WELCOME TO MY WORLD

This workshop is led by drag queen Claire Dispair, the flamboyant alter ego of artist Karlijn de Groot. Through her drag persona, she explores her own femininity and what it means to be a woman in our society.

I have always felt like an outsider. We are all searching for a place

where we feel at home. In my quest for an ideal world where I feel safe,

I use science fiction as a magnifying glass to examine our society and,

from there, create my own 'perfect' world.

During this playful and interactive workshop, Welcome to my World, participants explore the history and worlds of drag kings and drag queens. Step by step, using storytelling and the concept of 'world-building,' participants create their own drag persona and shape the world in which that persona lives. Artworks at Museum W serve as a source of inspiration throughout the process.

The workshop demonstrates that drag is more than just entertainment. It is not only a form of performance art but also a powerful tool for activism, used to question and challenge societal norms regarding gender, sexuality, and identity. The workshop offers a space to explore personal self-expression and push one's own boundaries.

This boundary-pushing workshop is one of the public activities accompanying the group exhibition I Didn't Cross The Border, The Border Crossed Me. The exhibition features over thirty artworks by seventeen artists. These works reveal how physical, cultural, societal, and personal boundaries shape our identities and our view of the world. It is a timely and thought-provoking exhibition that invites students to reflect on their own boundaries, identities, and the world they inhabit. Karlijn previously conducted this workshop in Glastonbury, England, and in Egypt during The League of Stars residency. Each location and moment calls for a different approach.

Bio – Visual artist Karlijn de Groot

Karlijn de Groot (born May 8, 1980, in Eindhoven) graduated in 2004 from the Academy of Art and Design in Den Bosch, specializing in performance, photography, costume design, and video art. She is also a co-founder of OKC (Ongemotiveerd Kunstenaarscollectief), NETVLIES (Double Feature Movie Nights), and Mediahuis (an organizer of media events).

As a solo artist, she works across various media, primarily video, performance, photography, and graphic techniques. Key themes in her work include identity, sexuality, activism, retro culture, kitsch, drag, and the "male gaze"—all approached with a healthy dose of humor.