Theatre-maker Simone French and drag legend Cheddar Gorgeous present a new series of MIF Matchmakers to help artists find their dream collaborative partners.
The monthly sessions will start on Thursday 22 October, 18:00 and will aim to connect artists who are looking to start a new collaboration – whether they’re looking for someone who shares their specialism, seeking help with a particular practice, or just open to seeing how an unexpected collaboration might unfold.
MIF Matchmakers was successfully piloted earlier this year during MIF’s Artist Drop-in series – which was set up in response to the COVID-19 crisis to provide a space for creatives of all kinds to keep in touch, share experiences and share ideas.
Over the past few months, hundreds of artists have taken part in drop-in sessions featuring guest speakers including Manchester-based creatives Darren Pritchard, Jessica El Mal, and Louise Wallwein, as well as international artists Lois Weaver, Lola Arias and Huang Ruo.
The initial MIF Matchmaker sessions have led to a number of new collaborations ranging from a sustainable fashion event to an interactive musical experience that transports audiences to the future.
“It was a match made in heaven,” said one participant. “These were the first people I’ve got to meet in lockdown, I found this queer-friendly space and matched with an artist that is so exciting.”
“MIF Matchmakers is a creative date-line to help local artists find the perfect collaborative match and also make all of us a little bit more aware of the amazing talent that we have here in the city. This is about growing connections between artists and organisations like the Festival. Each artist will talk about themselves, their practice and what they are looking for in a dream collaborative partner, or partners… no judgement here!”
(Cheddar and Simone)
Known for her unicorn, alien, and other fantastical drag performances, Cheddar Gorgeous is one of the UK’s most celebrated drag queens with over 112,000 online followers. The ‘drag daddy’ of the Family Gorgeous, Cheddar is one of the driving forces of Manchester’s Home of Fabulous, Cha Cha Boudoir, an infamous and inclusive late-night club cabaret for spectacular creatures. More recently, Cheddar is one of the stars of Channel 4’s new hit show Drag SOS.
Cheddar’s project ‘Hero Worship’, developed through a recent Remote Residency with MIF, is a series of nine photographic portraits showcasing unique drag ‘looks’. Each ‘look’ is made up of specially-designed makeup design and costume pieces that pay homage to a different group of key workers serving communities during the COVID-19 crisis.
Emphasising strong female voices, Simone French is an unconventional theatre-maker, performer, vocalist and arts community, facilitator. She is Co-Artistic Director of TomYumSim – an outrageously absurd performance duo, known for queer participatory theatre and transforming unusual spaces into bespoke theatrical worlds.
MIF Matchmakers and Artist Drop-ins will both continue to take place monthly via Zoom at 18:00 and are free.
