LFK youth music org Amplify host Aug. 26 drag’n’roll fundraiser at Bottleneck
“Amplify should have as many resources as possible to care for these kids and show them a good time."
Illustration by Jacqulyn Seyferth
Amplify Lawrence will hold a fundraiser for their annual youth summer camp on August 26 at the Bottleneck.
The fundraiser will feature performances by The Creepy Jingles, Mellowphobia, Lyxe, and DJ Chance Romance.
The camp meets for a week out of the summer every year, where the kids and teenagers have the opportunity to learn a new instrument or hone their existing skills. Amplify describes their camp as “a safe space for femmes and others with marginalized gender identities in the community to come together, inspire one another, and have a voice.”
Jocelyn Nixon, singer/songwriter for The Creepy Jingles, spearheaded the upcoming fundraiser. Nixon visited Amplify as a guest performer for the campers over the past few years, where she also shared her experience of being a trans woman with them.
“I want the campers to have a place that they can go and feel like they can blossom and have a community,” says Nixon. “Amplify should have as many resources as possible to care for these kids and show them a good time.”
Amplify’s environment encourages autonomy and self-expression in a way that most women and people with marginalized gender identities do not get to experience in their youth. Amplify is willing to adapt and set the past aside in order for participants’ voices to be heard, which is unfortunately a unique quality for a youth-oriented institution.
“The fundraiser will be a night where we can give the community a place to feel safe and welcome, ” says Nixon. “We want to give a bigger part of representation that really isn’t seen outside of Pride Month”
The fundraiser will be held at The Bottleneck in Lawrence at 5 p.m. August 26. All ages are welcome.
