Eat Your Heart Out | Enforced #2 | Darrell Berry | March '11

We're well into our Enforced season and after last months exploration of childhood sexual memories from Figs & Timberlina we think we're mentally ready to rape the Olympic hotspot of Stratford again with a show that has nothing to do with that ridiculous wedding.

If your unaware, Enforced Season brings regional artists to the big smoke, each will show off their own material and present a new collaborative commission that EYHO hav...e made possible - in essence we're doing a 'Diana' and bringing people together. The collaborators will have 24 hours to create their piece and will have no idea who they are working with, its an artistic Blind Date & Scottee is playing Cilla.

EYHO is like Britain's Got Talent VS South Bank Show: its edgy, cheap and has a nice theme tune.

Enforced #3
Brain Lobel & Spencer Wood

plus: Jonny Woo, Scottee, Myra Dubois' Soap Box, Miss Annabel Sings,
Thom Shaw, Wild Card, Twitter Critic & a sneak preview of 'En Femme'


Saturday 30th April
Doors 7.30pm – Show at 8pm

Stratford Circus
Theatre Square, Stratford London E15
2mins from Stratford Tube (Central, Jubilee, Overground & DLR)

Early Bird £6 tickets until 8th April | £9 or £6 cons
Advance tickets at stratford-circus.com or 0844 357 2625


Eat Your Heart Out: Enforced is supported by Arts Council England | Image by Sami Knight

http://burger-queen.info

My imagination has a lot to answer for. Hope you can make it down next Friday.

Eat Your Heart Out: Enforced Season features Figs in Wigs, Timberlina, Bird La Bird, Sarah Johns, Miss Annabel Sings, Spencer Wood, Thom Shaw, Myra Dubois and Scottee as the Lisa Stansfield Experience

Friday 25th March | 8pm | Stratford Circus E15

Special Duckie Offer - £6 (usual price £9)  | Call the box office and quote 'Duckie' 0844 357 2625

Call me anything you like, but not a queer.

This week this word has plagued my life - not only the babble that occurred around my census and the ownership of the word but last night I attended an 'open space' talk about queer theatre - now I'm not usually one for sitting in a room with other white homo's talking about other white homo's who do 'theatre' but the idea Chris Goode wanted to discuss was - 'Is queer theatre dead? are we post-queer?' which compelled me to attend.

The open space technique feels like you've stepped into Chris Morris' Jaam  - there is no punchline, everyone is completely serious about 'exsisting in tangible silence' and there is even Buddhist bells included for good measure - now having existed in alternative theatre I get why these people do this shit and why they feel its important - but the post 'theatre' me did feel the need to declare a statement about how bizarre sitting in a circle, looking at each other for 30mins and not proclaiming bizarre statements like 'Be prepared to be suprised' was. I put the cynic away and went with it - in short open space is people proposing questions on the chosen subject and others attend your mini talk if it interests them. I proposed the question 'Where does trans sit in queer?' - When I set this question I guess I was thinking literally about where do trans people fit in queer, but the more I thought about it the more clarity I gained about my definition of trans. Now I'm fully aware of the ownership of words and the transgendered community have with 'T' but trans - for me - is much more than gender reassignment. Trans for me is a border less, sexless, genderless and gate less community for all free thinkers - it took me ages to really try to community with my group what I meant, so I drew this:

The X's mark where you can exist - anywhere.

Some people thought that queer already encapsulated this, I think queer is generational - I grew up in a post queer environment - queer: the politic had already happened, queer: the culture had already happened - by the time I came out queer was a television program on Channel4 about poofs in Manchester or a buzz word used for people who read TimeOut. Trans for me is the queer for others. This started to raise questions about what it is to belong to a community and who sets the boundaries and if trans was queers evolution.

Further discussions about queer made me reaffirm I'm trans: "I want more queer spaces just for us - why are LGBT spaces now gay friendly?" - this kind of thoughtless comment is my problem with those who identify with it, this self perpetuating victimization mentally that we need to exist in different spaces does not interest me. Anther comment was made about having to identify as LGBT to be queer - I could not disagree anymore, If queer is a sexuality then I want nothing to do with it.

I mentioned how all my friends refer to each other as simply 'trans', its our shorthand for 'being whatever it is you want to be today' weather it be M, F, MTF, FTM, MS, Miss, Mr, MX, drag, camp or butch - trans for me is everything, nothing and more.

My final comment in the group feedback was 'Hello, My name is Scottee and I'm Trans - Tonight I have learnt weather it be trans or queer a group of people cannot be identified by it - the word is owned by the person'

And thats all I've got to say on the matter. X
P.S - heres a radical idea - lets just LIVE!

Why I put Queer on my Census. 

I thought I'd write a few words about why I proclaimed 'Queer' under 'Religion' on my Census form this morning, some of you seem to be outraged by the thought which is surprising - I thought it's benefits were quite clear.

The Census apart from being a huge spend of public funding / resource for your great grandson that may look it up on 'Who do you think you are?' in the year 2090 (if the planet survives) is also one of the ways government decide how public funding is allocated. The questions include information on your house hold, your health, religious beliefs and employment.

As a homo-trans I think my sexuality is really important - When I was younger I used to access lots of services for LGBT young people, sexual health and support workers - infact many of us still do - all of which lacked government investment, this sparked off an early career working in community arts, local government and LGBT youth services.

I feel a legal document that decides how our tax funded government support is spent is important and should include an optional box to proclaim your sexuality - whatever it be! (but only if you want to) - why? So the aforementioned services are included in public spending, we have an acknowledgement of sexuality being important and that filling the religion box with 'queer' does not distract from those who follow a faith. 

As much as I feel the word 'Queer' isn't relevant to me, my politic or my sexuality
 it's a way of standing together as a body of people weather we be LGBTQ or politically queer and asking the government to acknowledge the ownership of our sexuality's as important - the 'queer' slipper doesn't fit my perfectly shaped size 8 foot, but as one unelected knob once said 'we're all in this together'

While we're at it where was the Gender - Other box?

How ever you filled it in -  LOVE x

The week beginning the 14th of March shall be known as 'A right old week of it'.

I'm not complaining, just showing off - would be lovely to see you at something.

image by Fred Butler

Tuesday 15th March: Talking Shop
Talking Shop is a quarterly event offering support for artists working in the areas of live art and interdisciplinary performance practices through 15-minute advice sessions, break-out dialogues and Q&A sessions.

The next shop will be guest-hosted by Scottee, the iconic trasher-performer and artistic director of Eat Your Heart Out. Talking Shop is Talking Trash is an advice and networking event especially for artists at the beginning of their career who are interested in and/ or working in trash performance, low-brow pop culture or those who are operating in sub-cultural contexts outside of the “mainstream institutions” of art. More info here: http://artsadmin.co.uk/events/2847

Wednesday 16th March: W Hotel Launch
I've been invited to perform at the launch of W's Leicester Square hotel with Horse Meat Disco.
I'll be present new work on the hour in the HMD Cinema for 50 people at a time.
If you have a ticket - see you there. If not I suppose check Grazia.

Thursday 17th March: Double R Club
I'm back for my second appearance at the Double R Club.
This is an amazing cabaret night with fantastic production - come if you can
More info here: www.myspace.com/thedoublerclub

Friday 18th March: Shunt 
I'm debuting a new piece at Shunt tonight, It involves me throwing myself about abit
and I'm worried I may break a rib. More info here: www.shunt.co.uk

Saturday 19th March: Circus Cambridge
Back in at The Junction, Cambridge with Jodie and Kris. We're joined by the amazing Empress Stah
More info here: www.thisiscircus.com

Over the last three months I've been working with long time collaborator Judy Jacob / Beggars Velvet on our first full length project 'Lisa Stansfield Experience' - We are currently still filming and editing into late Spring for our Summer showing, until then here are some stills from our teaser we showcased at Duckie in February. (The same 6min short will be shown at BFI's London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival's 'Burn' night this year)

This project was developed as part of Duckie's 'Artist in Residence' program which is support by Arts Council England

I'm looking for people willing to talk on film about death! This is part of a larger documentary film I've been working on for two years with film maker Judy Jacob in which we explore what being human means - sex, relationships, life, disability & the final curtain. I'm looking to hear from people who have planned their death, who may be worried about dying or anyone who has attempted suicide. Do you believe in assisted suicide? Do you believe in an after life? Do you want to have a living funeral? Will you be buried or shot into space? Please contact info@scottee.co.uk 

I am a woman.

SOS by Billa.

'Tom Jones made me'

Eat Your Heart Out - Feb 2011

EAT YOUR HEART OUT : ENFORCED #2

British cabaret is thriving! Girls in fascinators and nipple tassels gallivant around like extras from Moulin Rouge  & everybody love's to hear Radiohead's Creep on a Ukulele! - frankly we're sick of it.

After last months sell out show - flaunting our a new look, new venue and new attitude (problem),
we are back with the second part of our Enforced season & if you thought we were brash last month then stay at home.  The Enforced season see's us continue to wear our heart on our sleeve & explore a world of pioneering performance, left-field drag & cutting cabaret.

Enforced Season brings regional artists to the big smoke, each will show off their own material and present a new collaborative commission that EYHO have made possible - in essence we're doing a 'Diana' and bringing people together. The collaborators will have 24 hours to create their piece and will have no idea who they are working with, its an artistic Blind Date & Scottee is playing Cilla.

The five part season will ofcourse feature your favorite EYHO company members and some very special guests who will be on hand to give  their 'Live Critic' - think of it like Britain's Got Talent meets the South Bank Show: its edgy, cheap and has a nice theme tune.

Enforced #2
Timberlina & Figs in Wigs

plus:
Bird La Bird
Scottee
Myra Dubois' Soap Box
Sarah Johns
Miss Annabel Sings
Spencer Wood
Thom Shaw
Lisa Stansfield Experience
Wild Card, Twitter Critic & more


Friday 25th March
Doors 7.30pm – Show at 8pm

Stratford Circus
Theatre Square, Stratford London E15
2mins from Stratford Tube (Central, Jubilee, Overground & DLR)

Early Bird £6 tickets until 11th March | £9 or £6 cons
Advance tickets at stratford-circus.com or 0844 357 2625

Eat Your Heart Out: Enforced is supported by Arts Council England