Show Ponies is a queer youth art festival hosted by Twenty10 where young LGBTIQA+ folks can participate in creative workshops and win art prizes at an end-of-year exhibition.

Show Ponies is a safe space where young people can enjoy exploring artistic practice and mediums, learn new skills, meet people and connect with community, exhibit and sell their work, enjoy the art of others and have fun times!

WHO: LGBTIQA+ Folks Aged 12-25
WHERE: Twenty10, 37 Shepherd St, Chippendale, Gadigal Land
WHEN:

SAT 28 OCT 12-3PM - Painting with Imagination with Kirthana Selvaraj
NEW TIME TUES 7 NOV 4-7PM - Embroidered Illustrations with Lill Colgan
MON 6 NOV 4-7PM - Blessed Objects: Printmaking with Monty
THUR 9 NOV 4-7PM AND 16 NOV 4-5:30PM - Exploring Ceramics with EJ Son (Wheel Throwing and Glazing)*
SAT 11 NOV 11AM-1PM - Fruity Plushie Making with Amy Claire Mills

The workshops are FREE and for LGBTIQA+ folks aged 12-25 and will take place from mid-October to mid-November and be facilitated by emerging artists from within our communities.

For more information head to our website: www.twenty10.org.au/whats-on

*Note: The Ceramics Workshop takes place over TWO days and will be located at ClayGround Rosebery. You will need to be available for both dates for the workshop, as it will involve wheel throwing on the first day, and then glazing on the second day. We will send out further details closer to the workshop date.

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Painting with Imagination with Kirthana Selvaraj

Photo of artist Kirthana Selvaraj. She is smiling and looking at the camera. She is wearing a white button down shirt and floral pants.

Date: SAT 28 OCT
Workshop Time: 12-3PM
Location: Twenty10

About the workshop: This painting workshop is designed to invite participants of all ages and experience into the medium of paint, a place of nonjudgment and joy. We will learn how to approach painting a still life with bold colour, directional lighting, and imagination. Beginners and seasoned artists alike, or those who are just curious about connecting with each other in the act of creativity are welcome. Experiment with texture, colour, brushwork, perspective and lighting with the guidance of the facilitator. All Materials are provided, just wear something you don’t mind getting a little paint on, or bring a painting smock.

About the artist facilitator: Kirthana Selvaraj is a Queer artist of Indian, Tamil ancestry. She is interested in the politics of the marginalised body, drawing on both individual and collective experiences, her practice is centred on Race, intersections of seen and unseen, Gender and Sexuality. She is a two-time Archibald Finalist, having exhibited her work in awards held at the Art Gallery of NSW (Archibald), Art Gallery of WA (The Lester), and S.H Ervin, the National Trust (The Portia Geach Memorial Award). Kirthana is also a practicing Art therapist (ANZACATA accredited) and Lecturer.

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Embroidered Illustrations with Lill Colgan

Photo of Lill Colgan, the artist. They are looking directly into the camera with a slight smile. They are wearing a black tank top with a black studio background.

Date: MON 30 OCT
Workshop Time: 4-7PM
Location: Twenty10

About the workshop: This workshop will be an introduction to embroidery and applique techniques, leading to the creation of decorative hanging embroidery pieces. We will be developing hands-on skills, exploring various stitching techniques and creating a unique composition using second-hand fabrics and threads. With its rhythmic stitching and mindful focus on intricate detail, embroidery can provide a sense of calm and satisfaction for individuals seeking a slower pace of making.

About the artist facilitator: Lillian Colgan, is an artist currently based in Warrang/Sydney. Lill's practice is deeply connected to my identity as a transgender and queer person. In their work, Lill utilizes material play and ‘making do’ as tools to unpack complex feelings around identity and move against normative ideas of gender and sexuality. This often involves transforming objects connected to my personal experience into multi-media installations. Recently their practice has involved making soft-sculpture and other textiles-based artworks from second-hand garments.

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Blessed Objects: Printmaking with Monty

A photo of Monty Hancock. They are wearing a blue beanie with a light purple jumper with blue detailing.

Date: MON 5 NOV
Workshop Time: 4-7PM
Location: Twenty10

About the workshop: How do objects hold knowledge and story? Perhaps a tea cup reminds you of a recipe, or a stone transports you to a place that you love. In this workshop with Twenty10, artist Monty Hancock shares their practice of celebrating the knowledge of objects. Participants will create a print representing a special object that holds knowledge, memory or importance in their lives, and learn some ways to create lino-cut style prints at home with limited materials.

About the artist facilitator: Monty is an artist, educator and organiser. Monty's practise spans performance, murals, zines, illustration, installation and video. They are really interested in site-specific, interactive or community-involved work. They like to make things that connect and celebrate people.

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Exploring Ceramics with EJ Son (Wheel Throwing and Glazing)*

A photo of artist EJ son. They are sitting in a room wearing khaki pants and a dark collared shirt. They are holding a long tube light and looking at the light while wearing a pair of sunglasses.

Dates: THUR 9 NOV & THUR 16 NOV
Times: 4-7PM and 4-5:30PM (Note that you will need to be available for both dates. The first session will be for wheel throwing, and the second session will be for glazing)
Location: CLAYGROUND Rosebery

About the workshops: Join us for two fun and inclusive workshops exploring. In the first workshop, you will explore making art with clay on the wheel or through hand-building; in the second workshop, you will explore glazing. You will be encouraged to play and explore your subconscious thoughts and imagination to flourish in your creations. EJ will be there to guide you to create whatever you want, with the only limitation being that it doesn’t explode in the kiln! You will have the opportunity to glaze and fire at least 1 of your creations.

About the artist facilitator: EJ Son’s practice would be best summarised as trans-disciplinary, demonstrated in their vast arrangement of conceptual interests and material engagement ranging from ceramics, found objects, and video to mixed media. Son’s practice explores the construction of gender, sexuality, and race and seeks to challenge binary thinking through the use of humour and paradox. This will be their third year facilitating workshops with twenty10.

Son is an actively exhibiting and featured artist, a recent finalist for the Artspace NSW Visual Arts Emerging Fellowship and was recently commissioned to present the Giant Teddy for the Dark Mofo Festival.

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Fruity Plushie Making with Amy Claire Mills

Date: SAT 11 NOV
Workshop Time: 11AM-1PM
Location: Twenty10

About the workshop: Join us for a fun and inclusive workshop, Fruity Plushie Making, with the talented Amy Claire Mills! In this hands-on session, you will have the opportunity to learn the art of crafting adorable fruit-inspired plushies. From strawberries to chillis, you'll discover the secrets to creating these lovable and huggable companions from scratch. Amy, an esteemed plushie artist, will guide you through each step of the process, providing expert tips and techniques along the way. This workshop is open to everyone, regardless of their experience level, so come and join us for an afternoon filled with creativity and an abundance of fruity plushie fun in a queer-friendly environment!

About the artist Facilitator: Amy Claire Mills is an emerging artist based in Sydney living and working on unceded Gadigal and Wangal land. Her artistic practice delves into themes of advocacy, identity, and resistance, which are driven by her experiences as a disabled woman. By connecting to the role of both the artist and subject within her work, Amy explores disability culture and its societal and political impacts. Her artworks serve as a provocative form of protest through distinctive, vibrant, and bold mediums.

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Twenty10 incorporating GLCS NSW acknowledges the traditional owners of the land throughout New South Wales and Australia, and the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation who are the traditional owners of the land we work on. We pay our respects to their elders past, present and future, and we welcome all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people visiting this site.