Get ready to swing your carabiners in glee at this very special community event
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY CHERRY AU
Dykes, get ready: the beloved London Dyke Market is back once again! After the runaway success of its debut last year, which saw almost 2,000 people queuing to get a taste, the event is back on 16 August at Space Station Sixty-Five in Kennington.
Created to foster lesbian creativity, culture and community, London Dyke Market will see a whole variety of creatives on the day. Whether you’re into ceramics, archives or even sex toys, there is bound to be a stand that will speak to you. Highlights this year will include a workshop where you can turn a handbag into a strap-on harness, and I Kissed A Girl’s Amy Spalding selling her dykonic rings. DIVA’s very own editor-in-chief Roxy Bourdillon will be selling her new memoir What A Girl Wants and some copies of our recent Butch Issue.
Emily Witham, Artist & Curator of The London Dyke Market, said: “Art is activism and there is a legacy of great creativity and ‘Do It Yourself’ attitude within UK lesbian culture. The fact that we had almost 2000 visitors over the space of 5 hours last year proves how essential it is to have something like this, by dykes for dykes. Curating the individuals involved in this year’s event was a lot of fun, expect to discover your new favourite artist and your next ex-girlfriend at The London Dyke Market.”
Following the success of last year, you can expect to see a whole lot of dyke glory at this very special event. In fact, to accommodate all you eager sapphics, this year’s London Dyke March will take over both Space Station Sixty-Five and a neighbouring film study. Curated by Emily Witham, the event will see 50 individuals showcase their work on what it means to be a dyke. It’s a chance to buy directly from the community, supporting creatives at a time when standing together means everything.
Artist Gem Canniegieter-Savage spoke about the importance of events like this: “The London Dyke Market has offered a space for dykes like me to come together, and to meet hundreds of other dykes. I am so thankful for the wonderful opportunity to show, sell and celebrate our work. It has become so much more than a one-off event; it is a community that supports each other throughout the year. For me, as a Black Queer Butch, this space allows me to proudly showcase my designs that represent me; my heritage, my gender and my sexuality to others who see themselves in the details of what I do.”
For more information, head over to @thelondondykemarket on social media.
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