Gay Project

A Festival of Dangerous Ideas

An online Queer Studies course

12 weeks

This unique community education program looks at culture and identity through an LGBTQ+ lens.

We have gathered together an eclectic mix of Scholars and Artists to bring to us Big Bold Ideas about who we are and who we can be.

There are 12 sessions, each covering a different topic and hosted like a conversation, via Zoom. 

In each session there will be a ‘Break for Art’. This is a little festival within a festival, consisting of 12 mini performances by Queer Artists, followed by a chat with the artist. 

You can see the sessions below.
(note: transcripts are currently unavailable)

Enjoy.

Queer Hedge School - Week 1

The History of the Homosexual

Description

Panellists:

  • Ruth McCarthy, Artistic Director of Outburst Arts helps us introduce the programme on week one.
  • Kate Brennan Harding, Media Producer and Presenter is Curating the ‘Break for Art’.
  • Dr Cormac O’Brien, University College Dublin gives us a historical and contemporary outline on queerness.

Break for art artist:

  • Wren Dennehy/Avoca Reaction, Drag Artist, Actor and Producer.

Queer Hedge School - Week 2

Patriarchy and its Discontents

Description

Panellists:

  • Dr Cormac O’Brien, University College Dublin gives us a historical and contemporary outline on queerness.
  • Kate Brennan Harding, Media Producer and Presenter is Curating the ‘Break for Art’.
  • Dr Emma Hurley, Psychologist and Researcher.

Break for art artist: 

  • Jaime Nancie, Queer Jazz Vocalist and Songwriter.



Queer Hedge School - Week 3

Queer Masculinities, Good Gays versus Bad Queers

Description

Panellists:

  • Cormac O’Brien, University College Dublin gives us a historical and contemporary outline on queerness.
  • Kate Brennan Harding, Media Producer and Presenter is Curating the ‘Break for Art’.
  • Dr Emma Hurley, Psychologist and Researcher.

Break for art artist:

  • Sarah Clancy, Performance Poet and Activist.

 

Queer Hedge School - Week 4

Queer Cultures and Social Media

Description

Panellists:

  • Dr Emma Hurley, Psychologist and Researcher.
  • Cormac O’Brien, Jumping in again to present this week’s ‘Break for Art’.
  • Páraic Kerrigan, Lecturer, School of Information and Communications in UCD.

Break for art artist:

  • Stefan Fae, Theatre and Performance Artist.

Queer Hedge School - Week 5

Queer Kinship

Description

Panellists:

  • Ellen Reid, Researcher, University of Limerick.
  • Fiachra Ó Suilleabháin, Lecturer in Social Work, University College Cork.
  • Páraic Kerrigan, Lecturer, School of Information and Communications in UCD.

Break for art artist:

  • Gemma Hutton, Comedian and Queer Activist.

Queer Hedge School - Week 6

Sex and shame

Description

Panellists:

  • Thomas Strong, Lecturer, Maynooth University.
  • Emma Hurley, Psychologist and Researcher.

Break for art artist:

Queer Hedge School – Week 7

Queer Bodies

Description

Panellists:

  • Dr. Francis Ray White, Senior Lecturer, University of Westminster.

Break for art artist:

  • Anziety, Drag Queen.

Queer Hedge School – Week 8

Steampunk

Description

Panellists:

  • Fiachra Ó Suilleabháin, Lecturer in Social Work.
  • Dr. Lisa Hager, Associate Professor of English and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Waukesha.
  • Ellen Reid, Researcher, University of Limerick.
  • Madame Askew and The Grand Arbiter, time-traveling tea aficionado, obsessed with tea, fashion, and the proper uses for headgear.

Break for art artist:

  • Leo Lardie, Queer Comedian.
  • Jaime Nancie, Queer Musician.

Queer Hedge School – Week 9

Queer Livability

Description

Panellists:

  • Kath Browne, Professor, University College Dublin.

Break for art artist:

Richard O’Leary, Storyteller.

Queer Hedge School – Week 10

Queer Politics

Description

Panellists:

  • Kath Browne, Professor, University College Dublin.

Break for art artist:

  • Tonie Walsh, Curator of Irish Queer Archive.



Queer Hedge School – Week 11

Queer Futures pt. 1

Description

Panellists:

  • Dr. Cormac O’Brien, Lecturer, University College Dublin.
  • Dr. Emma Hurley, Psychologist and Researcher.
  • Dr. Páraic Kerrigan, Lecturer, School of Information and Communications in UCD.

Break for art artist:

  • Jack O’Rourke, Musician.

Queer Hedge School – Week 12

Queer Futures pt. 2

Description

Panellists:

  • Kath Browne, Professor, University College Dublin.
  • Dr. Lisa Hager, Associate Professor of English and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Waukesha.
  • Ellen Reid, Researcher, University of Limerick.
  • Dr. Francis Ray White, Senior Lecturer, University of Westminster.
  • Thomas Strong, Lecturer, Maynooth University.

Break for art artist:

  • Philly McMahon, Theatre Creature and Director of THISISPOPBABY.