Ball culture can be traced all the way back to the mid-19th century – it was in the 1960s in New York, however, that members of the queer, Black and Latinx population began to truly revitalise ball culture and evolve it into how it's known today. Now, all these years later, it has expanded and flourished.

The 2022 'Sissy Ball' at its new location Sydney Town Hall will celebrate this illustrious world in an explosion of identity, fluidity and finesse. . . Featuring legendary house battles, music, DJs, and performing artists.

So, who will shine the brightest at 'Sissy Ball' in 2022?

Godmother of the House Of Slé and 'Sissy Ball' Curator Kilia Pahulu tells us more about this year's event.

Tell us a little bit about 'Sissy Ball' as a concept.
'Sissy Ball' is centred around the safety of the performer, audience member, community and finding a path for joy to resonate. A kind of physical and mental security that allows you to slip out of the harsh reality of the world – whether it be '80s New York City or a COVID-ridden Sydney, 'Sissy Ball' is a chance to immerse themselves in fairytale where everything is possible.

For those who are not at all familiar with ball culture, what can you tell us about it?
Ballroom culture originated in Harlem, New York where Black and Latinx queer icons like Crystal LaBeija rejected the racial discrimination within the drag pageant scene by starting their own community, known as ballroom. The wheels are turned by the community leaders – those who have built upon their own experiences and take people under their wing and build a house/family. The houses go on to activate spaces, clubs and galleries, creating opportunities to showcase their talent that would otherwise go missed. That is replicated in Australia and is layered within our own cultural context – the Asia Pacific culture playing a major role in this.

As a Curator, what is your main role in how this comes together?
As a Curator, we work with the event producer to bring my creative vision to life. My role comes down to listening and engaging with the community and balancing that with my creative vision – like creating categories that people in the community will actually walk while pushing the mark – this all together with the logistics of putting on a large-scale event.

How about your vision for the event – what is it, and how do you plan to bring it to life?
For 'Sissy Ball', my vision started with the venue, Sydney Town Hall. Taking an iconic heritage space and reclaiming it for our community, flipping what people traditionally think of the space as and transforming it into the largest ball in Australia. The space leads me to think about worship, and reclaiming these spaces of worship for queer communities of colour. This is what we’re doing for 'Sissy Ball' – through dramatic lighting, 'Sissy Ball' will portal us somewhere in the front row of Kanye West’s Sunday Service with minimalist set design putting the focus solely on the body – the performer. Just like when you walk into church and the first thing you see is the body of Christ, right at the centre. Heavenly bodies!

How are you hoping attendees will respond and react to the event?
What I really hope attendees feel is activated and engaged by the activism that is 'Sissy Ball' and ballroom as a whole – not an idealised, one-way mirror into our heroic lives – and appreciate our collective humanity, the way one can only experience it, in a physical space all dancing and moving together.

What has it been like to curate 'Sissy Ball' 2022?
'Sissy Ball' is not just one person leading the way, it’s a matriarchal system where we open doors for each other to walk through as a community. I thank my sister and mentor Bhenji Ra for showing this to me! For me, curating 'Sissy Ball' has been a chance to build community whilst building my own skills as an artist, performer, voguer and emcee – all while putting on the biggest ball in Australia.

Why do you think events like 'Sissy Ball' are important to hold and attend?
Events like 'Sissy Ball' are about creating legacy and learning and retelling history – so we ourselves know and understand our own history of ballroom in a modern world, an Australian context. It’s important to attend these events because as a queer community we bestow love, honour, pride and lineage different to other communities – we do it in these spaces.

How do you think 'Sissy Ball' reflects the theme of 'United We Shine'?
'Sissy Ball' reflects this year's theme in a very simple way – we unite, we shine. We’ve all been through so much, for some, the past couple of years have been the hardest times of their lives. We’ve all anticipated this moment and now is our time to show up for ourselves. This is a form of healing.

'Sissy Ball' is on at Sydney Town Hall on 3 April (rescheduled due to COVID).