On Thurs 7th Nov there will be a specially devised contemporary dance intervention in the #Rebel Selves installation that plays with notions of gender, gesture and masquerade on social media and in selfie cultures. During the performance selfies were live streamed online via the @RebelSelves Instagram page.

For more information contact Dawn Woolley at dawn.woolley@network.rca.ac.uk

or follow https://www.instagram.com/rebelselves/

The #Rebel Selves installation is something between a stage set for an absurdist play, a hall of mirrors, and an exploded 3-dimensional photograph. Masks, garments, and props scatter the space, inviting visitors to play different characters and create queer selfies.

Selfies are an important form of self-expression because they enable marginalised people not represented on mainstream media to be visible, build communities, and support each other. However, they are expected to conform to binary gender and other beauty ideals. Research shows that people who don’t conform experience more hostility online. #Rebel Selves explores creative methods that could be used when taking selfies in order to avoid some of these problems.

This project is kindly supported by the Arts Council England, Lees Arts University and Castlefield Gallery.