I wanna be able to dance (on my own terms)

World Building as Radical Imagination; Video Pool Media Arts Center & TakeHome QTBIPOC arts house projection mapping residency with Evan Tremblay

Exploring the concept of spacemaking using projection mapping, the piece I wanna be able to dance (on my own terms) is contemplating the ways in which a space can be transformed as a way to build a Black Queer Utopia.

Cuff, using archival found footage of Black queer people and ones that fit in between the identity, is able to radically imagine a world where cultural reclamation and African retention are at the center of their spacemaking.

The tool of projection mapping acts as a way for Cuff to play with limitless-ness and go beyond the restrictions and constraints of the white supremacist capitalist patriarchal heteronormative imperialist world (hooks) that they exist in as a Black queer femme.

Their interest in world building comes from their deep fascination with genres like House, Electronic, and Techno stemming from their practice as a DJ. These genres are inherently Black and move through and around the African/ Caribbean Diaspora but are co-opted and erased in mainstream narratives.

The mapping of movement practices, with the cohesiveness of sound creates a multisensory experience that is grounded in the act of remembrance. The curated DJ set invites the viewer to reflect on the historical and social implications of dance, house, techno and electronic music.

I wanna be able to dance (on my own terms) is an environment that responds to the needs of Black, queer communities, offering sanctuary where the projections are offering a space to dream, reflect, and experience joy.

DJ Mix from exhibition that ran from April 4th- May 9th 2025 at the Poolside Gallery in Winnipeg, Manitoba