On 30th December 2022, in the framework of the course ‘Educational Actions and Cultural Mediation’ of the Department of Culture and Creative Media and Industries (DCCMI), University of Thessaly, the educational action ‘Drag Queens Read Christmas Fairy Tales / ‘Drag Xmas’ took place in Thessaloniki. The event was admission-free. It was co-organized by Thessaloniki Pride and Rainbow Families, two civil society organizations known for their contribution to the fight against homophobic hatred and racial prejudice. The event was the practical application of a project by a group of DCCMI’s third-year students, and as such it was supported by DCCMI. DCCMI embraces educational activities linked to educational actions and contemporary pedagogies of inclusion as stated in the department’s relevant curriculum. This activity was carried out within the framework of a course which explores pedagogical approaches. The department supports the faculty members’ actions both in the framework of academic freedom and in the framework of exploring and experimenting with new methods and approaches related to cultural, artistic and pedagogical practice. The above exploration is an integral part of the department’s orientation.
DCCMI provides interdisciplinary education on issues related to culture and practices of cultural production in contemporary environments. The rationale and necessity of this action is informed by contemporary cultural and pedagogical theories that express the interdisciplinary articulation of knowledge. Readings of fairy tales by drag queens with educational and cultural aims are widely carried out in many countries of the world. A similar action was carried out in Greece in 2019 in the framework of the Athens & Epidaurus Festival (Drag Queen Story Hour). As befits a university department of culture, DCCMI supports the action ‘Drag queens read Christmas fairy tales / Drag Xmas’ in order to contribute to the empowerment of artistic expression, the promotion of inclusion and the respect of diversity. Besides, DCCMI considers academic freedom, the scientific validity of modern pedagogies, and the connection with society as non-negotiable, established rights of the public university. DCCMI intends to take all necessary measures to safeguard academic freedom and security and to protect students, teaching staff, and the wider academic community from racist, homophobic and transphobic attacks. The present statement is strongly endorsed by the Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination Committee of the University of Thessaly, which attends to similar issues.
