what I like particularly about drag in England, particularly Thanet, is that anything goes! The great thing about drag is it is a very individual thing, there is no right way to do it, and although mainstream forms of drag are popularized on TV, every drag show I have seen gives something different.
I think the main difference of this show versus something people might ordinarily think of when they think of drag is that this has been constructed primarily as a piece of theatre, centred around storytelling which incorporates drag rather than a drag show you might expect to see at a club or pub night.
Drag has always been used as a way of communicating difficult or complex topics, and for a lot of people, drag is about trying out life in a new persona. I wanted to use the performance as a way of saying - hey, what if you used that persona to be a bit kinder to yourself?
Name of collaborators:
Kit Griffiths (They / Them): creative consultant - @kit_griffiths
Performers (queens):Shelly Grotto - She/Her - performer/Queen
Pamela Handmeyourson - She/Her - performer/Queen
About Unlimited:
Unlimited commission extraordinary work from disabled artists that will change and challenge the world. They have partnered with the Collaborative Touring Network (CTN), a network of 8 towns around England which share a long-term, collective vision to make our towns and cities better places to be through arts and culture. Looping the Loop is part of this network.
