Intergenerational Stonewall Potluck

VENUE: 107 REDFERN

Held on the 45th anniversary of the first Sydney Mardi Gras, Stonewall Potluck is an event to bring together queers of all kinds, share food, and share stories. Honouring those who came before us who have brought us to where we are now, and those who are pioneering the future. Honouring the deaths/riots/protests/fighting that was done and the fights that continue to be fought today. We are here and we are queer!

Hosted by Solaris Shariati
Produced by Solaris Shariati & Claud Bailey
Supported by Wear it Purple

RULES REGARDING FOODS + DRINKS
- It is not mandatory to bring food or drinks, but is highly encouraged. Show us what you like to make!
- You won't need to bring plates/bowls/cups/cutlery. They will be provided at the venue.
- Make sure to keep track of any allergens you put in the food or drinks so we can label them at the venue.
- Please make sure to tell us in advance what you will be bringing.
- This is an alcohol free event. There will be people under 18 attending. If anyone is found to be under the influence of any alcohol or drugs they will be escorted out of the venue.
- There is a kitchenette at the venue including a microwave and a sink that is available to use.

RULES REGARDING STORIES
- The intention with the story sharing segment is for us as queer people to become closer as a community.
- On the night there will be a dedicated time where people can share their stories.
- Shared stories should be related to queerness/your queerness. Like an experience you had that is important to shaping your identity today, or even sharing someone else's queer story, dead or alive!
- Bringing a story or two to share is not mandatory, but highly encouraged.
- You don't need to have your whole story fully prepared and memorised. If during the sharing segment, you are reminded of something you want to share, take note of it in your phone or a notebook, and when there is time you will be allowed to share.
- You can share a speech, quote, story, anything! No story is too short, and no story is "not good enough to tell". If its true to you, we are all here to listen.
- Because of the number of attendees will be just under 40 people, when the time to share comes, we ask that you are quiet so that everyone 's stories can be heard.

SOLARIS
Meet Solaris, a 19-year-old trans emerging writer, director, artist and hosts community events. He makes work about his experience of queerness as a Persian and Kurdish person growing up in Australia, and the deep connection to queer people not only in Iran but all over the world. Earlier this year, he was selected to be a part of 'Stories from the Heart', a queer storytelling development program produced by Claud Bailey partnered with the Australian Theatre for Young People and supported by Wear it Purple. Over the course of four workshops, Solaris developed a 10 minute performance titled ‘We Are Here Together’ with the help of established queer creatives (Zoe Terakes, Laneikka Denne etc.) and performed it to a live audience as part of Sydney World Pride. Solaris will be performing this piece as part of QTopia Sydney’s ‘Live at the Bandstand’, a multi-genre program of live activations in Australia’s first dedicated Queer History, Art and Culture museum. For the 45th anniversary of Mardi Gras on June 24th, he is hosting an Intergenerational Stonewall Potluck , bringing queers of all ages together to share food and stories, supported by Wear it Purple and held at 107 Projects in Redfern. His debut art exhibition featuring detailed drawings of European architecture and life in blue ballpoint pen will be held at Meraki Arts between 27th June to 1st July 2023.

CLAUD
Claud Bailey is an award-winning nonbinary filmmaker, impact producer, trans advocate and programmer/producer for LGBTQIA+ teenagers’ art projects. They were awarded the inaugural (and first) arts fellowship for the not-for-profit queer youth organization Wear it Purple in 2023 where they have been championed and supported in all of their projects, as well as creating and running the first year of WIP art grants of up to $100,000. Claud graduated from AFTRS in 2019 and was the recipient of the Young Australian Filmmaker of the Year award. Their latest short, RIGHT HERE, which they wrote/directed and produced centers on a nonbinary teenager (Aud Mason-Hyde) who materializes at their future selves’ (Zoe Terakes) birthday party and sees the joyful queer life they’re going to live. It premiered at Sydney Film Festival as a Dendy Finalist and they were awarded Emerging Filmmaker Award at Mardi Gras Film Festival. As part of their fellowship, they have received a grant to create an educational program in schools around Australia. Their AFTRS graduation film, SUNBURN, which they wrote won Best Screenplay at Mardi Gras Film Festival and Best Film in the Australians in Film AFTRS Select Showcase. The film premiered at MIFF and is currently streaming on ABC iView. For Sydney World Pride, Claud created and produced a queer storytelling mentoring program for Trans and Queer teenagers called STORIES FROM THE HEART. Supported by Wear it Purple and in partnership with ATYP, the four workshops were led by queer mentors and Claud grew very close to the teenagers. The program was a huge success and is now looking to be brought nationally with Shopfront Arts. Additionally, Claud is running monthly queer storytelling workshops at the Sydney Opera House. Claud makes work that celebrates queerness and aim to tell stories that can facilitate change and create tangible impact to better the lives of LGTBQIA+ young folk.