Title (as given to the record by the creator): The Fat of The Land: A Queer Chub Harvest Festival
Date(s) of creation: October 3, 2009
Creators: Charlotte Cooper, Jason Elvis Barker, Nazmia Jamal, The Queer Institute, Bill Savage
Location: London, UK
Physical description: 8-page event programme, text with an image on the front page
Reference #: Fat-of-the-Land
Source: Charlotte Cooper
Links: [ PDF ] [ Printable PDF ] [ Charlotte Cooper on the Fat of the Land ]
The Fat of the Land: A Queer Chub Harvest Festival
[Image description: A carved block print of a pie with a top crust that says FAT OF THE LAND.]
The Fat of the Land:
A Queer Chub Harvest Festival
3 October 2009, 2-6pm
St Annes, SS Dean Street, London
Programme
Welcome
In March 2009 the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival at the British Film Institute hosted Invasion of The Chubsters. It was a sell-out show, people danced in the aisles, there were even tears of joy. This event was not the only expression of fat queer community and activism in the capital but, for many of us who were involved, it sparked a realisation that London could handle some more queer chub action.
So the Fat of the Land is about celebrating good food and making things, whilst building complex, friendly, mixed community. We recognise the va!ue of fat queer bodies, history and culture, of having fun, and we invite people of all backgrounds and body types to enfer into the conversation.
NOLOSE helped us with their Small Projects Across the Land grants. In 2008 they gave some of us to make a zine called Big Bums. This year Charlotte Cooper plus Jason Barker and Nazmia Jamal of The Queer Institute, up until now a mythic beast, proposed a bigger event. Bill Savage joined in. Transfabulous, who celebrate trans art and culture, also loaned some cash. Lots of people volunteered help. Thanks to them and to you!
Schedule
2pm
Guest of Honour BJ will open The Fat of the Land.
2-4.30pm
- Art, activities, conversation, displays, eating, information, marvelling and mingling, poetry, tea-drinking and our wonderful stalls.
- Enter competitions with your home-made jams, chutneys, decorated cupcakes, cakes (fancy and teatime) and vegetable monsters.
- Buy raffle tickets and win amazing prizes.
- Donate unwanted weight loss paraphernalia to the Diet Bin of Doom.
4.30pm
Raffle draw.
Competition and silent auction winners announced.
5pm
Entertainment provided by The 123s, Scottee, and Chopin. Fat Queer Harvest Hymn singing.
5.30pm
Special guests The Blackhorse and Standard Women’s North West Morris will close the event with some dancing. General merriment.
Thanks to ...
56a lnfoshop, Alison Henry, Allyson Mitchell, Anna Small, Becky Sanchez, BJ, Blackhorse and Standard Women’s North West Morris, Blackwells, Charley Stone, Charlotte Cooper, Chopin Gard, Corinna Tomrley, DIVA, Emli Bendixen, Fat Studies UK, Health At Every Size UK, Jason Elvis, Kate Harding, Katie D, Katy Hathaway, Kay Hyatt, Lady Lucy, Laura Brightwell, Linda Bacon, Lindsay River, Liz Willows, Lizzie Guinness, Lucy Aphramor, Mike Wyeld, Sachi Nehra at Naughty and Nice Cakes, Nazmia Jamal, NOLOSE, Ochi Reyes, Paper Dinosaur, Phoebe Coulton, Raw Nerve Books, Re/Dress NYC, Scottee, Simon Murphy, St Anne’s, www.adipositivity.com, Susan Stinson, The Savage, The Bops, Tom O’Tottenham, Tracey Hancock, Victoria Yeulet, What Will the Harvest Be?, www.obesitytimebomb.blogspot.com, Zemirah Moffatt, our friends and everyone who gave us publicity, miscellaneous help and, most importantly, encouragement*.
Questions, comments and feedback please! queerlnstltute@gmall.com
Fat of the Land updates and Information https://queerchub.blogspot.com
Apologies if your name has been missed, this is because of frazzled minds and forgetfulness, not ingratitude.
The Fat Queer Harvest Hymn
A harvest festival needs a harvest festival hymn. We thought it would be unlikely that the usual songbooks would have a hymn specifically for queer fatties, we decided to write one ourselves especially for The Fat of the Land. The idea behind the Fat Queer Harvest Hymn is that it gives thanks for the past, present and future of queer chub life. It could be something that we sing to ourselves or with our friends when we need a bit of cheering up or encouragement. We will be singing the Fat Queer Harvest Hymn all together today at about 5pm, after the competition winners have been announced. The 123s will teach everyone the tune. Why not join in too? Don’t worry if you don’t think you’re a good singer, you can hum it if you like, let’s just make some noise.
Fat Queer Harvest Hymn
by The 123s. London. July 2009
chorus: So thanks to all the fatty queers
The ones who’ve come before us
For trailblazing through the years
We sing our grateful chorus
Let’s start our fat queer history
With The Fat Underground
The FaT GIRL zlne defined the scene
And BJ won her crown
(chorus)
Community is strong today
With NOLOSE at the top
The Chubster Gang, Mike and Chopin, Beth Ditto and The Bop
(chorus)
We don’t know what the future holds
Some people think we’re wrong
The tree we’ve planted will bear fruit
As long as we are strong
(chorus, with extra gusto)
Who are these people?
Here’s a little crib sheet to help you along.
The Fat Underground
A bunch of rad fatties who organised, protested and published in the 1970s and early 80s in the US. https://tinyurl.com/fatunderground
FaT GiRL
A zine ( a homemade magazine) ‘For Fat Dykes and the Women Who Want Them’. Copies still available from: https://maxairborne.etsy.com
BJ
A muse to artists and fashion designers and an inspiration to all. Won the inaugural Miss Lesbian Beauty Competition, organised by fat queer celebrity Amy Lame in 1997.
NOLOSE
A vibrant community of fat dykes/lesbians, bisexual women, transgendered folks, and allies, seeking to end the oppression of fat people! www.nolose.org
The Chubster Gang
A wacked-out fat queer girl gang. www.chubstergang.com
Mike and Chopin
Big, fat, bear-y supporters of everything alternative, DIY, queer and creative.
Beth Ditto
Mega-famous singer with The Gossip. An icon.
The Bop
Unskinny Bop, an East London nightclub, incubator of fat queer community, home to the best DJs in the world. www.unskinnybop.co.uk
Which fat queers are your heroes? Whose names would you add to the Fat Queer Harvest Hymn? Why not write your own verse or sing your own version? We’ll put it on the FotL blog.
