2014/2015 Summer Assessment

When I’m A Lady There is a performance featuring both digital media and a live performer. It brings together the extremely contemporary issue of performative gender, sex changes, and the satirical aspect that real people shine on these serious topics.

Around the subject of gender, Judith Butler’s writing has been a large influence on the understanding of gender binaries and performative gender. Patricia Gherovici’s writing on the choice of gender reinforces the fluctuation abilities of gender and sexuality. Having previously explored the concept of Hyper-Masculinity the performance highlights the beginning of a deeper exploration into the opposition – drag culture. The personalities from Viva La Drag, Paris Is Burning, and RuPaul’s Drag Race were the inspiration for the creation of the performer Miss Heavenette.

This performance grabs the attention of the audience on these intimate matters by using humour to put the audience at ease, allowing them to engage on a more subconscious level. The motivation for this performance comes from the fascination found within the variety of genders available through humanity, how they are perceived both silently and audibly. As this is only the beginning of the research into these topics the main purpose of this piece is to gage the audience’s reaction to see how that may be manipulated in future pieces.

Emma Watson’s HeForShe UN Speech

If Not Me, Who? If Not Now, When?, 2015, Sound Piece

Cut Piece, 1964, Yoko Ono, Performance