Ball of Conspiracy at Manchester Academy

Manchester ( or as our host liked to call it: woman-chester, nonbinary-chester ) didn’t know what it was in for when the legendary House of Suarez brought their ‘Ball of Conspiracy’ to the Manchester Academy on Friday night. 

Balls have a rich history in the queer community ( no pun intended ), with its origins being found in 1920s NYC’s Harlem, during the height of the Harlem Renaissance - though there are traces of them all the way back in the 1800s. Back then, Balls served as a place where black, queer kids could comfortably lose themselves in refuge and social acceptance. By the early 1970s, black and latino queer people had built them into a thriving subculture, where drag evolved into competition through a series of runway acts and ‘vogue’ battles. Today, they are found all over the world and celebrated by a blend of people. 

A well-rounded mix of old and young gathered to celebrate all things queer and creative, as we were treated to a ball that will be hard to forget anytime soon. This year's theme found conspiracy theories unlocked from their homes of the deep dark web and fabulously fabricated into the real world.

Now, when I say nothing was left off limits - I mean NOTHING. A yaaasified Guy Fawkes, PizzaGate, Aliens killing a sexually deviant Boris Johnston, a Cluedo version of Princess Diana ft Charles, Camilla & Queenie as the killers - absolutely ANYTHING goes. The more provocative and outlandish, the better. Mixing unbelievable narratives with even more unbelievably well crafted costume and choreography. 

The sheer craziness of conspiracy aside, this was a wonderful night where every single person in attendance was openly encouraged to be their tremendous true selves. There was not a host that could have been better at guiding us through the night than the glorious Ricki Beadle-Blair. Thank you to Ricki and House of Suarez for not only the tantalizing entertainment and much needed dance breaks, but for the injection of self esteem and slap-across-the-face type of reminder to embrace all the things that make me, me. 

Follow @houseofsuarez on instagram to make sure you are in attendance for their next ball - you can't miss it!

Maddy Mitchell for Canal St Media

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Published: 5-Mar-2024 (7406)