CONGREGATIONAL
‘congregation’
an act of people coming together
‘Congregational’ explores queer spirituality, collective voice, live music, and nightlife culture, imaging what choral music might sound and feel like when created in and for nightclub contexts. Particularly it will re-consider & present the nightclub as queer spiritual space with its own rituals, ceremony, leadership, hymns, and congregation and provide space to create new musical performance within this exploration.
In particular the project will consider:
the role of the drag artist in community leadership, bringing together LGBTQ+ communities for moments of joy, community, and togetherness.
What a ‘sacred music’ for nightclubs might sound like and particularly the possibilities for choral music and collective voice.
The ways in which nightclubs and dance floors offer opportunity for collective emotion, action, communication, connection to community, and the possibility for transcendental experiences.
What spaces and opportunities we might create for LGBTQ+ vocalists to connect through choral performance.
And what queerness itself might offer us spiritually outside of organised religions.
An R&D phase of the project in September & October 2024 has been funded by the Arts Council, England with support from Fierce Festival, Cambridge Junction, B:Music, & Wysing Arts Centre. A work in progress performance will be presented as part of Club Fierce, at Fierce Festival 2024, tickets are available here.