In New York City, the kiki scene is more than a culture, it’s an investment.
Columbia University graduate Colby King is one of this year’s recipients of the David Award, a $200,000 unconditional grant. This funding will be used to financially support queer youth of color. Kiki Arts collaborationwhich aims to connect these young people to economic opportunities.
“As a Black LGBT person, I didn’t have a lot of spaces where I felt seen and accepted,” King says. “I’m from Texas, coming from a much more restricted state and then being in Colombia, so naturally I didn’t necessarily want to be represented there either. So getting into the Kiki scene actually gave me a way to be around people who were like me.”
In addition to art exhibitions, shows and performances, the funds will fund a nine-month residency for one established artist from Kiki Scene (a ballroom subculture led by LGBTQ+ youth of color) and six-month creative career development fellowships for four emerging artists, King said. The program aims to “ensure that they have the skills they need to tap into their talent and really apply it to a broader audience,” King said.
“The goal is to use these different programs to advance the careers of artists in the Kiki scene and to think about how the talents developed within the scene can be applied to career fields outside,” King says.
The David Award is an annual grant given to five individuals from New York City’s five boroughs and open to all residents in the fall. According to the site, the goal is to provide mental and financial comfort to people who “believe in changing the future of our cities.”
King said he was “very grateful to be the winner,” but added, “I’m not someone who necessarily likes being in the spotlight.” He emphasizes that the grant is not about him, but about building his community and “using the visibility that comes with it to highlight the whole scene.”
“Although I am the recipient of this award, there are many people already doing great work to support LGBT youth, especially in the Kiki scene,” he says. “I’m joining a wide network of people who are already doing good work and want to uplift the scene as a whole.”
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Source: Advocate.com – www.advocate.com
