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Love queer film? Want to make a queer film?
If you answered
‘yes’ to any of the above then this workshop is for you!
Our two day, DIY film-making workshop will provide you with the basic skills,
contacts and support necessary to make a short film. You don’t need a
gazillion-pound camera, just something that shoots film – a phone, small
camera, camcorder, computer…and if you don’t have any of these things, you can
still turn up. The emphasis is on sharing, teamwork and making the best of the
resources we do have.
On the Saturday you’ll have the chance to meet with experts in directing,
acting, script-writing, sound, editing and camera work in a series of small,
informal workshops. The emphasis will be on skill sharing and discussion so
you’re very welcome to share your own knowledge and experience with the group.
By the end of the day we’ll hopefully have the seeds/plans for some queer short
films.
On the Sunday we’ll go out into the city and shoot. Often invisible or absent
in urban space, queers have been increasingly using film as a way to re/claim
the cities in which they live. We’ll divide into groups and go to the spaces we
love or feel need to be queered. At the end of the day we’ll meet somewhere
like Retro Bar for a debrief and refreshments.
As an added motivation to sit down and edit that film, we’ll be screening what
we make at this year’s Wotever DIY Film Festival, 30th Aug-2nd Sep. Excitingly,
we’ll be having some screenings at the beautiful Cinema Museum as well as the
RVT, so this is a great opportunity to show your work in a fantastic setting.
In order to make this workshop as accessible as possible, we have three price
bands: £10, £15 and £20.
http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/wwoff-workshop-tickets-10852557291
We’ve tried to keep costs as low as we can while still being able to reimburse
our experts for their expenses, so please do pay what you can afford. Any
additional funds will go towards the Wotever DIY Film Festival.
Saturday’s workshop will be held at the RVT so you are welcome to bring your
own lunch and refreshments. The main area of the RVT is wheelchair accessible
but unfortunately the toilets are not, so we are looking for a nearby,
accessible toilet in the area. If you have any other requirements, please get
in touch and we’ll do our utmost to accommodate you.
@WoteverFilmFest
On Wednesday 12 June Duckie held a pre-Gateways Salon discussion event at the RVT. It was incredibly refreshing to see the most diverse and inclusive audience I've come across at the RVT, well ever.
Duckie is going to the Gateways Salon for 2 nights only during London Pride, as part of a retrospective of LGBT social history, on the 28th and 29th June, at the Camden Centre. Exploring the butch/femme identities across the decades, the events bring the experience of the Gateways to new generations in all it's bent, vintage, racy glory. The Gateways salon was one of the original lesbian clubs, based in Chelsea(when it was more like Shoreditch), and a home for lesbians from the 40s up until its closure in 1985.
Tickets are £15 and include Illegitimate entertainment from Ursula Martinez, Jess Love, The Eggs Collective & Figs in Wigs, sideshows from Lucille Power, Sue Frumin & The Drakes, hairdressing by Open Barbers. Event details
Going to the Gateways is part of a Duckie project to explore queer history, capture the essence of the social past and rebuild some oral history for the queer community.
The RVT event was a panel discussion with an interesting range of women - regular patrons of the Gateway and historians/documentarians who have played a roles in capturing the spirit of the Gateways. Chaired with wit and sensitivity by Amy Lamé. Many of the audience were able to share their stories and tales much to the delight of those of us who are a little newer to the scene.
Not just stereotypes
The discussion started off exploring the themes of butch and femme and how important these identities were to out women in the scene of the 40s - 80s, and how these identities permeated lesbian identities, relationship dynamics, affections, behaviour and fashion - and how these identities were used to confuse as well as uphold traditional stereotypes. However there was an inbetween, and androgeny has been around for a while. For some, the butch identity offered an outlet for 'trans' feelings, of which at the time there was no real language to identify gender dysphoria.
The first time
The panel and the audience reflected on the similiraties and differences of going to a gay bar for the first time. The sheer fear many of the patrons felt before they stepped through the door (if indeed they would be 'allowed' to following a strict entrance code for the members only bar). Many women turned up, and went home before even knocking on the door. Many looked for 'women like them' in the surrounding to join through that door for the first time.
Once inside however, that feeling of 'being at home' and safe, and with like minded women dominated the ambiance. Safety was paramount - and Gina & Smithy ran a tight ship. Being barred from the bar was described as 'the death of one's social life' and as a result there was very little violence between patrons.
For most, being able to come to such a venue was a life line particularly in those early days where media representation was non existent or entirely negative, and there was no Diva magazine or Planet London to find out what's on - not that there was spaces for many events or venues to take place anyway. Most women 'stumbled' across the Gateways via word of mouth connections.
Depicted on film
Gateways made it to the big screen in the Killing of Sister George, in the late 60s which inevitably gave a large amount of publicity for the venue - not totally welcomed, when considering security and safety of patrons - but giving the opportunity for many more queer women to find out about the place. Real patrons were used as background extras.
The ebb and flow
Longevity is a real issue in terms of preserving a lesbian scene of any kind of visibility. The number of venues and events available for queer women has ebbed and flowed since the start of their existence. The Gateways eventually closed in 1985 to give way to new events - there was even a super club night at Brixton's Fridge at one point - but the cycle of too many and not enough and not for me seems to have persisted throughout the decades.
Did you go to the Gateways Salon or other lesbian venues that are since gone? Please share your experiences below.
By Katie
