Introducing: Drag Queen Story Time
Drag Queen Aida H Dee joins us on Tue 29 Oct to make fairy tales come to life.
With a burst of energy and a unique look, Aida has been delighting children across the country with her high energy, high fashion shows and her wonderful approach to reading your favourite stories. Drag Queen Story Time aims to provide a safe space in which children, teachers, carers and parents can encounter LGBTQ+ representation in a fun and engaging way. We catch up with Aida to find out more…Why and how did you get involved with Drag Queen Story Time (DQST)?
I started doing Drag Queen Story Time with Tom Canham and few other individuals. I never expected it to become what it is today. One day I was doing live singing comedy shows, the next I was sat in a nursery in London reading stories and singing Wheels On The Bus in Soho. I was, in fact the first Drag Queen in Europe to read stories to children in a nursery, according to my superiors!
Can you tell us a little bit about what families and young people can experience at your DQST events at Brighton Dome?
Oh, I can guarantee children, parents, teens, preteens, and the mature will be laughing the whole time. Yes it involves reading stories and singing nursery rhymes, but when you read stories in a setting where there is no judgement and anything can happen, well... ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN!
What do you think is the impact of events like Drag Queen Story Time? Why is it important?
I once performed to group of children. One child in particular had never come into contact with a drag queen before: "I want boys to wear dresses every day of the year!" he says! That is progression beyond what a school can teach!
It's important because meeting something new for the first time, when its raw and different, humans naturally act out in fear! But not children. Children are curious and accepting. Teaching them that "different" is not bad is key to the eradication of forms of hate, not just homophobia. The question I will always get is: "Are you a boy or a girl?" - The answer I say is, "I am whatever you want me to be!" According to one boy, I'm now a unicorn!
Why should families/young people come to DQST this October?
WHY WOULDN'T YOU!? IT'S A DRAG QUEEN... READING STORIES! It's entertainment for all ages! Imagine a pantomime, but you can shake hands with the show person themselves! Not to mention, IT'S A DRAG QUEEN... READING STORIES!!!
Do you have a favourite book/story?
Guess How Much I Love You, by Sam Bratney - my mum read it to me when I was a young girl.
Discover more family-friendly events at Brighton Dome