This event will take place in person.
Kookie Blu presents: The Blu Palace Ball
Kookie Blu invites you to embark on a magical journey with her fabulous friends as they explore one of the most celebrated Drag Balls, which debuted legendary Queens in West London’s Porchester Hall from the 1960s to the 80s.
The Blu Palace Ball is a performance evening based on the photography of Robert Workman held by Bishopsgate Institute. Workman documented entertainer and drag icon Jean Fredericks on London’s Drag Ball scene. This will be a night to remember, so wear your best gown and enjoy the drama.
Practical information
Tickets are £12/£6 and available in advance and on the door.
What inspired The Blu Palace Ball
Inspired by the Institute’s collections, this event will explore themes such as beauty, freedom of expression, gender, history, the world of queer ballroom, and drag Kings and Queens.
Collaborating with several artist from multiple diverse creative backgrounds, this exciting performance draws on inspiration from archive materials such as the “Female Mimics”, The Miss World Board Game, issues of Gay News and 100s of images from Robert Workman’s photographic collection, creating a space which is free from judgement and full of creativity.
Image caption – (c) Cleo Elizabeth Thomas. Image of performer Kookie Blu.
How we’re keeping you safe
April 2022 update: Keeping you safe and healthy is our number one priority.
If you test positive for Covid-19 or are asked to isolate and are not able to attend your class or pre-booked event, please contact the Bishopsgate Box Office for further information (enquiries@bishopsgate.org.uk). Please do not come to the Institute in person if you have symptoms or have tested positive.
Wearing a face mask is no longer compulsory but we ask you to consider others when in our building and especially when spending time in crowded and enclosed spaces where you come into contact with people you don’t normally meet. You will see many of our staff and volunteers continuing to wear face masks and we are keeping the perspex screens at our reception desks.
Bishopsgate Institute has strict cleaning protocols in place and ventilation throughout the building. There are hand-sanitising stations available throughout the building and touch-free drinking fountains. Find out more about how we’re keeping you safe.
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Meet the Artist
Kookie
Kookie earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree at Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London.
She moves freely within her multidisciplinary practice, creating content, writing and directing plays, music, video and theatre, and visual arts. Her experimental nature also explores important themes from capitalism to Afro-futurism, as an ambassador for imagination and creativity. She delves into everyday life for inspiration, and was brought up in a diverse community with exposure to different genres of music, fashion, and culture. This has allowed her to draw from these experiences, intertwining them into her works, and illuminating contemporary culture in a distinctly original fashion.