As part of Queer Company, we were delighted to support Ames to continue to develop their video work 4:3.
This short film explores Ames' experiences of growing up queer in the 1990s, under Section 28* and in a small, Northern town (very similar to St Helens); with nowhere to go apart from television.
From Willow and Tara in Buffy to Ellen (coming out) on Oprah, TV’s few queer characters were sought out by a young Ames - to be watched and studied.
"Did I fancy them or did I just want to be them? Like Lacan’s mirror stage, where children look for their likeness in things, but the mirror and stage have gone a bit bent. "
4:3 premiered at Homotopia Festival in 2020 and became and important focal point for conversations with members of the LGBTQIA+ community exploring connection, identity, representation and celebrating queer icons of past and present, inspiring Ames to create a new artwork called QUEER TREATMENT.
*Section 28 instated in 1988 declared that a local authority "shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality" meaning that homosexuality could not be taught in mainstream education.
In collaboration with
Part of St Helens Library Services, St.Helens Council Arts Service supports the development of all art forms including music, dance, drama, creative writing, new media, visual and public art.
Free