Not In My Dundee

by Shaper/Caper in Dundee, Dundee City Council, United Kingdom

We did it
On 5th May 2023 we successfully raised £1,650 with 53 supporters in 46 days

Help us make a short film bringing together the queer community in Dundee through dance, taking a stand against homophobia and transphobia.

by Shaper/Caper in Dundee, Dundee City Council, United Kingdom

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Hi, we're Shaper/Caper!


Here at Shaper/Caper, we believe that dance and art are for everyone. You don’t need to be a classically trained ballerina to get a creative kick from moving your body around (or watching someone else do it), so we want to make sure that as many people have access to dance as possible — regardless of background, age, identity, experience, or ability.

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As a queer-led charity, supporting queer artists and telling our stories is one of the most important things we do. Whether that’s funding queer artists through our BRAW bursaries and Queer to Stay residency, honouring oral history with our Queer Stories project, exploring trans identity through short films Period and The End, or bringing the community together with our LGBT+ arts festival OutFest — platforming queer voices is at the core of our work.

This summer will bring one of our biggest projects yet: Small Town Boys, a production set in the 1980s queer nightlife scene, exploring the impact of the AIDS crisis and Section 28 on the queer community both then and now through dance and verbatim spoken word.

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Speaking Out

While Small Town Boys’ 1980s dance floors may be a thing of the past, the hate and hostility peddled by media and politicians alike towards queer, especially trans, people is not. Drag bans and restrictions on trans healthcare are becoming law in the States, efforts have been made to block vital Gender Self-ID reform in the UK, and queerphobia is hitting closer and closer to home. Just last December, a Drag Queen Story Time event hosted at the DCA by a local drag queen became the target of online abuse and intimidation – a small handful of individuals committed to making queer people feel unsafe.

Over the years, we’ve gotten to work with a huge range of wonderfully queer organisations and artists  — we refuse to let a handful of homophobes speak on behalf of our hometown, just because they think they can shout louder than the rest of us.

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We want to make a short film bringing together as many different LGBTQ+ folk and organisations in Dundee as we can (alongside some stellar dance performance, of course) to shed light on their experiences, take a stand with all the queer joy and self-expression that the city has to offer, and tell that loud, hateful minority: “Not In My Dundee!”


Lights, Camera, Action!

The money raised for the short film through the Crowdfunder will be used to do the following:

  • To ensure that all professional dancers, drag performers, and others are paid fairly for their time and involvement in the film, and that all of their expenses are covered.
  • To cover the research and development of the film, ensuring it is as impactful as it can be.
  • To bring in a professional filmmaker, to elevate the quality of the film.
  • To cover the costs of rehearsal space and equipment, as well as some suitably fabulous props and costumes.
  • To cover the cost of editing the film.

We really hope you will lend your support to our film by donating and sharing (not least to get your hands on some of the fab rewards we have to offer!), and join us in saying: “Not In My Dundee!”

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Rewards

This project offers rewards in return for your donation. Please select a reward below.

£7 or more

16 of 100 claimed

Sticker, Postcard, Badge bundle

Bundle of 2 uniquely designed postcards, a sticker, and a badge

£10 or more

Downloadable song SERVE by Mark Franks

Downloadable link to a brand-new track for Shaper/Caper's production Small Town Boys. Created by Mark Franks from the Overtones (aka Rescue Rangerz).

£25 or more

10 of 50 claimed

Credit in film

Want to have your support recognised in the short film itself? With this reward, your name will feature as a supporter with a big thank you from us.

£50 or more

1 of 5 claimed

Feature in the short film

Have something to say about queer experiences in Dundee, or just want to show your support? With this reward, you can get yourself in front of our cameras to feature in the final short film!

£100 or more

0 of 10 claimed

Attend a dress rehearsal of Small Town Boys

Attend a dress rehearsal of Small Town Boys, Shaper/Caper's next dance theatre production about the 1980s AIDS crisis. The dress rehearsal offers a behind-the-scenes opportunity to see how a theatre show is put together. This comes with an opportunity for a Q&A with the choreographer, Shaper/Caper's Artistic Director, Thomas Small. This will be in July 2023 on a date and time to be confirmed.

£150 or more

0 of 7 claimed

Access to rehearsal room

Access to the rehearsals of Shaper/Caper's next production Small Town Boys. Small Town Boys is about the 1980s AIDS crisis with a focus on the treatment of gay men during this period. This reward gives access to the rehearsal room to observe how the company work together to create this dance theatre production. This reward will include a Q&A with the choreographer, Thomas Small. Date and time to be confirmed.

£250 or more

1 of 4 claimed

1:1 dance tutoring with a Shaper/Caper Dancer

This reward is a 60 minute individual dance class with one of our amazing and talented Dance Artists. The class will involve learning choreography from Shaper/Caper's shows including Right Up Your Street, Teeny Weeny, and Within This Dust. The dance class will happen at Shaper/Caper's base, Showcase the Street in Dundee.

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