ArtsBuzz article – local artist highlight
SweetPea, are you sitting down? This may be startling to hear. I have been performing as a drag queen in and around Kingston for over 20 years. Shocking, I know! There was drag in Kingston before RuPaul’s Drag Race was even a concept. You could have found me in bars, backyards, theatres, art galleries, boats, event venues, and dancing on the odd back of a pickup truck during Pride. But I found the pandemic to be the biggest challenge in my drag career.
If anything, my many years of drag has taught me you must stay visible to and heard by your audience. No light on stage? Turn on a flashlight. No speaker? Just speak more loudly. I quickly realized the only way my audience could see or hear from me was to move the show online.
It’s a different skillset to cross the divide from in-person to online. I do feel blessed to have some of those skills. Being the first Canadian podcasting drag queen, I got back to my podcasting roots while jumping in headfirst hosting live-streaming shows on social media. There have been wins and failures. But my audience appreciates the efforts.
The Resiliency Grant by the City of Kingston Arts Fund is a muchly appreciated grant. I am eager to build-up my resiliency kit. There are plans for cameras (it’s all about multiple angles, SweetPea), microphones, backdrops, and new live streaming services.
Digital drag art is here to stay. Some wonder if it’s a flash in the pan. Trust me, it’s not. We have drag artists out there who started their careers during the pandemic. They and their audiences have only known the online world for their artform. I say this to all the drag artists out there, get comfortable with digital! It’s here to stay.
I submitted the above article for the Kingston Arts Council. The Kingston Arts Council delivers a bi-weekly newsletter ArtsBuzz. The goal of is to highlight local arts news, Kingston Arts Council update, arts grants deadline, professional development opportunities, and other arts sector news.