Building Community Within A Scene

Sometimes The Universe lines up in a way that makes it really diffcult to ignore.

That is how the Seattle Burlesque and Cabaret Association and our venue, The Give Inn, came into being. The Universe came knocking and faily loudly and I wasn’t in a position to ignore it.

Our mission is to empower, inspire, and build a community run by and for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ artists to create, learn and thrive in a welcoming, inclusive, and non-judgmental space. Through performances, classes, and open space, we encourage artistic expression as a way to honor our past and pave the way to a brighter future, while reinvigorating the arts for all.

The SeaBCC seeks to empower, inspire, and build a community that enhances the lives of marginalized individuals through artistic expression and liberation in order to reinvigorate the arts for the future of all. Our focus is on creating a community space that can be used for local events, theater performances, classes, and other events that fit our organization’s goals of creating a welcoming space that is inclusive and non-judgmental. Our mission is to provide a community space, run by the people for the people, that fosters an inclusive and supportive environment for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ performing artists to create, learn and thrive together while honoring our past and paving the way to a brighter future.

Our Board of Directors are all burlesque performers and producers. The majority of our board is made up of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ members, as well as members with disabilities. This makes us uniquely suited to creating a space that is inclusive and welcoming in our community.

Representation Matters isn’t just a slogan for us, it is a core piece of our mission and guides our goals as an organization.

SeaBCC is in a unique position as we focus our community building in the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ performing arts communities in Seattle. Our “For us, by us” approach is rooted in our own balancing act of being a part of intersecting marginalization and using our privilege to create an intentional space for burlesque, drag, and cabaret artists to perform, connect, learn, and grow.

SeaBCC comprises internal partnership with Puckduction, The Devil’s Advocates, Fat Bottom Productions and The Artisan Guild, all entities who perform, produce, or otherwise actively engage in the Seattle Burlesque Community, Scene and Industry. All of us as performers have engaged, advocated and worked throughout the Seattle burlesque, theater and performance community in various capacities, individually and together.

The internal partnership shares the collective effort of operating our business through a board of 13 members with a chair, co-chair, two co-treasurers and secretary. Through this partnership fundamental decisions are made as a collective under SeaBCC.

We currently offer a membership to The Give Inn which is a venue in Ballard. You receive discounts from local Ballard neighborbood businesses, members only events and pre sale ticket specials for SeaBCC events. We also a offer a producing residency program. We have recently partnered with Tassel Talk: Seattle and Miss Indigo Blue’s Academy of Burlesque to provide community access to classes, workshops, and social meet ups.

The Give Inn and the SeaBCC are a part of a larger vision when it comes to burlesque in Seattle and beyond.. Mostly I hope it starts conversations in other burlesque communities about what a community venue could look like and be. My solo production company, Puckduction, has a very “For Us, By Us” attitude when it comes to creating events and show, I feel just as strongly when it comes to venues as well. I feel pretty lucky that most of the venues I have worked with in Seattle haven’t been predatory, but I know that isn’t always the experience that other producers are having in their communities or scenes. The idea of a venue born from the community feels like step in directions that could be very positive across the board. It is a game charger.

This journey that I am on has taken me to come very unexpected places. Operating a venue wasn’t on my burlesque bingo card when I got started four years ago. Neither was creating a festival. I have a very clear idea of what I’d like to be doing in the next year and five years from now. Burlesque is still in the picture, a venue is in the picture, and three different festivals live in this future as well.

What is coming down the road might feel surprising for some folks, but for those of you who have been paying attention, it won’t be a surprise at all. It is the natural progression of a manifestor

Photo by Megan Farmer at The Give Inn 2021