Alter Ego

Bowie to Ziggy, Selina Kyle to Catwoman, Eminem to Slim Shady, Miley to Hannah Montana, Beyoncé to Sasha Fierce, Sméagol to Gollum…

Who doesn’t love an Alter Ego?

Join us for Alter Ego: An Evening of Other! This 18+ late-night event is curated and produced by Kat Dopper of Heaps Gay, Queer Agency and Summer Camp Festival fame.

Celebrate and explore all things identity through surprising, inspiring, and challenging acts by talented local and interstate performers, experience creators and visual artists. Get the evening started with an after-hours viewing of our Portrait23: Identity exhibition from 6:30pm. We’ll also have a bar, local food stalls, and some opportunities for you to get creative and intensify your outfit before the party kicks off at 7:30pm. There’ll be a best-dressed prize, a WAH-WAH x KAYLENE WHISKEY jumper (yes, really!), for the most extravagant alter ego present!

Our fabulous line-up includes: Radha, fierce drag queen and exuberant host; Betty Grumble, Sydney-based sex clown and Grumble Boogie class instructor; Lupa J, DJ of ugly techno and shiny power ballads; Mowgli May, the genre-bending and blending DJ; Marlena Dalí, the gutsy immigrant-carny-scumbag; YOKELUST, self-proclaimed wet dream on the dance floor; INJURY, the multi-disciplinary creators of fashion, music, film, art and more; REAL PARENT, cyber-ethereal CG and animation artist; and The Deep Faith, an emerging music duo who love a good digital distortion.

Seriously, clear your calendar and grab your ticket!

Kat Dopper (she/her) is a queer identifying multidisciplinary arts practitioner, who is focused on building inclusive communities and engaged audiences. She is the Creative Director and Founder of Heaps Gay, an award-winning arts and events organisation, and was the 2020 Creative Director of Sydney Mardi Gras. @katdopper @heapsgay

Shahmen Suku (he/him) is Radha (she/her)! The Diva from India is a persona Shahmen uses in their performances to share stories about culture, gender roles, food and storytelling. Be dazzled by Radha’s energy as they hit the stage! @id.radha.some

Emma Maye Gibson/Betty Grumble (she/her) is a Warrane/Sydney-based performance artist. Largely through the avatar/war mask/love letter/critter of Betty Grumble, she engages her body as a medicinal site of performative catharsis, often in a genre smash of ritual physical theatre, cabaret, performance art and multi-media. @bettygrumble

Lupa J (they/them) is a Melbourne-based electro pop and techno producer. Their futuristic production has seen them gain recognition as one of Australia’s most unique producers and left-field pop voices. From tongue in cheek hyper-pop ballads to bristling dark techno, Lupa J has solidified their reputation for high energy live shows that embrace the contrast between emotional pop and hard dance music. @lupa.j

Mowgli May (she/her), a Sydney DJ, artist and radio presenter, can be trusted to start any party and have the crowd eating the palm of her hand with her triple-threat crowd reading, stage presence, and eclectic arsenal of genre-bending and blending. @mowglimaydj

Marlena Dalí (they/them) is Australia’s second-best David Bowie impersonator. They are a manifestation of chaotic gender expression filtered through the art of clown and exquisite drag. Marlena is the weekly host of “That’s Entertainment” at Newtown Hotel, and the creator and curator of “A Queer Medieval Faire.” @marlena_dali

YOKELUST (he/him) is the stage name for Yiannis Nikodellis, a queer, multi-genre producer/artist living and creating on Ngunnawal Country. Yiannis has been booked and blessed for over 8 years, DJing and performing at many iconic queer events like Furcoat at The Bearded Tit, Fresh Out Festival, Heaps Gay at Mary’s Underground, THROB at Sideway, Big Thick Energy and Icon’s Only parties for World Pride in Sydney. @yokelust

Described as "an emerging digital dimension", artists Byron Spencer and Daniel Stricker are back with the latest offering from their multi-faceted hybrid art and music project, The DeepFaith. Commissioned by the Sydney Opera House as the latest digital commission for the Shortwave series, The DeepFaith's latest single, "Until We Fly," serves as the opening credits to this cyber-psychedelic opus. @thedeepfaith

The Australian brand, INJURY stands for the bridge between physical fashion and digital fashion universe. INJURY has showcased in numerous fashion weeks across Paris, New York, Sydney, Shanghai and Beijing, and their collections were sold to over 80 select stores across the globe. INJURY’s directed fashion film ‘RARE REALITY’ winning 4 International Film Awards. @theinjury

REAL PARENT is a Visual Art and Music Collective that desires to contribute a fresh practice in both the virtual and the real. The visual component of REAL PARENT has a strong focus on CG and 3D Animation Art with a cyber-ethereal aesthetic. Their latest CG film ‘RARE REALITY’ won ‘Best Digital Fashion’ at Berlin Fashion Film Festival and ‘Best Visual and Special Effects’ at UK Fashion Film Festival. @realparent.co