Who We Are

"Shade: A Night of Colourful Burlesque" launched in 2019, as Victoria's first all BIPOC burlesque event. From the beginning, our goals were to shift the Victoria Burlesque scene's events at the time to ones that prioritize intersectional representation and safety for all people of colour. Since then, the BIPOC scene in Victoria has grown immensely with various BIPOC-led burlesque and drag events.

Since our launch, Shade has become a semi-annual event that continues to expand beyond our goals and it is produced with community-first values. The international BIPOC burlesque scene is an explosion of innovation, advocacy, and community creation. House of Cheek aspires to contribute to this work through visibility, action and resilience. Captivated by passionate personalities and breaking expectations of what burlesque is, House of Cheek is always excited to bring the international and local scenes together to create events defined by their vivacious reclamation.

Our Values

Each year, House of Cheek's team and values guide our productions to ensure we remain a community-first production company. We believe that all people of colour deserve to thrive and showcase their art with autonomy and self-determination. We are committed to uplifting and advocating for people of colour's voices to be heard and for their art to be valued and celebrated.

House of Cheek and the Shade Burlesque Festival are produced with the following values guiding our work:

1. Uplifting the BIPOC Legacy - past present and future

2. Highlight Intersectional BIPOC identities to authentically reflect the diversity of the BIPOC

burlesque and drag communities

3. Committing to building decolonized spaces where performers of colour feel seen, heard,

and valued

4. Holding space for community conversations, growth, and resilience