All The Queens Men: The Coming Back Out Ball
LGBTIQ+ justice | Visibility | Performance | Ageing positively
In response to news reports detailing that Australian LGBTIQ+ elders were ‘getting back into the closet’ after reaching retirement age - artist, activist and producer Tristan Meecham began exploring new ways of celebrating and promoting the visibility of LGBTIQ+ community members in their aging years.
Inspiration struck Tristan when he encountered Duckie, a UK-based arts organisation that has been pioneering LGBTIQ+ club nights as places of intergenerational connection and inclusion since 1995.
Following 18 months of development with artists and local LGBTIQ+ elders, All The Queens Men hosted the inaugural Coming Back Out Ball, first taking place in 2017 at Melbourne Town Hall. The LGBTIQ+ community-driven project that facilitates pride and connection amongst LGBTIQ+ elders over 65, is a carefully designed cultural event that takes the form of a lavish party to create and reinforce its community.
"Empowerment is commonly stated as the ultimate aim of arts programmes with social objectives.
It does not seem possible to develop the empowerment of individuals or communities without giving them control over their own process of change."
LGBTIQ+ over-65s experience higher rates of social isolation compared to younger cohorts, and are less likely to have strong community connection.
- Research shows that elders in the LGBTIQ+ community are ‘going back in the closet’ when accessing aged care due to feeling unsafe and fear of discrimination
- Elders in the LGBTIQ+ community grew up in a very different context to today, but still in recent history, where acute homophobia and discrimination was legislated. Homosexuality was decriminalised from 1975 in SA and from 1997 in TAS. Only in 2013 did Australian state and territory governments begin to expunge historical sodomy convictions from LGBTIQ+ peoples’ records.
- Studies showed that during the same-sex marriage referendum in 2017, the vote damaged LGBTIQ+ mental health, while social support in favour of LGBTIQ+ rights helped reduce the mental stress.
“We need to be thinking about what equality means, beyond just marriage equality.”
Across Australia, All The Queens Men builds community, connection, visibility and pride through its purpose-curated dance parties and major event: The Coming Back Out Ball.
- All The Queens Men is an independent arts company with a long-term commitment to catalysing social change and employing innovative frameworks that unite communities, audiences, and artists through transformative events. They are a collective of expert arts and cultural producers and artists, who explore the opportunities for meaningful social impact through the form of a party.
- Operating since 2010, they craft immersive and inclusive arts experiences that champion social equality and celebrate diverse communities within dynamic artistic contexts.
- Throughout the year, All The Queens Men runs a monthly LGBTIQ+ Elders Dance Club, a free social dance project event, in community spaces like the Collingwood Town Hall in Melbourne.
- Since 2017, there have also been multiple presentations of the Coming Back Out Ball/Salon, both nationally and internationally.
- Running these community-focused events means that the artists and producers involved can hear feedback and respond to ideas from the LGBTIQ+ elder community and embed individual input into the programming.
520
guests attended the Coming Back Out Ball in 2017, including approximately 330 LGBTIQ+ elders.
6,750
guests and audience members have participated in All The Queens Men's arts experiences designed for LGBTIQ+ Elders over the last eight years. This includes the Coming Back Out Balls/Salons/Socials and LGBTIQ+ Elders Dance Clubs, carried out nationally and globally.
630
artists (470) and volunteers (160) played a pivotal role in helping facilitate these creative events from 2016 to now.
The Coming Back Out Ball is a testament to the power of collective celebration and advocacy for marginalised communities.
- The Coming Back Out Ball (2017) gathered 100 artists, 520 guests, and 60 volunteers to celebrate the diversity of the LGBTIQ+ community, its elders and allies, to help combat social isolation while bringing a sense of belonging and celebration.
- Upon entry, volunteer allies and community members greet each LGBTIQ+ elder personally, welcoming them to the event and helping them navigate through. LGBTIQ+ elders attend for free, and All The Queens Men has a hotline to assist elders without access to the internet with answering any of their questions and organising tickets.
- The night involves a seated dinner and dance party. The high-quality production and entertainment that highlights LGBTIQ+ people and local artists, and includes a three-course meal and drinks, free entry for LGBTIQ+ elders and transport arrangements. LGBTIQ+ elders are seated on tables with other elders but also allies, to make sure they feel seen and connected to a wide and supportive community.
“It feels like coming home. I'm just overwhelmed with joy and pride.”
The lead practitioners
Tristan Meecham and Bec Reid lead All The Queens Men, advocating for social equality by offering creative opportunities to individuals from marginalised communities.
Tristan Meecham
Director
Tristan's notable recent projects include The Coming Back Out Ball, a grand social affair at Melbourne Town Hall honouring LGBTIQ+ elders; the LGBTIQ+ Elders Dance Club, a monthly gathering for older LGBTIQ+ individuals; Congress, a participatory assembly where diverse citizens collaborate with professional wordsmiths to envision a collective future; and Fun Run, a lively performance featuring Tristan running a marathon on a treadmill onstage alongside hundreds of local performers.
Tristan holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from QUT and a Bachelor of Dramatic Arts from VCA, and has received prestigious awards including the VCA George Fairfax Memorial Award and the British Council's Realise Your Dream Award.
Bec Reid
Co-Founder
An accomplished performer, producer, director, and choreographer based in Australia, Bec inspires individuals to perceive their surroundings in enlightening ways through immersive, physically engaging, and celebratory endeavors. With over two decades of experience, she ardently fosters collaborations between professional artists and communities on local, national, and international levels.
A graduate of WAAPA, Bec commenced her professional journey as the Artistic Director of Stompin in Lutruwita (Tasmania), alongside Luke George. She co-founded All The Queens Men with her artistic partner Tristan Meecham, and held the role of Associate Director for Rimini Protokoll's ground-breaking 'reality-theatre' productions. She has also maintained a longstanding collaboration with Tracks Dance Company spanning over two decades.
Click here to explore the full creative team.
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Acknowledgements
This resource is dedicated to CACD practitioners everywhere, working to address disadvantage and bring Australians together.
It has been created by research agency Patternmakers, with assistance from the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body.
Thank you to the practitioners who participated in the creation of this resource and to the many partners involved in each of the projects profiled. For any questions, please contact info@thepatternmakers.com.au.
We respectfully acknowledge the traditional owners of the land: the first artists and storytellers. We recognise the contribution of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia, past, present and future.
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