Tai Kwun Conversations: Spill the Tea and Werq! Truth & Performance in Hong Kong Drag Culture

General

To perform drag is to flip the established framework for gender. Yet in recent years, drag queens have ascended from an underground party culture to become a global trend. With such a drastic shift in how the world sees drag, what are some perspectives that can help us to interpret these performances? And how do drag performers see their own art?

The upcoming edition of Tai Kwun Conversations: Spill the Tea and Werq! Truth & Performance in Hong Kong Drag Culture explores drag culture’s tremendous impact in the LGBTQ+ community. Invited to this discussion and performance are the local drag queen Coco Pop, a seasoned performer, and DragJam, a drag collective representing a younger generation of performers.

First engaging in a conversation about drag culture in Hong Kong, they will share with us what has changed since the 2000s, and how this transformation has affected lives in the queer community. Following the discussion, Coco Pop and DragJam will then perform, presenting a striking showcase of different styles and a new mythology for drag.

Speakers/Performers:

Coco Pop

DragJam

Moderator:

Sonia Wong

This event will be conducted in Cantonese and English, with simultaneous interpretation in both languages.

Programmes may contain a small amount of indecent language and are recommended for ages 15 and above.

About the exhibition

Myth Makers—Spectrosynthesis III, presented by Tai Kwun Contemporary and Sunpride Foundation, is one of the first major survey exhibitions on LGBTQ+ perspectives in Hong Kong and draws inspiration from artists addressing “queer mythologies”—who highlight either same-sex love and desire or gender fluidity as found in ancient belief systems and traditions in Asia.

About Tai Kwun Conversations

Tai Kwun Conversations is a monthly event that brings together brilliant minds from the fields of contemporary art, architecture, heritage, among many others. Join us to discover new artistic exchanges and outstanding practices in heritage conservation.

*Photo ©Coco Pop

*Photo ©Coco Pop

*Photo ©DragJam

Speakers Bio

Coco Pop

DragJam

Sonia Wong

Coco Pop began her drag career in Hong Kong in 2002. She debuted in the legendary production company House of Siren and later worked at Propaganda, previously one of the largest, longest-running gay nightclubs in Hong Kong. Both venues, which had their heyday in the early 2000s, are now closed but remain iconic in the Hong Kong LGBTQ+ scene.

In 2014, Coco formed a band with four other rock musicians, Coco and the Beasts, Hong Kong's very first band fronted by a drag queen.

In 2017, inspired by similar events in New York promoting acceptance and diversity, she collaborated with a local parents’ group to create “Story Time with Queens”, which brings joy to children and their families.

DragJam is an all-inclusive creative collective offering mentoring, workshops, and events for self-expression and LGBTQ+ advocacy. Inspiring people to transcend gender boundaries and uniting communities, they are dragtivists, feminists, and human rights advocates.

Based in Hong Kong, Sonia Wong currently teaches gender and culture-related subjects at the Gender Studies Programme of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Her research interests include lesbian identity, female sexuality, film, and new media.

She is the founder of Reel Women Hong Kong, the first and only independent film festival in Hong Kong devoted to the promotion of films and artworks created by women, which also provides a platform for gender equality and raising social awareness. In 2018, she co-founded the Women’s Festival with Chantal Wong from Eaton HK and Vera Lui from Sally Coco. In addition to her work as a community organiser and advocate, she is also a writer and visual artist.

Tai Kwun Conversations: Spill the Tea and Werq! Truth & Performance in Hong Kong Drag Culture

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