Feb 27, 2024 What's On
It’s the last week of Auckland Pride Month, but just because February is almost over, doesn’t mean the queer community is done celebrating!
As we move through this final week of February Pride Month, Auckland Pride’s Creative Director Nathan Joe offers up some of his final recommendations, as well as some programming treats BEYOND PRIDE and into March. Including an interview with NYMPHO, one of Auckland’s leading queer club collectives, who are throwing their biggest party yet (what a way to end Pride)!
An Interview with the creatives behind NYMPHO
Nympho
How did NYMPHO get its start?
The idea and name for NYMPHO came from Kartar (Diesel), who joined forces with Kylie (monoga.my) and Theo (Teddyyy) to create a club night celebrating the talent in Aotearoa’s queer nightlife scene. Our kaupapa is ‘sexual liberation and gender euphoria’ – we wanted to hold space for our communities to come together and revel in that. The handful of permanent queer clubs on Karangahape Road were becoming unsafe, especially for our most marginalised communities, but club nights like Filth and Fully Explicit have shown that we can create our own spaces instead.
How have the audience(s) and landscape shifted since you first started Nympho?
We’re very lucky to have drawn a wonderful audience to NYMPHO – our performers often tell us how much they love our crowd. As we’ve grown, we’ve been able to bring some of our favourite international acts over to headline – DJ G2G, TAAHLIAH, HorsegiirL, Jasmine Infiniti and the Pxssy Palace collective. Behind the scenes, we’ve had Liam (ATARANGI) join our team and their energy and vision have been a crucial part of our growth. We’re in a golden age for queer club nights and collectives in Tāmaki right now – all the incredible events like Lychee Baby, Dollhouse, and the Filth residency in the past month alone are testament to that. We think this just the beginning.
What makes this upcoming show on March 1st so special?
This weekend’s show marks our tenth event thus far. It’s also the first NYMPHO to run across two venues simultaneously (Raynham Park & Neck of the Woods) and to feature two international headliners – Kevin Aviance and MikeQ. Both are trailblazing figures in the US Ballroom community, so this NYMPHO is very much a love letter to Ballroom. We have eight extraordinary local DJs performing, many have DJ’d at balls (which is arguably one of the hardest things to do as a DJ lol). Joining them is a wide variety of talent from some of Aotearoa’s outstanding Ballroom houses. It’s a huge one for us and we’re very grateful to be celebrating our tenth event on this scale, thanks to the support of Burnett Foundation Aotearoa and Auckland Pride.
Where do you see Nympho in five to ten years? What’s the big dream?
This year we’re hoping to take NYMPHO abroad, but we will continue hosting events in Aotearoa of course. We want to continue to bring over international acts as this helps connect our local DJs to the global scene. Tāmaki Makaurau is incredibly lucky to have such good DJs and performers and it is our privilege to highlight them and celebrate their craft. Another new avenue for us is exploring NYMPHO as a record label. We put out our first single (‘Turn2Light’ by Teddyyy) in October and are looking forward to sharing more original music from the NYMPHO team and alumni. One of our aspirations is to eventually open up a permanent club on Karangahape Road – one that aligns with our kaupapa and is a truly safe and elevated space for our communities. That’s the big dream, we’re not sure how we’ll get there but we’re looking forward to the ride.
Purchase tickets for NYMPHO here.
WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK?
Cowboy Dreaming
Tuesday 27th Feb – Saturday 2nd March
Basement Theatre (Choose What You Pay)
Delve deep into the enigma of the cowboy, a complex character who all at once embodies a sex symbol, queer icon, solo adventurer, and superhero. With an ethereal atmosphere, an alien host and a bedazzled ensemble, Cowboy Dreaming employs a diverse range of artistic forms to both entertain and arouse the senses.
Recess
Wednesday 28th Feb – Sunday 17th March
Public Record (FREE)
Sung Hwan Bobby Park and Max Walker bringing their unique talents and perspectives to the forefront. Their collaborative efforts and mutual support add an extra layer of significance to the event, fostering a sense of community and creative synergy. Sung Hwan Bobby Park’s exploration of queerness and identity in modern society, particularly within the context of Korean military service, promises to challenge and provoke thought.
Te Ara Aronui
Thursday 29th Feb, 6:00pm
Albert Park (FREE)
Join us for free kai at our official closing event with a creative self-guided tour of Rangipuke (Albert Park). We will be launching our new immersive experience Te Ara Aronui using the PickPath mobile app. You will have the choice to either flow with the contours of Te Wai Ariki (water springs), or weave through the landscaping and landmarks that reflect a complex colonial imagination.
Dimensions of the Future
Thursday 29th Feb, 7:00pm
Movespace (FREE)
This event brings together experts from various industries to delve into the concept of futurism through queer and BIPOC perspectives. Thought-provoking panel conversations, featuring Moniola Chinewendu, Amita Kala, Pok Wei Heng, and Keagan Carr Fransch.
CODES presents In Plain Sight
Firday 9th Feb, 8.30pm
The Wine Cellar ($20)
CODES, an Auckland based, all queer ensemble have sought out and dredged up a selection of tunes that most people had never considered as queer but when looked at in a different light and with a little background are clearly queer as f**k.
NYMPHO
Friday 1st March, 10pm
Raynham Park & Neck of the Woods ($25-$40)
It’s the 10th and biggest NYMPHO club night yet. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the end of Pride Month and taking those vibes into the rest of the year. Prepare for the worst FOMO if you don’t go. But the above interview really says it better than I can.
