Participants
Kathryn Smith
Intersectionality is an approach that recognises identity is not singular. Human identity is complex and multifaceted; shaped by multiple, simultaneous characteristics that can evolve over time and cannot be viewed or understood in isolation. I use the term ‘queer’ as a reclaimed umbrella term to describe fluid sexuality and gender. ‘Creatives’ refers broadly to anyone in the creative arts industry such as performers or facilitators.
The aim was to explore how queer creatives in Newcastle perform and express elements of their identity, their queer intersectional experience, and what the queer creative scene feels like in Newcastle. Case study interviews of a singer/songwriter, a poet and facilitator, and a cabaret artist were used to explore these questions.
Through a thematic analysis, I identified common themes of: lack of diversity and representation, the multiplicity and complexity of performances, shared in-group understandings, physical appearance, the influence of alcohol, and the ‘fringe’.