Queer PowerPoint

Gillies, Dobbie & Smyth

AVAILABLE FOR PRESENTATION

An evening of corporate presentations and personal optimisation. But queer.


Thanks for attending today’s talks, it means a lot that you’re here.

This is Queer PowerPoint – a new experimental performance series. We invite queer artists from across Sydney to explore and share an idea, current obsession, or ongoing fascination using that most staid and ubiquitous of programming tools – PowerPoint.

It’s a bunch of queers deep diving into highly niche content in a very gay way. 

Reclaiming and queering the corporate presentation from our straight capitalist overlords, creators Xanthe Dobbie and Harriet Gillies host this night of surprising stories, secret passions and starwipes, with jonny seymour (stereogamous) on decks, Charlie Kember wizarding the visuals, and Thom keeping it all greased and running smooth.

We commission artists to create a new 10-minute performance lecture about absolutely anything – the only rules are it has to be queer af, and they have to use Microsoft PowerPoint.

Come back together and revel in the new strangeness with a digital tool from a simpler time.


Presentation History

2023

June: Australian Performing Arts Market | Melbourne, Vic

February: Sydney WorldPride at University Technology Sydney | Sydney, NSW
Line-Up: Micha Couell, Xanthe Dobbie, Coby Ann Edgar, Fried Pork Chop, Harriet Gillies, Jade Muratore

2022

December Christmas Special: Pleasures Playhouse | Sydney, NSW
Line-up: Salote Tawale, Sarah Jessica Carpark, Solly Frank, Gus McGrath, jonny seymour

November: WA Museum Boola Bardip | Perth, WA
Line-up: Xanthe Dobbie, Harriet Gillies, Desk Goblin, Dakota Jones, Louis King, Nicola Macri

October: Pleasures Playhouse | Sydney, NSW
Line-up: Ayebatonye, Ce Benedict, Jack Colwell, Xanthe Dobbie, Solomon Frank, Harriet Gillies, Salote Tawale

May: Museum of Contemporary Art | Sydney, NSW
Line-up: Nat Caro, Xanthe Dobbie, Harriet Gillies, Gus McGrath & jonny seymour

2021

December: 107 Projects | Redfern, NSW
Line-up: Kieran Bryant, Sarah Jesica Carpark, Xanthe Dobbie, Harriet Gillies, Kia Kaha & Marcus Whale


Excerpt from Pleasuredome by Harriet Gillies and Xanthe Dobbie

Creative Team

Co-Creators
Harriet Gillies, Xanthe Dobbie & Thom Smyth

Co-Curators & Featuring
Harriet Gillies & Xanthe Dobbie

Sound & Tunes
jonny seymour

Creative Producer
Thom Smyth // Unfunded Empathy

Production Manager
Charlie Kember



Production Info

Queer PowerPoint is a new work commissioning platform allowing artists time, space and support to dive deep into a new idea.

We have a flexible and low-impact delivery model suited to lecture theatres, gallery spaces, bars, or more traditional theatre venues.

For more information, please contact Thom: thom@unfundedempathy.com

Queer Powerpoint was supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW, and 107 Projects through their 107 Presents Artist Residency Program.

Please get in touch for more info – thom@unfundedempathy.com


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