Entrance to this programme is free, but due to limited capacity you need to register in advance.

The programme will open with a discussion on the philosophy of drag as an art of transformation: how drag destabilizes binaries, exaggerates norms, and creates spaces of resistance and play. Through case studies from around the world, we will trace how drag adapts to specific cultural traditions, and how performers reimagine gender and sexuality within their own social landscapes.

The seminar also addresses a pressing question of our time: why has drag become a target for the rising tide of the anti-gender movement and right-wing politics? We look at how growing authoritarian regimes censor drag and gender diversity, and what cultural fears drag stirs up in societies where rigid norms help keep power in place. Is drag inherently threatening? If so, to what? We will consider how drag unsettles state projects of national morality, heteronormativity, and cultural purity.

Finally, we will reflect on the broader implications of silencing drag and queer performance for representation, visibility, and freedom of cultural expression. By situating drag in the intersection of art, politics, and censorship, this seminar aims to illuminate why drag continues to be both a creative force and a political battleground.