The inaugural queer contemporary arts festival for families, Fambo, will launch during the upcoming school holidays on 29^th September. A first of its kind, Fambo offers a unique opportunity for children and families to engage in queer contemporary arts and culture.
A program of workshops, activities and performances led by LGBTIQA+ artists to celebrate the queer experience through connection, creation, participation and play, The Guide reached out to Artistic Director and queer parent, Jenn Blake.

SAG:  Hi Jenn and thanks for talking to our readers.  This is a new initiative.  What lead you down the path to the creation of a queer contemporary arts festival for families?

JENN:   As a queer parent I wanted to create something new that would provide my family and other queer families an opportunity to come together and participate in an event that explores and celebrates our queer culture and community. The number of incredible artists that exist within the queer community is also something quite unique and extraordinary.

Artists have contributed to and influenced queer culture historically, and continue to do so. As I am very passionate about contemporary arts practice I saw this as a very natural and tactile point of connection for people, especially for children. Children are so naturally curious and open and they have so much to contribute to our community and will essentially become our ambassadors, allies and future spokespeople.

Empowering our young people to understand and appreciate the complexity and joyfulness of queer identities, bodies and culture enables them to have a fuller experience of themselves and their friends and families.

It was during the debate around the plebiscite that I resolved to create Fambo. On one hand it was an act of resistance and on the other a huge distraction from feeling all the feelings during what was a really dark time for a lot of our community. Creating something so far from that darkness has felt really empowering. I feel as though it’s a very fertile time for queer artists and creatives so it’s going to be up to curators, producers and presenters to keep up!

SAG:  The event is being held at 107 Projects in Redfern, a place we love here at The Guide, how are you going to use the space?

JENN:    We are going to use all of it! We are planning an epic takeover of the venue and Jess, Dario and the 107 team have been amazingly supportive from the get go. We have visual arts activities and some exhibited works in the Gallery space, an installation that then turns into a dance party in the Performance Studio, roaming drag story time, dance and cooking workshops on level two and a bit of a picnic lunch happening out on the rooftop.

The venue has set capacities so we have a booking and registration process to avoid chaos on the day. We have spent a lot of time considering the accessibility of the venue and the accessibility needs of our queer community to ensure everything can be enjoyed by everyone who wants to come. All you need to do is book in and turn up.

SAG:   The Festival has a mix of chill and pumping in the program.  What was the balance you were looking for and how long have you been in consultation with the contributing artists?

I purposefully curated a diversity of artists who I knew would create very different experiences that would appeal to all kinds of kids and families as we each find very individual points of entry. Some of the activities will be very energetic and spontaneous while others will require more focus and concentration. I also consciously wanted to make each activity very non-gendered so people, especially kids, wouldn’t fall into patterned behaviours and that they would have an opportunity to really experiment.

The artists have been amazing to work with and have really brought such sensitivity and inspiration to the project. I didn’t want any of them to mute their current practice but just to explore how their practice can be experienced by kids and families and be open to that. I think it’s a vulnerable thing for a lot of queer artists to do and I’m really grateful that they have approached it so courageously and creatively. Many of the artists have been in the picture from grant application writing days and their support was so important in actually making it all happen.

Fambo could be curated 10 times over as there are so many queer artists with the potential to do amazing work in this space. I’m hoping there might be an opportunity for at least another few iterations!

SAG:    The diversity of the program is terrific.  Any family or curatorial favourites?

JENN:     I can’t wait for Shahmen Suku’s Banana Power workshop. I think the way Shahmen uses food as a point of entry to talk about history, culture and family creates an intimate performance experience that is really exciting and accessible. So many kids love cooking. They love the responsibility and the intimacy of learning something that is usually exclusively done by adults. I think kids and adults will both really enjoy doing the workshop together.

My 5 year old has a different favourite every day but they are pretty into the idea of destroying an artwork and making some wearable art with Kieran Butler – destruction and creation, all the things!

SAG:     Despite our hope that we live in an enlightened society, you must be receiving some responses which don’t support this event?

JENN:       Queerphobia is very real and something that queer people have had to be aware of and navigate always. But that hasn’t and won’t deter us from being our authentic selves and won’t stop our community from being expressive and creative. I think the plebiscite proved that, even though that proof certainly wasn’t worth the cost.

We are here and queer and even more than that we are thriving. I don’t think any negative responses I get will change any of that for me personally, but I will be fiercely protective of people more vulnerable than myself and especially our children and young people. That there is the beauty of the queer community, if you attack one of us, you will have the whole Fambo to deal with!

FAMBO is supported by the City of Sydney through its Culture and Creative Grants program and the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body. Fambo is auspiced by 107 Projects and an initiative of their 107 Presents annual program.