Steinbach’s Band of Colours and Heartberry Café host makeup and wig workshop

A makeup and wig workshop was hosted in Steinbach thanks to Band of Colours, a 2SLGBTQ+ resource centre and the Heartberry Café on Aug. 21.

Just days before the Heartberry Café had its formal commercial opening, Band of Colours facilitated the workshop, the first of its kind in Steinbach, led by 25-year-old Salem Scythe, who goes under the name “Pretty Boy” when in drag, as the leader of the tutorial.

“It’s such a fun art form to do. The shape shifting of it all, the transformation. You use so many skills from traditional art and painting and apply them onto your face. It’s very fun,” said Scythe.

The art form of drag has a long history, and one marked by several distinct phases ranging from the theatres of ancient Greece to Vaudeville to its present Pride invocation, along with the fame brought by actors like Marlene Dietrich which has moved the art ever closer to the mainstream.

An essential component of the practice has always been convincing makeup applications to enhance the performance of the actor, as Scythe knows from first-hand experience.

“I did a lot of art growing up. It was mostly just your normal makeup, and then eventually evolved into more alternative makeup. And then, once I started drag, all of what I had been experimenting with just kind of accumulated into a collage,” said Scythe.

The workshop is her way of helping others looking to experiment with the art form find their way and to develop their own distinct personas.

“I spent so much time growing up on YouTube watching people doing makeup tutorials and seeing how other people did it and just collecting the little bits and pieces from everything that ended up working for me.”

For Scythe, once she becomes her drag persona “Pretty Boy,” the thrill of the performance takes over. The opportunities of honing her artform have been helped significantly by Band of Colours events and by its executive director, Angelica Brunger. Pretty Boy has been a feature performer at functions like the annual Drag Brunch, for example, which Brunger created.

During Band of Colours events like the brunch, Scythe says she met other performers and those with experience in performing drag, and now she is eager to share what she has learned over the years with others.

“I’ve been doing drag ever since I was 13,” said Scythe. “Just recently I’ve officially become the Drag Queen of Band of Colours …so I will do the planning and the organizing of the (other) performers. It’s very exciting and I’m very honoured to be so accepted and that everyone here has given me the space to be able to do this.”

Education is a key responsibility for Scythe and a role she takes seriously as she helps others learn makeup skills.

River Irvine, who has been practicing drag for almost two years, agrees with bringing the skillset forward to those interested rather than leaving them to discover its practice on their own, without the support or learned experiences of their community.

“I was at the (Steinbach) Bible College for five years and finally came out as non-binary. I thought, if drag has interested me for so many years there’s no way I can be the only one, and I’m not. I would just say, ‘Let’s do it,’” said Irvine.

The workshop is more than just a simple summer pastime, but rather a well-timed and serious lecture to coincide with several upcoming events, such as Steinbach’s Pride march, the grand opening of the Heartberry Café on Aug. 24 and an inaugural Drag Show being held at The Public Brewhouse and Gallery on Aug. 29.

“I’m very excited because this is also a little bit of a preparation for the show that’s happening at The Public,” said Scythe. “So, what we’re doing, we’re having some new Steinbach performers debut and others coming from rural communities from as far away as Morden. And then I and my friends, including my boyfriend, are going to come host with me. Its going to be an amazing show and huge debut for rural talent,” said Scythe.

Those interested in the art form of drag and learning more about the 2SLGBTQ+ community in Steinbach and rural Manitoba can contact the Band of Colours organization at bandofcolours.plus@gmail.com.