A Kirkby-Stephen based producer is bringing a drag show to Kendal this December to help grow Cumbria’s queer community.
Kay Trayford, 35, moved into the county last year and quickly became aware of the lack of spaces for LGBTQIA+ people in the county, and now she’s aiming to do something about it.
The Santa SLAY event will take place on Saturday December 17 at the Blind Bus Driver cocktail bar on Lowther Street, with drag queen and live vocalist Layla Zee Susan headlining.
Speaking about the event, Kay said: “I moved to the Lake District about a year and a half ago, and coming from working in cities like London, Manchester and Leeds I saw a big difference in terms of nightlife for queer people. I’m a gay woman, my partner is a gay woman and we realised quickly how lacking in social activities it was for us.
“I’ve always loved drag queens, I grew up around drag queens and I’ve worked with them for many years and that was one thing I specifically missed coming over into Cumbria and I couldn’t find any regular venue hosting those speciality acts, and I thought when I moved here that I’d really love to be able to start something here.
“There definitely is an audience for it in rural spaces and I just want to see what else I can do to help build queer culture here, because there is one here, but it’s never really talked about or fought for, so that’s my mission.”
Kay added she wants the event in December to create a positive space for LGBTQIA+ people that is also accessible to general audiences who she welcomes questions and interest from.
She said: “There are a lot of people who don’t realise how normal and popular queer culture is, but my agenda is not to push my culture on people in the local area. I just want to create a space where people like myself feel comfortable and to open the conversation up to people who maybe don’t necessarily feel comfortable with it, but want to ask questions and know more.
“I would love to have someone come to the show that doesn’t want this sort of thing in their area, I would love to talk to them to say it’s not an agenda, this is who I am, I know there’s people here like me and I want to know what I can do for them with my skills as a producer and how I can bring art to them.”
Talking about the responses to the event so far, Kay said there had been some criticism which has only made her more motivated to hold the event and develop Cumbria’s queer culture.
She said: “I have found in some comments sections talking about the show that some locals have been quite critical and homophobic and I’ve used that as a crutch really to say I accept your opinion and I see it. I’m not going to argue, but this is why I’m doing this, because there are people in Kendal who do want to see this kind of work and will see this event as a safe space to come and not be criticised and that is why I’m doing it.”
Kay added she had also felt inspired by her village to host the event after positive interactions with neighbours.
She said: “When my partner and I moved to our village near Kirkby Stephen we were really nervous about how we as a couple might be received in a small village and we very slowly started to talk to people and our landlords who are also our neighbours and in their eighties were just so wonderful and accepting and curious. They were very open with their questions wanting to know more about us and our individual selves and that inspired me.
“As we met more people in the village everyone was so nice and welcoming of who we were and were excited to know us more and that made me feel like wow, I shouldn’t be so nervous to be myself in these places because there’s definitely an interest in gay and queer culture.”
“There’s definitely a majority of people in rural areas who would be very shocked if a drag queen walked down a village lane in full drag, but I also think it would be quite an enchanting site and it’s those kind of experiences and interactions I am looking to create in Cumbria. I want to create moments and queer cultural activities in village halls, greens or churches, just so that people can see that it exists and that there is an audience here and give them the opportunity to learn more about queer culture.”
Kay also added that she felt nurturing queer culture in Cumbria was important for the future of the county as a whole.
She said: “I want to exist and have people accepting of my existence and I think this event is great for all generations, but especially the younger generations in rural areas. We have a lot of the younger generations growing up and getting bored and moving away and in 20 or 30 years time we will really need that generation to build business here and keep activity and the population going.
“I think we always need to look at what activity we can do as a community to ensure our children and grandchildren want to stay here. If a whole community is saying we don’t want any queer cultural activity and we don’t want to accept or embrace it, then that younger generation is going to go, ‘well actually, I am interested in queer culture, but if I’m not getting that here and there’s no opportunity for me to see or develop that here, then I’m going to go somewhere else’ and find it and we then lose that generation and that does worry me.
“I’m 35 now and I love living here and I would like to remain here for a long time. If I have children I wouldn’t want them to feel stuck in a place that wasn’t moving forward with the times. With this event it would be nice to show the older generations, mine included, that queer culture isn’t bad and that you might be involved in queer activities already without even knowing it.”
Audiences can expect to be wowed by the vocal talents of Layla Zee Susan who has been performing up and down the country and beyond for the past six years, plus a host of games and dancing to wrap up the night.
There’ll also be the opportunity to scoop a prize for best dressed ‘frosty bitch,’ and both Kay and Layla are keen to see Kendal locals donning their best sequinned frocks and turning stunning looks.
Layla added: “I’m incredibly excited to visit Kendal and perform surrounded by old friends and new. There’s nothing quite as camp as Christmas, but we’re certainly going to have a go, so chuck on your best frock and SLAY!”
Due to the intimate nature of the venue tickets are strictly limited and audiences are advised to book early to avoid disappointment. Tickets for Santa SLAY are priced at £20 and are available online.
