Conventions and conferences are a fantastic way for like-minded people to get together, learn new things and be inspired. There seems to be a conference for everything you can think of in the US - including burlesque - but most of us in the UK don't have the money to travel to those. Thankfully, there are plenty of women in Britain who are stepping up and organising conferences of their own.
The latest of these is BurlyCamp - a new event for 2012, produced by and for the London burlesque community. Taking place at Hoxton Hall on 19th-20th May, BurlyCamp aims to provide newbies with an opportunity to discover their burlesque persona with two days of workshops, performances, crafts and classes. There will also be plenty for those who have already started out and want to build on what they already know.
"Whether you’re new to burlesque performing or are hoping to take your career to the next level, BurlyCamp will have workshops to educate and inspire you. Even if you can’t quite imagine yourself on the stage, you can simply come along for fun, or perhaps to learn some craft skills to help out your new burly friends. BurlyCamp is open to women and men of any age, so come and join us for a weekend to remember!"
In the interests of full disclosure, I should probably admit right now that I am one of the founders of BurlyCamp. The idea came about when I started to describe just what it is I love so much about burlesque. I love the creativity, the fun, a chance to learn new skills, and the sense of community that comes when friendly people set out to create something people will love to watch.
Since that first discussion, and the booking of a beautiful venue in east London, the event has slowly taken shape with the help of some truly amazing people. On the schedule we have experienced burlesque performers like Lady Cheek, Rubyyy Jones, The Tasseled Empress, the business brain of ReeRee Rockette, photographer extraordinaire Tigz Rice and published illustrator Sue Dray. The wonderful sessions that have already been confirmed, on all sorts of themes, include:
- The Cheek of It! Taster Burlesque
- The Burlesque Name Generation Game!
- Burlesque Meets Music Theatre
- Building Your Personal Brand
- Pose Your Way To Pin Up Perfection
- Hula Hooping with Sass!
- Bellydance for Burlesque
- Make Your Own Tassels
- Period Costume For Burlesque
We're even hosting a panel discussion on burlesque and feminism before the Saturday evening show! Whether you're interested in burlesque as a hobby, a career, or just something to go and watch with a cocktail in hand, the BurlyCamp team reckon there will be something for you at our event.Tickets are £60 for Saturday (including the show), £45 for Sunday or £90 for the whole weekend. Hope to see you there!