Katy Baird is an artist, curator and producer of Live Art based in Hastings, East Sussex, England.
As an artist Katy has performed at performance festivals and venues across Europe as well as squat parties, clubs and raves.
Her debut studio-based performance Workshy, a show about work and the things we do for money, was a smash hit and toured internationally to over 30 cities.
She has received commissions from Battersea Arts Centre, Wellcome Trust, The Yard Theatre, Camden People’s Theatre and Duckie amongst others. Since 2016 she has been artist in residence at queer club night Knickerbocker.
She is currently working on a new solo show entitled Get Off, due to be touring 2023/24
As a Curator she founded and co-produces Steakhouse Live, a DIY platform in London for radical performance practices and is currently Artistic Director of Home Live Art, producers of live events across Hastings, the South East and beyond.
Katy has also worked as an independent producer at Fierce Festival (Birmingham) and Manchester International Festival, as well as a guest lecturer at the University of Chichester, Central School of Speech and Drama, Rose Bruford College, Goldsmiths University, University of East London and University of Dundee.
From 2012-2017 she worked as Coordinator at the Live Art Development Agency in London.
Artist Statement
My practice is centred around a desire to create a shared space that can be both welcoming and radical.
My work explores ideas around class, gender and sexuality and lasts anything between four minutes to four hours. It can take the form of theatre, cabaret, intervention, film, installation or participatory performance.
I straddle multiple genres and sites because I am interested in where live work takes place and how to push the limits of specific audiences – context is everything!
I enjoy using my body to create a space that questions, pokes and prods current dominant narratives on what is ‘acceptable behaviour’.
I want the audience to be seen and feel part of something.
Mixing disgusting and inappropriate content with an approachable performance style is a strategy to make the audience re-think their perceptions.
I love that many post-show conversations with audience revolves around the joy of seeing their life/body reflected on stage for the first time.
Solo work highlights: Re-imagining dildos at Wellcome Trust, creating a Poppers Boudoir at Fierce, selling my clothes at Camden People’s Theatre, being injected with face filler at CUT Festival and pulling bunting out my bum astride a car at the Yard Theatre.
Favourite press review of my work: “Sat there half drunk in the musty-dark theatre room of an Edinburgh Fringe art-show, watching someone piss in a wine glass then drink it, I can honestly say that… I’ve… never… felt… more… alive” – VICE
Send me an email at: Contactkatybaird @ gmail