CLASS IS BACK IN SESSION!
Crayola the Queen, known internationally as The Queen of Colour, has made a name for herself in London and beyond as one of the UK's premier drag queens. Her unique brand of campy cute cabaret shows and her successful private event business have entertained many, but what you may not know is that behind the scenes, Crayola has spent many hours doing private coaching and teaching group workshops to help lift up and inspire the next generation of queer performers. This project, Crayola's School of Drag, is the next natural step in this strand of her work!
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS:
WEDNESDAY NOV 1 / 6-8PM GMT / INTRO TO CABARET
What is cabaret? What makes a great cabaret act? And how will understanding this help you craft memorable drag performances? Crayola, nominated for Best Host, Best Promoter/Producer and Best Ongoing Queer Cabaret at The QX Cabaret Awards 2019, answers all this and more in an interactive and inspiring workshop, with time built in for participants to discuss ideas they may have for creating a new act or refining an existing one.
WEDNESDAY NOV 8 / 6-8PM GMT / DRAG QUEEN MAKEUP
Serving face is a big part of drag - and Crayola is known for her polished and colourful signature mug. Join her as she paints her face from start to finish, talking you through all her favourite products and techniques, and answers all your questions as she goes along. Those who sign up for this will receive a list of Crayola's preferred tools and makeup products - this is for reference, not a requirement. Students are encouraged to paint along, but sitting back and just taking notes is okay too!
WEDNESDAY NOV 15 / 6-8PM GMT / HOSTING 101
If you want to make a professional career in drag, you will probably have to learn how to hold yourself on the mic. Experienced in everything from MCing kids shows to naughty queer cabarets, from solo work to variety, Crayola teaches you all the cornerstones of hosting an amazing show, including how to make an entrance, audience improv and management, show structure and flow, ending strong, adapting to different demographics and digital landscapes, and more.
WEDNESDAY NOV 22 / 6-8PM GMT / THE BUSINESS OF DRAG
Making drag into a full-time profession is not easy, but Crayola has spent the last 6.5 years doing just that. Covering Branding, Pathways to Getting Booked, How to Make Sure You Get Re-Booked, Fee Expectations and Getting Paid, and more, this workshop will provide insight for any drag artist who is serious about carving a career for themselves in the world of drag.
BOOKING INFO:
Workshops can be booked a la carte (£15 each) or as a course (all four dates for £50)
Discounts are available for Crayola’s Patreon Subscribers – 25% for £10/month subs, 50% for £25/month subs, and FREE for £50/month subs. You can join the Craymunity at Patreon.com/CrayolaTheQueen, which will also give you access to instagram.com/CraytreonSubscribers as well as exclusive livestreams, behind the scenes footage, rehearsal videos, and more. Please contact Crayola if you qualify for a discount
Workshops will take place on Zoom, with links mailed out to you an hour before the event’s start time
Interaction will be encouraged at points, but is not required. Your comfort is paramount
When working one on one within a group session, Crayola will endeavour to include everyone possible, but cannot promise that she will get to do so with everybody
Crayola's experience is mainly working within London and the U.K., so bear in mind that the workshops will be geared towards the realities of the industry in those places
TESTIMONIALS:
'Working with Crayola in these workshops has been the most positive experience - I have felt the support to ask questions in a safe space that also challenges me to improve my craft. I've definitely started to think about expanding my skillset - going into hosting for example, inspired by the hosting 101 workshop. I would reccommend to any drag artist wanting to learn how to further their career and Crayola is truly such a beacon of joy and wisdom' – Crusty, currently in Crayola’s Mentorship Program
"Crayola's workshops are fantastic, from the content to the hosting. They create a relaxed and safe envrironment for you to learn in, and address topics with experience, so you know that they're speaking with authority. They also created an easy to follow structure, and built in sections for questions, which was really useful. The "intro to cabaret" completed the puzzle in my head about how a successful performance should be, and how the cabaret world is, but also gave me ideas on how to improve my performance. The hosting workshop gave me confidence and a starting point to how I should present myself before different audiences. The "Business of Drag" workshop gave me so much insight to how freelancing works and I left knowing the complexities of the industry, this is a must for people who want to get into the drag world seriously!" – Lusty Lovelace, currently in Crayola’s Mentorship Program
“So I hear that Crayola is offering coaching for perfomers. My advice: DO IT! Crayola is an incredible drag performer, so talented and one of the nicest, most genuine queens I know! She helped me so much when I started out performing...she actually worked with me to create a track for a competition whilst she was on holiday in Spain despite us only having met once! I will also say this to any women out there thinking about doing drag, I know it can be frustrating because there are people out there who don’t accept us as being able to do drag but Crayola actively encourages every individual drag performer no matter of their gender and will give you every opportunity to shine. So whether you are male, female or anything in between go and get all the advice from this incredibly kind, talented and beautiful queen whilst you still can and she’s not too busy flying all over the world performing!“ – Annie Lusion, previous Coaching Client
Drag Academy for The Mosaic Trust 2019
Private Coaching
Crayola is also available for personalised, one on one sessions over Zoom to help you develop your practice!
Past students.
“Crayola’s Drag School obliterated the expectations I had for a three hour zoom class. She went so in depth on the history, artistry and execution of drag and cabaret culture that I felt like I was in a college course. I was educated as a student, empowered as an artist and inspired to continue to explore and create the characters in my head and give them the life and expression they deserve. I also loved that I was learning with a vastly diverse group of people from all over the world - it created such a rich and exciting environment for education and collaboration. Crayola was so accommodating and encouraging to everyone’s creative journey and gave everyone the space to feel seen, heard and encouraged. I would highly recommend Drag School for any performance artist - thank you for sharing your wisdom, creative genius and light with us, Crayola! I’m still beaming!” - Slouise
“Taking part in these workshops has given me the confidence boost needed to return to drag after some time away from performing.
Behind Crayola’s glorious rainbow of make-up & wigs there’s a generous and community-minded facilitator, someone who cultivates a welcoming and constructive space, where everyone’s encouraged to develop their own unique creative ideas, while learning the need-to-know Facts of Drag Life from someone who shares honestly and openly about all the experiences, learning curves, and dedicated work that goes into building a cabaret career.” - Dan Load
“I found Crayolas class so useful, informative and educational. She made a very safe and comfortable space for all attendees. I’m sad that it is over!” - Glitzy Trender
“Thanks so much Crayola for such a thorough and entertaining class! As a newbie to the drag scene, your course has given me the confidence to try new things and reach out to venues and digital spaces to get more experience. I'm so excited to test out what we learned in class and adding this fabulous string to my bow!” - Dear Spora
"Crayola's workshops are fantastic, from the content to the hosting. They create a relaxed and safe environment for you to learn in, and address topics with experience, so you know that they're speaking with authority. They also created an easy to follow structure, and built in sections for questions, which was really useful. The "intro to cabaret" completed the puzzle in my head about how a successful performance should be, and how the cabaret world is, but also gave me ideas on how to improve my performance. The hosting workshop gave me confidence and a starting point to how I should present myself before different audiences. The "Business of Drag" workshop gave me so much insight to how freelancing works and I left knowing the complexities of the industry, this is a must for people who want to get into the drag world seriously!" - Lusty Lovelace
“I wish Crayola would run a degree course! They are so educated on the topics, i’ve never experienced such knowledge organised in such a way, especially online! Also I really enjoyed how inclusive it was, the language Crayola would use was always inclusive and accessible, and they also did everything they could to make sure the course was accessible to all! I remember the first class being asked if anyone has any needs such as needing captions, and that showed me they were thinking about everybody! I got the inclusion scholarship but I will definitely pay for the course next time, it’s worth every penny! I’ve also recommended it to a lot of friends!” - Lussi
“Lots of useful information even for non-UK based and already established drag artists. Crayola's approach is professional yet very friendly and welcoming. They had well-prepared material, explained things clearly and also had space for specific questions, which they tied in well so that the whole workshop had a nice flow without being boring or overwhelming as time went on. Would absolutely recommend - personally learnt a few new things that will definitely help me in my career and also got reassurance on things I'm already doing. Would absolutely recommend to any newbie artists/performers as well as those who are just looking to take their career to the next level and go further.” - Melancholia Blackbile
“Crayola has created the most accepting and informative space. The workshops have taught me so much. The Business of Drag workshop gave me new insight into the complexities of the industry. The workshop on the intro to cabaret inspired me and made me examine my drag and question where I want to take my drag and taught me the skills of how to get there. The hosting workshop inspired me to build on new skills. Crayola is so knowledgeable, warm, inviting and non-judgmental. I would highly recommend this to anyone wanting expand their drag skills and knowledge!” - Karla Beauty Marx
“Being mentored by Crayola has really brightened up a very dark lockdown. They are passionate, warm and so encouraging about drag as an art form - it has been a joy learning and expanding my knowledge in a wonderful welcoming environment. I would highly recommend this course to everyone who wants to get into doing drag or has been performing for a while as you will also learn about things that will help you improve your skills and how to utilise them in the wider world.” - Alotta Nerve
“Attending to Crayola's School of Drag was a very exciting experience. As somebody that is just starting the "drag life" this gave me a better insight of the challenges to face in a future. Crayola is an excellent teacher/guide and has the experience to talk about the topics covered during the lessons. I'm really thankful of having this opportunity and will highly recommend it to anybody who is starting in this adventure!” - Missy D Point
“Working with Crayola in these workshops has been the most positive experience - I have felt the support to ask questions in a safe space that also challenges me to improve my craft. I've definitely started to think about expanding my skillset - going into hosting for example, inspired by the hosting 101 workshop. I would reccommend to any drag artist wanting to learn how to further their career and Crayola is truly such a beacon of joy and wisdom” - Crusty