Life Drawing at Dragonfly - MODEL *TEQUILA ROSE* - Hosted by Stacey Clare

!!! MODEL ANNOUNCEMENT !!!! - TEQUILA ROSE

This month, stripper ROYALTY will be drop-splitting on our stage as we'll be joined by the one and only Tequila Rose! We're very excited to be reuniting with the legendary Tequila, who has modelled, performed and collaborated multiple times with Stacey Clare and the East London Strippers Collective over the years. Tequila is arguably one of the most talented adult entertainers in the UK - from earning legendary status at the infamous Sunset Strip, Soho, to winning Stripper of The Year 2017 at the Sexual Freedom Awards, to running her own pole studio, Valkyrie - she has achieved idol status among sex workers and allies as a stripper, pole instructor and showgirl. Currently based in Aberdeenshire, Tequila will be coming to Edinburgh especially to make her performing debut in Scotland's capital. So DON'T MISS THIS!!!

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WHO ARE C U NEXT TUESDAY?

We are a new constellation of people from the sex working community who have assembled to create a unique life drawing class. Our models and hosts are all people with lived experience of the sex industry, who have grown tired with the relentless misrepresentation of sex workers at every level of society and decided to take back control of how we are seen.

This exciting new class is unlike any other life drawing class you've ever been to. Organised entirely by current and former sex workers, all our models are strippers, pole dancers, and adult entertainers. Expect high octane aerial pole dance, sky-high heels, strip-tease poses and web-cam aesthetics. At a time when sex workers are getting more recognition than ever before in the mainstream (Chappell Roan's and Mikey Maddison's award acceptance speeches, for example), we aim to smash stigma and destroy stereotypes by humanising ourselves and our work. We welcome artists into our world to see us perform, listen to our stories, and create community by breaking down barriers and dispelling myths about us.

Sex workers have been artists' muses for centuries but receive zero recognition from the art world for their labour. Narratives about sex work are loaded with social stigma, while sex workers' voices continue to be silenced and maligned. Media representations thoughtlessly continue to produce stereotypes and caricatures from our work. Members of the public all seem to have an opinion about sex work, which isn't normally informed by listening to sex workers directly. Working conditions in our industry remain poor as long as we are not recognised as workers, therefore denying us protections and rights in the workplace. Policy-makers continue to create regulations without listening and consulting with sex workers, riding roughshod over our campaigns and demands.

To counter this we have begun a new event to reclaim our power. We reclaim our labour from businesses that would otherwise exploit us. We reclaim our images from the art and media that appropriates our images. We reclaim our narratives from those who use our lives and stories for political gain. We resist all power structures that seek to extract value from our labour while offering us very little benefit in return.

We have come to expect a range of feelings from people who attend our events - surprise, hesitation, curiosity, uncertainty. It's ok to feel any of these as our class is intentionally provocative - however we would ask attendees to be mindful of the social stigma that sex workers receive, and for anyone with strongly negative opinions or political beliefs about sex work to either leave them at the door or avoid the class. This is a space where we strive to develop a shared understanding with our audience through consensual eroticised performance and meaningful cultural exchange - from one group of artists to another. Our art as erotic live performers is of equal value to the visual art captured on the page, and we therefore aim to build mutual respect and admiration within the artistic community.

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PLEASE NOTE:

- This group is NOT a space to solicit, harass, or victimise our models/hosts in any way. Any behaviours that create an unpleasant atmosphere in the class will not be tolerated.

- NO PHOTOGRAPHY allowed without the express permission from the model, host. We generally discourage photos since the main purpose of the class is drawing not photography. From time to time our class organisers will take photographs for the purpose of gathering content to promote the class. On these occasions, consent will be sought from attendees at the event.

- NO excessive use of alcohol. Dragonfly Cocktail Bar is a licensed venue, BYOB is prohibited :( but we're not the fun police :)

- This event is an inclusive space, welcoming people of all gender identities, sexual preferences, race, class and levels of ability. The main bar is step-free, there is a wheel chair ramp available to enter our life drawing room and there is a disabled toilet which is wheelchair accessible.

- All materials for the class are available for £2 (free materials for students with valid ID).

- The class is led but not tutored, however if you would like to ask for feedback or advice from our hosts you can always approach them during breaks.