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drag king

A whale of a time at The Kingdom Come! 

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5 drag kings including CYRO, Oedipussi Rex, Captain Cock, Pip Dream and Beau Jangles along with Finn of Andro and Eve pose for a photo on a stage lit by colourful lights

Last month we produced the eighth edition of The Kingdom Come, our drag king cabaret, and it was a Salty Seas themed night of queer joy! 

We were back at Crookes Social Club for a night of nautical nonsense featuring some of the UK’s most exciting drag acts. We transformed the main hall into a sea themed wonderland bringing together over 300 people to celebrate some incredible drag king talent.

Beau Jangles, a slim brown drag king wearing navy dinner jacket and white trousers sings on a mic
Host Beau Jangles brought old school crooner charm to the night. Credit – Nelly Naylor (2024)

We were blown away by the talents of the artists performing and need to say a huge thank you for them sharing their acts – CYRO, Oedipussi Rex, Captain Cock, Pip Dream and of course our captain for the night – Beau Jangles! From Beau’s smooth singing, to Captain Cock’s hearty shanties, Pip Dream’s obsession with a buoy, CYRO’s powerful (and very witty) performances to Oedipussi Rex’s total drag nonsense as giant sandcastle, angler fish and rowdy viking, everyone was thoroughly entertained.

Oedipussi dressed as giant yellow sandcastle with turrets for a headpiece. They are lipsyncing onstage
Oedipussi Rex gave us pure drama dressed as a sandcastle. Credit – Nelly Naylor (2024)

Our tech team and volunteer crew helped keep everything ship shape. Our thanks to them, the artists and you, our wonderful community for helping create a space where so many people feel free to be themselves. Your kindness and generosity is so so appreciated. As one audience member said;

‘It’s a space where queer people are welcomed to be their most authentic selves’. 

Audience member

The vegan cake from Little Town Pantry went down a treat and raffle excitement kept everyone on their toes! Thanks to everyone who helped us raise vital funds for our Pay it Forward ticket fund enabling us to continue to provide discounted and free tickets to those who need them at future events.

Crowd shot of smiling people
Credit – Nelly Naylor (2024)

We also introduced a Community Information Stall. Through this we shared information about local organisations fighting for a more just world and ways you can support them. We feel it is important to build solidarity in our region between those of us fighting against different systems of oppression.

Two white queer people smile wearing Andro and Eve Tees as they sell tasty cake
Some of the brilliant Andro and Eve volunteer crew selling vegan cake! Credit – Nelly Naylor (2024)

Whilst climate change is set to become an even bigger cause of displacement and migration, particularly in the Global South, the UK government continues to create a hostile environment for migrants and refugees. The Rwanda bill is yet another example of this. We must not forget that many people also face hostile treatment in their countries of origin because of their gender identity or sexuality. 

There are many local organisations supporting refugees and those seeking asylum, and we would highlight the work of ASSIST Sheffield, City of Sanctuary Sheffield and our friends from Lesbian Asylum Support Sheffield as groups to support.  

At future events, our intention is to raise awareness of other local campaigns and groups supporting and advocating for migrants and refugees along with environmental sustainability. If you are connected to any such local groups then please feel free to get in touch. 

CYRO, a Black drag king with painted face and flowers in their hair and red gloves
CYRO wowed the crowd with their powerful performances. Credit – Nelly Naylor

We’ll be announcing news of future events very soon (make sure you’ve signed up to our newsletter to be first to hear) but in the meantime, enjoy these wonderful photos taken by Nelly Naylor of The Kingdom Come Salty Seas edition! 

Three white queer people dressed as pirates pose excitedly
Ahoy there hearty seafayrers! Credit – Nelly Naylor (2024)
Captain Cock drag king wearing red tartan skirt and tricorn hat
Drag king Captain Cock gave a swashbuckling performance. Credit – Nelly Naylor (2024)
Drag King Oedipussi dressed as a viking, charges up the stage steps with 3 people in his cardboard boat
Oedipussi Rex got everyone on board with his drag barbarian antics! Literally.
A white person and Black person smile as they pose for a portrait
Credit – Nelly Naylor (2024)
Drag king Pip Dream shared his love for his very own buoy! Credit – Nelly Naylor
Drag king Oedipussi onstage in cardboard boat dressed as a viking with crowd in front of them
Oedipussi the drag barbarian. Credit – Nelly Naylor (2024)
Group of six friends pose in costumes
Squad goals at The Kingdom Come. Credit – Nelly Naylor (2024)
Three white queer people in pirate themed costumes
Credit – Nelly Naylor 2024

Drag King Open Call

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drag king open call

We’re excited to announce an opportunity for drag kings and things to perform at The Kingdom Come #7 on the 29 June!

This open call is aimed at those who have less than 18 months experience performing as their drag character.

You’ll be expected to perform one act no longer than 6 minutes long, at our drag king cabaret, The Kingdom Come, Pride is a Protest Edition on Thur 29 June at Crookes Social Club. We’ll need you at the venue for tech by 4pm on the day of the event. 

In return we’ll pay you a fee of £75 and send you a set of photos of your performance, taken by a professional photographer, and you get to feel the love of our supportive community. 

Who can apply?

> Drag kings or gender expansive drag acts 
> With 18 months or less experience performing as their drag act
> Who are based in Yorkshire or the North of England
> Who are able to commit to the date and times above

We will not consider applications from acts based in locations other than Yorkshire or the North of England, Northern talent to the front please! (We consider Northern talent to be inclusive of the East and West Midlands).

This is a great opportunity to have your act seen by a large and enthusiastic audience. Your act should be suitable for performing on a raised stage to a seated audience of 300 people. We are sorry that there is currently no step free access to the stage.

To apply, please complete the short Google Form and attach a video file or share a link to a short video of your drag act. 

Deadline for submission – Midday 6 June

drag king Mark Anthony performs in aviator sunglasses and leather biker jacket
Are you ready to perform on our stage like Mark Anthony?

We will be in touch with the chosen act by Friday 9 June. We are unable to give feedback to unsuccessful submissions, but we may keep your details on file for future bookings.

We look forward to hearing from you. If you have any questions about this opportunity please drop us a line to hello@androandeve.com. Please note, we are a team that works part time so the best way to reach us is by email and there may be a delay in us responding. 

FAQ’s

I am not a drag king, can I apply?
Sorry no, The Kingdom Come is strictly for drag kings and drag acts existing beyond the binary. We programme other types of performance and drag queens at our other events.

I’ve never performed as my drag king before, can I apply?
Given the scale of this event and audience size, we are looking for acts who have some performance experience but are looking to take their act onto a different size stage and appear on a bigger platform. Therefore we do expect you will have some experience of performing as your drag king or thing.

I am based in an unspecified location, but there is a lack of opportunities for local drag acts, can I apply?
We are fiercely proud of being based in South Yorkshire and celebrating queer culture. We want to support more acts from the North of England. Acts based in Yorkshire will be prioritised over other areas in the North, where opportunities may be available through our friends who also make up the Queer Arts North Network.

What other opportunities will there be for newer or non king acts to appear on one of your stages?
Our open mic slots at A Reyt Queer Do are more suited to those brand new to performing and are also a place where we programme a diverse range of performance styles. Sign up to our newsletter below to be first to hear of further opportunities this Autumn.

Meet Sigi Moonlight

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a youthful East Asian drag king stands with his hands together in front of his chest. He is captured sideways onto the camera. He wears a white shirt with balck waistcoat and black jeans with black sequin detailing. He has a thin moustache and black hair with bleach blonde streak worn in a long side quiff.

We’re very excited that drag king Sigi Moonlight, will be performing at The Kingdom Come: Queer Future Edition in Sheffield next month.

You might remember him from our online discussion with Festival of Debate last year, Drag Beyond the Binary, or if you’re a long term Andro and Eve fan, you might have seen him on our stages in 2018!

Ahead of The Kingdom Come, we caught up with him. As somewhat of a chameleon in the drag scene, we thought we’d dig a bit deeper and find out more about this amazing artist!

1. We first had you perform in Sheffield in 2018. How did you get into drag?

I always used to play the male roles at the all girls’ schools I went to, and that was my first approach to performing masculinity and being on stage. I didn’t perform for a while after that. Even though I loved being on the stage, I never felt any of the castings mirrored my gender or racial identity.

Then in 2017, I saw my first ever drag king, johnsmith, who just happened to be performing in Leeds where I used to live. That was when it clicked. I took part in your king workshop led by Adam All and Apple Derrieres a month later and that’s where Sigi Moonlight was born. Shortly following that I came third in Man Up! drag king competition at The Glory, East London and it swiftly took off from there; it felt like I was meant to have been doing this all along.

an East Asian drag king, Sigi Moonlight strums a small banjo onstage. He wears a red shirt and black trousers and has short black hair with a bleach blonde streak at the front
Sigi Moonlight Performing at The Kingdom Come, 2018

2. Can you tell us about the character of Sigi and how you approach your drag performances?

My drag name is a play on Ziggy Stardust and it’s an expression of everything that’s gone a bit wrong with masculinity. Sigi was born in 2017, the same year that Donald Trump became the POTUS, and to me that spelled the beginning of the end for humanity. Just like Ziggy Stardust, Sigi is a bit of an alien sent to earth, an empty vessel who embodies different types of masculinity in order to shine a light on the weird and terrifying extremes it has reached. My “Siginature” (excuse the pun) style is taking an overtly darkly masculine character and flipping it on its head to reveal a softer, more feminine interior in the form of striptease and comedy.

3. We last caught up with you in a Festival of Debate Q&A in May 2021, what have you been up to since then?

I’ve since joined PECS Drag King Collective, graduated from drama school, got an agent, starred in an HBO series, played on a West End stage, performed in a lead role in Mulan Rouge at The Vaults in Waterloo, and been on a Netflix tour with drag race queens performing at venues across the UK promoting new forms of drag to audiences who’ve never seen a drag king before!

4. You’re part of the Bitten Peach collective. Can you tell us a bit about that, and what you enjoy about performing with them?

The Bitten Peach is the UK’s only Queer Pan-Asian Performer Collective aiming to address the balance of Asian performers on lineups in cabaret and live performance spaces as well as showcase the excellence of Asian talent on the drag and cabaret scene. I have performed in as well as hosted shows with them since they were formed in 2019.

The best thing about performing with The Bitten Peach is the strong sense of community and identity that is served up to make each and every show really special and heartfelt. It doesn’t just feel like any old “gig”; everyone is committed to performing and preparing well, and the spirit in our rehearsals and final shows is very apparent. I also love our outside social occasions like hot pot dinners and sports day events. It feels like being part of one big loving family! I’ll next be appearing in The Bitten Peach Halloween Whodunnit Show on Wednesday 19th October at The Pleasance Theatre in Islington… keep an eye on their socials for tickets!

Drag King Sigi Moonlight, a slim East Asian masc guy is pictured bearing his teeth in a fierce grimmace. He wears a white shirt with royal blue satin waist corset and dark blue brocade jacket with gold embellishments including spiked studs on the right shoulder. He also wears grey brocade trousers and dark round sunglasses. His hair is black with a white streak and styled into a side quiff.
Sigi Moonlight, who loves a 1950’s or 1960’s rebel! Credit – Captured by Corrine

5. What or who inspires you either in the world of drag or queer performance or any arts and culture?

I look to the aesthetic styles of the 50s and 60s for many of my own fashion sense, poses and direction in my photoshoots and acts. The film rebels, Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift and James Dean, are and will forever be my idols when it comes to style and eschewing the boundaries between masculine and feminine performance onstage and onscreen. In terms of drag artists, I am in awe of the make up talents of Landon Cider, the prop and costume making skills of Oedipussi Rex and Marnie Scarlet, the charisma and voice of LoUis CYfer and Beau Jangles, and the clowning wonders of Fancy Chance. However, I’m also very amazed by the upcoming drag king talent who have emerged the last couple of years.

6. What would you like to see or make happen as part of a hopeful queer future?A mainstream show on a worldwide platform that rivals RuPaul but welcomes and celebrates drag kings. There are more and more talented kings on the scene each year, so I hope it’s only a matter of time before we enter the mainstream.

You can catch Sigi Moonlight along with our amazing line up of drag kings at The Kingdom Come #6 on Thursday 6 October. Grab your tickets now!

Follow Sigi Moonlight on Instagram @sigimoonlight or on Facebook.

Quiz Time!

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The words reyt queer quiz are surrounded by uellow and purple question marks on a turquoise background

Lockdown 3 is the sequel we never asked for, so to quell the disappointment and bring the queer joy, we’ve organised our very own lockdown quiz.

Marking the start of LGBT+ History Month, on Friday 5 February, our special online quiz will test your knowledge of queer culture and hopefully bring a giggle!

Whether you’re flying solo, in a bubble, or locked down with your chosen family, join us for a slice of silly, with a side order of LGBT+ theirstory in our interactive Reyt Queer Quiz. Add in plenty gorgeous prizes from local independent traders, and a sprinkle of fabulous queer performance from Christian Adore, and you’ve got a bit of Friday night magic.

Expect questions on LGBT Hers/ His /Theirstory and queer culture. With interactive elements to keep things the right shade of nonsensical.

Christian Adore will be making a special guest appearance on the 5 February!

You can form a team with pals, or play solo. Max 4 in a team to keep things fair! HOUSEHOLD TICKETS are available for 2 – 4 people in the same house *who will be sharing a screen*. Any questions, just get in touch!

The winning team will win a bundle of delights, including Birdhouse tea, Truffle Pig vegan chocolate, reading material from La Biblioteka, plus Andro and Eve goodies and much more. Prizes for runners up (including treats from Elly Joy) will also be given!

This is a special fundraiser event to support the work of Andro and Eve. We appreciate any extra contributions you can give on top of the price of your ticket.

This event is for ages 18+ only. Book your tickets here!

Lets meet LoUis CYfer!

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With just over a month until our our Cabaret College, we caught up with award winning drag king and actor Lucy Jane Parkinson, aka LoUis CYfer who we’re collaborating with for this set of online workshops..

LoUis CYfer was the first Drag King to win the crown at Drag Idol UK and has gone on to become a well known performer in the UK cabaret scene. A regular collaborator with theatre company Milk Presents, they have performed in theatre shows across the UK, balancing their acting and writing alongside appearances as LoUis CYfer. Having led some drag king workshops for us back in November 2019 we’re thrilled they are back to work with us on the Cabaret College. 

An androgynous person dressed in plastic gold armour poses with a hobby horse while a glitter canon goes off behind them
Lucy Jane Parkinson in JOAN. Milk Presents.

Q. Can you tell us about your past work?

As well some stints working in a Chinese takeaway and Morrisons, I have worked in in some of the best cabaret bars in the UK. I’ve travelled all over the world from Texas to Australia, performing both cabaret and theatre. I’ve run workshops which raise awareness around gender, masculinity and drag, alongside some of my favourite people in the whole world (Milk Presents). Together we cleaned up at the Edinburgh fringe a few years ago winning a Fringe First, a Stage Award and Spirit of the Fringe for our hit cabaret theatre show: JOAN. I’ve done lots of work with Milk Presents with shows such as BULLISH and video poetry projects like MY ENGLAND. Before lockdown I had just finished a restoration comedy at the Young Vic Theatre and a drama for the BBC.

Q. What is the character of LoUis CYfer like?

LoUis is like nobody I’ve ever met, he’s charming yet cheeky, he’s strong and masculine but delicate like a soggy dandelion. He’s a dickhead that you can’t help but have fun with.

Q. What got you into drag / cabaret and what do you like best about it?

I was an artist studying my masters and at the same time was having a complete identity crisis; LoUis was my way of processing my confusion. The best thing about cabaret is that the show isn’t someone else’s script, it’s all your own, and having a stage for your voice, (albeit to pissheads), feels like a great opportunity to create discourse in an entertaining manner.

Q. Is there anything about drag and cabaret you’d like to see change? 

Drag and cabaret is always changing and is constantly in flux, if you want me to say I’d like to see more kings I’m not going to do that … What I would like is to be able to see more arts funding for this genre as lots of cabaret artists are living hand to mouth. It would be good if we could apply for funds to make our travelling performances more like conventional touring theatre in terms of having a team and budgets for lighting and sound. Being on your own and doing everything can be a real stress and sometimes you forget to enjoy it.

Q. What do you hope to achieve through the Cabaret College? 

I want to improve the quality of the work on the scene. I’m sick of seeing people have to enter all these competitions to get recognition. It’s not a good start and doesn’t facilitate self – sufficiency and critical reflection for the artist. It is crucial to equip creative people with the tools to make good quality work.

Q. As someone working in the performing arts how have you adapted under COVID? What are you excited about working on in future? 

I’ve gone digital baby!!! This includes working with my own avatar as a way to explore character and technology. I’ve started my own podcast called FANNY KLUB and have been working with my partner in crime Rebecca Banatvala on our queer theatre company Korupt Kabuki. We have been writing monologues for actors to perform to camera, writing our own comedy show BOXTICKERS and thanks to Daisy May Cooper we have been writing our first treatment for a TV show about how we met. It’s been all go here at HQ.. Before lockdown I was due to start 6 months at Shakespeare’s Globe theatre in Twelfth Night so once things open up again I’m hopeful they will begin rehearsals and I’ll get my big break back!

Lucy leans over a table to help share drag king makeup skills to two participants who have painted on some thick eyebrows
LoUis facilitating a drag king workshop for Andro and Eve. Nov 2019

Can you tell us about someone that inspires you? 

Without trying to sound like a dickhead, no particular person inspires me. I find moments and memories inspiring but to be inspired I feel like you have to see something in someone else that you aspire to be or have.. I don’t feel like I’ve had the opportunity to see myself in anyone yet. Having said that I wouldn’t mind waking up one morning to find I am Jodie Comer, Victoria Wood, Robin Williams, Cathy Burke or Daisy May Cooper.

To find out more and apply for a place on the Cabaret College course head here and complete the short application form. Deadline 30 July. You can find out more about LoUis CYfer by following him on Instagram. 

Drag King Workshops Online

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Next week we’re producing our first online version of our drag king workshops, and collaborating with Christian Adore to do so.

This 3 week course is designed to give participants tools needed to make an original drag character, and have some fun exploring what can be done with them! This short video gives you a good idea of what the workshops will involve and a sense of what Christian Adore is all about!

 

Workshops take place at 7.30pm GMT on the 8th, 15th and 22nd July. We might not be physically gathering in Sheffield, but there’ll be plenty Yorkshire charm!

Booking for each workshop closes at 10am the day before in order that participants have time to prepare the materials they need and get the Zoom link from us.

Sliding scale tickets available and free bursaries for those with restrictive incomes. Contact us if you’d like a free place. Or book now to get in on all the fun!

 

Finding My Community

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‘I struggled to find a community that would really support me in my drag journey’

For years, I’ve been interested in becoming a drag king – partly because of my theatre degree and fascination with gender as performance – but I’ve struggled to find a community that would really support me in my drag journey. So, when I saw a poster advertising Andro and Eve’s Drag King Workshop in November 2019, I simply knew I had to sign up for it.

Drag king louis Cyfer tutors workshop participants in drag makeup skills
Drag king Louis Cyfer teaches some drag makeup skills

Before the big weekend, I was buzzing with anticipation, but there was also a fraction of performance anxiety, as the practical workshops, especially comedy and character development, sounded challenging. On the second day of skills workshops, brilliantly facilitated by Katherine and Natalie, I found myself literally crawling on the floor whilst performing my first ever comedy improvisation that made my audience laugh. This wasn’t just confidence-boosting, it really made me realise I could “do” things, if only I was brave enough to take the plunge.

Workshop participants enjoy exploring gender as performance
Exploring gender as performance

The talent within our group is incredible. Some are charismatic performers, there are actors, singers, musicians and dancers, but everyone is warm and supportive. Our little community thrives on WhatsApp and some of us have met up at local events, such as Andro and Eve’s own Reyt Queer Do. The friendships forged at the workshop are proving an invaluable source of positive energy and inspiration during these strange times. I admit I can’t wait until I see the other Kings again on the other side of lockdown.

Andro & Eve director Katherine leads a session in gender as performance. They are sat in chairs having fun 'manspreading'.
Katherine Warman, Andro & Eve creative producer leads a session in gender as performance.

Developing Tristan – my drag king alter-ego – brings me a lot of joy. He still hasn’t quite found himself but he started his own life on social media and I’m looking at developing more comedy material, especially bad poetry. I’m truly grateful to Andro and Eve for giving me the tools to this wonderful, creative outlet and helping me find my place within the queer arts community.

Maria.

A group discusses creative ideas about creating scenes

What is a drag king cabaret?!

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It has come to our attention that, SHOCK HORROR, some folk don’t KNOW what a drag king cabaret is? Hold our redbush tea while we gently explain the lowdown on the glorious and rare beast that is a cabaret night dedicated solely to DRAG KINGS.

Drag king romeo de la cruz onstage dancing
Romeo De La Cruz performs at The Kingdom Come 5, May 2019

Firstly, some of you, (gasp) may not know what a drag king is, but we think you *may* have heard of drag queens. So, a drag king, instead of performing femininity like most queens, will perform a version of masculinity. This can include use of makeup, facial hair, body transformation, and just like a queen, a wholly formed persona to amuse an audience. But ‘blokes are not as exciting to look at as the trappings of a woman’ we hear some dissenters mouth.. HOLD UP! Have you seen Spikey Van Dykey?  Adam All? Christian Adore? Oedipussi? The latter three kings have all performed at our very own drag king cabaret, The Kingdom Come. No one with working eyesight could accuse these kings of not dazzling the heck out of audiences with their OTT looks.

Adam All and partner Aple Derrieres perform at The Kingdom Come, June 2017.

Starting to get an understanding? Okay. Now. Just don’t say ‘so its a woman dressed as a man right?’ This is because many kings identify as non binary, trans-masculine or as men. That said, some kings do go about daily life as women, just please ask before assuming this. Misgendering folk is never a good look and we really don’t want our community feeling less than damn brilliant. Got it? Champion.

So what does a drag king do? Glad you asked. They usually perform a 5 – 10 minute act in which they may dance, strut, pose, sing, lipsync or clown but always with the intention of entertaining an audience. Many kings use their performances to deconstruct and play with the idea of masculinity, using props, humour and audience interaction to give audiences a rollicking thrill ride of fun, while potentially also blowing your mind with a different perspective. Even if that perspective is that you didn’t know the macarena could be performed *that* fast, (cheers Oedipussi), or you now have a taste for a dick in a box (thanks Louis Von Dini)!

Chiyo onstage at The Kingdom Come, with tattoos and piercings on display
Scene star Chiyo performs at The Kingdom Come, May 2019. Abbeydale Picture House.

And a drag king cabaret such as The Kingdom Come? Well we put 5 of these kings on a massive stage, in the historic surroundings of old 1920’s cinema, Abbeydale Picture House in Sheffield, and get them to perform for 200 – 350 people. They usually perform 2 different acts each with an interval in between. Its a room full of queer joy, community and the feeling that for 3 hours, we can come together and just celebrate. We also transform the space with decorations, a dedicated lighting designer, stage crew, and a team of amazing volunteers are on hand to support our community throughout (and sell some of the best vegan cake in Sheffield).

We do this because often, women and trans performers are marginalised, because its the turn of the kings to get the recognition they deserve, with scene stalwarts like Boi Box having helped develop the careers of so many wonderful kings, and because Northern cities like Sheffield deserve some of the finest entertainment the UK has to offer! (And like so many cities, are lacking in dedicated LGBTQ+ venues). We want to put Sheffield on the map for queer arts and culture.

350 audience members watch Shesus and the Sisters onstage in Sheffield.
Shesus and the Sisters hosting The Kingdom Come at Abbeydale Picture House, May 2019.

Now you may have a better understanding of what The Kingdom Come is, we hope you can join us for a future edition. Because of the scale of these shows (the largest drag king show outside of London), we only do them once or twice a year. Our next is on the 21st March and you can get a ticket here, with sliding scale prices so all can enjoy a night of queer joy!

We hope to greet you there! 

Volunteer With Us!

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Andro and Eve is all about bringing our community together, and one of the ways we do that is by working with a wonderful team of volunteers who give their time to help make our events happen. We’re looking to expand our volunteer team and would love to hear from you if you’ve got some time and energy to help out.

We’re looking for folks who can be at events, interact with members of the public, are happy handling money and love a spot of decorating. (If you’ve been to one of our events, you’ll know our approach to decor is more is more!) Some of our volunteers also help out with stage management and sound. We’re also keen to hear from people who would be up for distributing our posters and flyers, this is an important part of helping us reach new people.

A volunteer operates the sound desk alongside our technician who is wearing a pink suit.

Typically, we ask volunteers wanting to help with events to work with us on evenings and weekends, and for shifts of 4 – 8 hours. We always provide food, breaks and plenty of support for our team, and as a volunteer, of course you’ll get to see behind the Andro and Eve scenes. We also organise socials for our team and offer event training throughout the year.

Here’s what some of our volunteers have said about working with us…

‘After feeling like a lost queer in Sheffield during my time as a student, volunteering for Andro & Eve was one of the best things I could have done for myself, whilst also contributing to the local community. Meeting younger and older LGBTQ+ people who were all so vibrant and positive opened me up to a whole new world and I feel so much more connected to my queer identity. If you feel like you are in a similar state of mind to how I was, or simply want to have fun and contribute your time to some of the best queer events this planet has seen – volunteer for Andro and Eve! Without them and the caring people who dedicate their time there, I’d still be looking for my queer identity’.

‘Being part of Andro and Eve is like having a fabulous queer family. I’ve volunteered now for a number of their events and have loved every minute, we always have such a laugh and I love that its supporting and developing a strong queer presence in the Steel City’….. Laura.

‘Getting involved with Andro and Eve has been a great decision. There’s something really powerful about coming together and putting on these fabulous events to celebrate aspects of our queer culture. The team are so friendly, and its been a pleasure to meet so many new friends from those involved’.

We’d love to hear from folks who are available on the 13th and 30th November for our events in Sheffield and Doncaster, and for dates after this too. If the above sounds good to you, and you have some availability then drop us a line using the contact form here. Thanks!

A New Phase…

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We are very excited to announce that less than a year since becoming a not for profit arts organisation, we have received funding from Arts Council England to support an exciting programme of work for Autumn 2019 – Spring 2020.

Our events continue to grow in scale and ambition, with the last, a drag king cabaret at Abbeydale Picture House, attracting an audience of 330 people. Building on this success we will produce another drag king cabaret, The Kingdom Come at Abbeydale Picture House in March 2020, along with another edition of queer party and performance series, A Reyt Queer Do at Theatre Deli Sheffield on the 30th November.

The programme will also provide both training and performance opportunities for emerging artists in the Yorkshire region, as well as showcasing some of the UK’s most exciting queer performance. We are also excited to announce a new collaboration with CAST in Doncaster, enabling us to bring our feel good events to Doncaster, with the first such event, A Reyt Queer Do, planned for 13th November and hosted by award winning Drag King Louis Cyfer.

This month also marks a new phase for the organisation, which was originally founded by Rhiannon Scutt and Katherine Warman in 2016 to address the lack of safe, inclusive spaces for the LGBTQ+ community to enjoy queer culture in Sheffield. Having worked together creating queer events over the last three years, Rhiannon is now stepping down as a director of the board, and Artistic Director and Chief Executive, Katherine Warman, supported by the board of directors, will lead the company. 

Rhiannon Scutt says ‘It has been a greatly fulfilling experience to nurture Andro & Eve from the seed of an idea and the tiny film night it started out as, to what it has become today. As lesbians in Sheffield, it was important to us that we offer an alternative, gentle night out, where the focus is fun and there is a sense of community. I’m proud to say I think we’ve achieved that time and time again. I wish the team every success, and hope to support Andro & Eve events in the future as an attendee’

Natalie Diddams, Chair of the Andro and Eve board says, ‘we’re so grateful for the hard work and vital input Rhiannon has given to the organisation over the last three years. It’s been a pleasure working with Rhiannon and we wish her all the best with her future projects. We’re excited by the programme of work and confident that the plans we have, will help grow the community benefitting from our events to celebrate queer culture’.

We are also thrilled to announce a weekend of drag king performance workshops on the 9th – 10th November at Theatre Deli Sheffield. Participants will then have the opportunity to apply to perform at either CAST or Theatre Deli in one of the open mic slots showcasing new queer performance. The introduction of a Pay It Forward Ticket scheme in 2018 has enabled an increasing amount of audience members to attend events who may not otherwise have been able to access them, using donations from the public to support the scheme. The funding received will help support this provision of discounted and free tickets for those on lower incomes, as well as enhance accessibility for deaf and disabled audiences.

Katherine Warman comments, ‘It’s been an honour to work alongside Rhiannon the last three years and I’m so proud of what the team and we have achieved. The demand for our work is clear, with so many of our events in the last 18 months selling out in advance. I’m excited that this funding will help us work towards our vision to put South Yorkshire on the map for arts that explore LGBTQ+ lives, nurturing artists and the community we serve’

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