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Toulouse Blackface Walkout: European Performers Respond

Toulouse Blackface Walkout: European Performers Respond

LouLou Champagne ©Lorea Marchand

Last week, eight performers walked out of the Toulouse Burlesque Festival in protest at the inclusion of a burlesque act involving blackface. Click here for full details. In response to the incident, a collective of European burlesque performers, concerned about suggestions that racist and culturally appropriative acts are a common and accepted occurrence in the European burlesque scene, have sent the following statement, presented in English and French:

 

LouLou Champagne ©Lorea Marchand
LouLou Champagne sent a statement from a collective of European performers in response to the Toulouse Burlesque Festival blackface incident and resulting walkout by eight performers. ©Lorea Marchand

 

In the aftermath of the Toulouse Burlesque Festival, the burlesque community from France, Belgium and Switzerland publicly and collectively reaffirms its will to fight the use of blackface and racist cultural appropriation in our industry.

The use of blackface is patently offensive and reinforces historically racist stereotypes. We condemn racism and hate in any shape and form, and we are working every day to create and sustain a creative environment that values dialogue, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Unbridled racism has been at the heart of our concerns for the past years, and this dreadful and painful incident is yet another reminder of how attentive we all should be. More than ever, we believe in individual and collective accountability for both artists and producers.

By speaking out against racist acts and taking a stand, artists can erode prejudices and play a unique role in confronting oppression and providing powerful inspiration to celebrate human difference.

We commend the eight artists who decided to withdraw from the festival and would like to renew our full support to their action .

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Suite aux événements du festival burlesque de Toulouse, la communauté burlesque franco-belge-suisse réaffirme publiquement et collectivement sa volonté de s’élever contre l’utilisation du blackface (acte de se grimer en noir) et l’appropriation culturelle raciste.

Le blackface est un acte clairement insultant et contribue à renforcer les stéréotypes racistes véhiculés par l’histoire. Nous condamnons fermement le racisme et la haine sous toutes leurs formes, et nous nous efforçons au quotidien de créer et pérenniser un environnement créatif reposant sur le dialogue, la diversité, l’équité et l’inclusion.

Ce racisme décomplexé est au coeur de nos préoccupations depuis ces dernières années et ce douloureux et effroyable incident nous rappelle une fois de plus combien la vigilance est de mise. Plus que jamais, nous en appelons à la responsabilité individuelle et collective aussi bien pour les artistes que pour les producteurs.

En dénonçant ces numéros racistes et en prenant position, les artistes luttent contre les préjugés et l’oppression et sont une source d’inspiration puissante pour célébrer la différence.

Nous saluons les 8 artistes qui ont décidé de quitter le festival et nous leur renouvelons notre soutien.

Signed

AMANDINE GORSE
ANA VON ROSSA
ANNA BOGEN
ANTOINETTE BOUDOIR (SECRETES BOUDOIR)
ATHENA TTENTION
BAMBI FRECKLES’S
BABETTE DE LA BUTTE
BAZOOM BURLESQUE
BETTY BLUE  (REIMS BURLESQUE FESTIVAL)
BISOU BELETTE (BELETTE ACADÉMIE)
BONNIE BEE
BRIAN SCOTT BAGLEY
CHAMPAGNE MADEMOISELLE
CHARLY BROUTILLE (BROUTILLE & COMPAGNIE)
CHARLY VOODOO
CHERRY LYLY DARLING (TASSEL TEASE COMPANY)
COCO DAS VEGAS (PIN UP D’ALSACE)
COCO PATCHOULI
COLETTE COLLERETTE
CYD SAILOR
DAISY DEPARYS (WUNDERKABARETT)
DONNA COEURSLEONE
DOTTY MAC LANE
ELENA ODESSA RAY
EVA LA VAMP
EVA VALENTINA (BURLESQUE MOULIN)
FROUFROU D’ABSINTHE
GALLIANE MURMURES[/col1
GEORGE BANGABLE
GINGER FROMVENUS
GLORIA ZSA ZSA ZSU (FORBIDDEN NEW BURLESQUE)
HELL’N LITTLEBAT
INGA LA DOUCE
IVY HIPSYLON
JEANNE DARK
JULIE CRÈVE-COEUR
KAT’ DE VELOURS
KIKI BÉGUIN
KIRBY MARZELLE
LA MACHINE
LADY DADA
LADY FLO
LEMM ROLLICKING
LES DEMOISELLES DU K-BARRÉ
LILI CHANTILLY
LILI MIREZMOI  (SASSY CABARET)
LILLY BULLE (GENEVA BURLESQUE FESTIVAL)
LILY BUTTERFLY
LIVIA BELLUGIO
LOLA DE SAINT-GERMAIN
LOLA SAIGON
LOLA VON-ROCK
LOLO CHANTILLY
LOLLY WISH
LOLO CAREY
LOUISE DE VILLE (PRETTY PROPAGANDA)
LOUISON FRISSON
LOUIZA VENTURA
LOULOU CHAMPAGNE
LUNA MOKA
MADEMOISELLE FAUVE
MAMZ’ELLE PLUMTI
MARA DE NUDÉE
MARIE TERENZIANI
MARION BAUDESSON
MARQUIS DE TIARELL
MATHILDE DUPUIS
MAUD’AMOUR
MINA OÜSHKHA
MINNIE VALENTINE
MISS ANNE THROPY (TEASE N’JAZZ)
MISS BOTERO
MISS GLITTER PAINKILLER (LA GLITTER FEVER)
MISS GOURMANDISE OF BURLESQUE
MISS SHOW SHOW CANNELLE (BORDEAUX BURLESQUE FESTIVAL)
MORTIMER MOONBENDER
PARIS LAHAINE
PETULA GOLDFEVER
ROSABELLE SELAVY
RUBY SCHATZI
SADIK SADIE
SATINE QUINZEL
SATTYNA TSÉ TSÉ
SAYURI GEI (BRUXELLES BURLESQUE FESTIVAL)
SOA DE MUSE
SUCRE D’ORGE
THE FLYING WILLY
VALENTINA DEL PEARLS (LE BURLESQUE KLUB)
VINCE VAN VEGAS
VIVIANNE DELLAMORE
WANDA DE LULLABIES
WINNIE PELTEEZ

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