A Wigan-born lecturer with a drag queen alter-ego has spoken out about the decision to teach a course on drag to university students - and why they believe there’s more to the art form than just make-up skills and quick-witted one-liners.
Dr Mark Edward, a reader in creative arts at Edge Hill University in Ormskirk, was in charge of leading the UK’s first-ever module dedicated to the art of drag back in 2016.
The ‘Drag Kings and Drag Queens of Performance’ course, taught as part of the performing arts, dance and drama degree, allowed students to learn about performance, costume, and lip-syncing alongside LGBTQ+ theatre and identity studies.
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Mark, 51, from Wigan, said that launching the ‘first of its kind’ course led to an ‘intrusive’ response, including appearances on Loose Women and This Morning where his role was discussed.
When the news was first announced in 2015, Mark told the ECHO he had to book two weeks off work to hide as “things became too intrusive” and “all became too much”. But, sadly, the course did not last long and was eventually taken off the degree following a lack in interest.
Mark, who performs in drag as Gale Force, said he still believes aspects behind the course remain just as valuable as ever. He now teaches drag studies within certain modules including queer theory.
“It is a serious form of study, it's academic,” the Doctor said. “People don’t realise the work that gets done by drag artists - the politics, the community work, the activism. There are a lot of things that go with the work of drag and there’s a massive set of skills to be learnt from it.”
Mark explained how his students learn and understand the likes of queer entertainment and queer theatre - all of which can be used to help them in their final year of studies when they are figuring out which direction they want to go in as an artist.
“Students look at drag history and 'herstory' including historical perspectives of drag practices,” he explained. “We always talk about drag queens but the students also explore drag kings and drag that is more fluid as opposed to drag which is pinned down to male or female.
“We also look at visibility within drag and how drag relates to disabilities and race. Students also need to look at the broader picture of drag, for example, those who create the performer's merchandise, and how so many people play into the careers of these main characters.”
Being able to teach drag studies is something that Mark said he never believed would be possible when he was growing up. He left school the same year Section 28 - a series of laws introduced across Britain by Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government that prohibited the "promotion of homosexuality" by local authorities - were first installed.
“Being gay wasn’t even mentioned by teachers back then,” Mark explained. “Homophobia was rife and I wasn’t like the rest of those who were at my school.
“I had my own identity with my bleach-blonde hair, my make-up and my own style and because of that, I was just a stand-alone person. I used to get vile insults aimed at me and spat at. I felt very alone and I ended up leaving school in Easter of that year (1988).”
With more time on his hands as a result of no longer being in education, Mark began attending a pub where he met his soon-to-be drag mother who taught him everything he knows about the industry.
Mark said: “You couldn’t hide behind a TV then, you couldn’t rely on an Instagram shot or a YouTube video. I had to learn the art of drag by physically doing it and being mentored by an experienced drag queen. I was put on stage in front of working-class pub goers and I really had to sell myself and learn it through blood, sweat and make-up.”
Mark used his newfound platform as Gale Force to make political statements. With the height of the AIDS crisis happening, Mark stood in solidarity with others as they protested through the streets of London against the wave of homophobia which was being promoted through fear-mongering.
Having worked for Edge Hill University for nearly two decades now, Mark continues to use his platform to educate others about the LGBTQ+ community still to this day.
He has featured on several radio and TV documentaries, including Gaydio’s The History of Drag documentary, alongside Boy George and Ginny Lemon. Last year, his research into drag cultures was used within the three-part BBC Drag Herstories series.
"When I teach, sometimes I get a bit weepy about it," he says. "For students, it's just a history lesson and to them it’s nothing. But for me, it's different, it's about putting things into context.
"It’s important to have ownership of what I am teaching and it’s important for me to bring my research and experience to the university. It’s empowering.”
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