QueerCore is Homotopia’s yearlong artist development programme for emerging mixed art, literary, performance and visual artists based in the Liverpool City Region.
These individuals and groups receive funding, advice, peer and industry support in their specific projects over the course of 12 months.
** Applications for QueerCore 23 – 24 are now OPEN **
Meet our 2022/23 QueerCore artists . . .
Kolade T Ladipo (he/him)
Kolade has been a dancer for a plethora of artists, Wande Coal, MU4TY, Juls, Michael Aldag, Dave, Buju and JAE5. With music videos yet to come out. Kolade has been professionally dancing since 2018 and has choreographed for Ariana Grande’s London Fragrance launch in 2019, this consisted of styling, and casting the team too. Other collaborations also include Converse where Kolade choreographed a short dance sequence for Instagram.
As a photographer Kolade has shot for T-Wu and upcoming Nigerian-British artist where the pictures were featured in The Native Magazine, Africa’s leading magazine for music and culture.
Kolade also has his own brand called Noire Gayze which is all about championing the sounds of black queer people, through a magazine, nightlife events and community based events. The creation of this project and brand are to not only grow but enhance the safe spaces for black queer people in the north.
Marcella Rick (she/they)
Marcella is a Liverpudlian neurodiverse theatremaker who uses their writing as a means of navigating gender identity, non-traditional relationships, and queer expression.
Their work is unapologetically Scouse, and celebrates queer chosen families, whilst also documenting personal growth and the challenges it can present. Marcella is currently developing an immersive piece that offers reflection on growing up as a non-binary lesbian in a cis-hetero patriarchy. They are also part of the current Everyman Playwright’s Programme cohort, and are working on a candid exploration of polyamory within the queer community.
TW: @MarcellaRick IG: @marcy_rick
Rhiannon May (she/Her)
Rhiannon is a Liverpool based textile artist, working primarily with quilting and embroidery. She is fascinated by colour and texture and creates work that is interesting to look at and interesting to be a part of. She hates the idea of ‘don’t touch the art’ and wants to create engaging art that people can and should touch.
Rhiannon is a deaf, queer artist and creates work that aims to show joy and pride in her identity. She is also an actor and theatre maker and is really excited by the combination of textile art and theatre, and how they can be used alongside each other.
TW: @rhiannonemma IG: @rhiannon1may
Rosa Kusabbi (she/her)
Rosa is an illustrator and activist from Merseyside. As a queer illustrator, Rosa understands the importance of seeing yourself in the world. Of seeing others like you, who share experiences that those in power want to ignore. And so Rosa makes sure that every piece of work she sends out into the world allows others to see themselves.
Rosa celebrates cis female, non-binary and trans bodies, with a love of colour in her celebration of these beautiful humans and their stories.