meet the busker Meet We talk to Nik Jovčić-Sas - known by many throughout Bath for his street performances and WIG! Drag Night at Moles - about his work supporting Ukraine and LGBTQ+ individuals... Tell us a bit about yourself… Hi my name is Nik and I have been running drag events in Somerset since 2016 - I also have done a lot of work as an LGBTQ+ activist in Eastern Europe, including Ukraine. WIG! the drag night I run at Moles under my alter-ego “Mother” has been going since 2018, and it’s got a great reputation as one of the foremost queer cabarets in the South West - hosting both the best in local talent, as well as featuring queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and beyond! What kind of work are you undertaking to support Ukraine? In times of conflict, it’s often political minorities that get overlooked - including LGBTQ+ individuals. We wanted to give our support in a way that directly helps other queer people struggling in the conflict - so we’re donating money to Kyiv Pride, one of the biggest LGBTQ+ organisations in Ukraine. 25% of our ticket sales will go to charity and 100% of the profits of our raffle will go to Kyiv Pride - which has prizes from a variety of local businesses including Botanica Studios, Happy Donut Company and Wolf Wine. We’re going to have performances from two Slavic drag performers - myself, and the incredible Stealia Jobs: known as The Queen of Poland. We’ll also have the extremely talented
Bristol drag King, Manly Mannington, and performances from Bath’s own pint-sized, pink, pop-punk princess, Remy Melee, and our current reigning Miss WIG!, “Canvas”. Can others get involved? Yes, just come along and buy a ticket and enjoy the show! War unfortunately influenced my childhood due to my ethnicity and extended family, and in times of conflict it is important to laugh - often aggressors want to scare us and diminish our spirits, so banding together and enjoying the brighter side of life is what we need. So what better thing to do than come to a drag show? Are there other ways to support Ukraine? Educate yourself - misinformation is one of Putin’s greatest weapons so take your time to learn a little about Ukraine. Keep your eyes peeled for other local events and organisations trying to do their best to help give relief to victims of the conflict!
Support for Ukraine Bath Abbey tower lit in solidarity with Ukraine thanks to Bath BID, B&NES Council and Bath Abbey. 53 53
