Katy Baird

Katy will be using her residency time to make a journey into hedonism. At the end of the residency, she will perform a live online work-to-camera asking the important questions ‘what gives us pleasure?’ and ‘How much is too much?’

PRE-COVID

The brain registers all pleasures in the same way, whether it is a drug, a satisfying meal, a sexual encounter or little hearts on our insta posts but what happens when we do too much?

We become ‘bad consumers’ who have no self-control and are solely to blame for our unrestrained desire for more.

NOW

The temples of ‘excessive-consumption’ – pubs, clubs, restaurants, chem-sex parties, and Primark – are all gone and our social media dependency is in overdrive.

What happens as a society when we face the loss of the spaces where we come together for pleasure?

About Katy

Katy Baird is an artist and producer of Live Art. She has performed at international festivals and venues throughout the UK and Europe as well as squat parties, clubs, and raves. Her work explores ideas around class, gender, and sexuality and can last anything between six minutes to six hours. Depending on the context, it can take the form of theatre, cabaret, film, installation, or participatory performance.

Katy’s favourite review of her 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

The Horizon team would like to thank Square Chapel Arts Centre for hosting Katy’s residency and their kind offer of space and resources.

Artist website: Katybaird.com

If you would like get in touch about this work, please contact Hannah Slimmon, International Development Manager.

Email: hannah@horizonshowcase.uk