Queer Narratives Festival 2026
The Queer Narratives Festival (QNF) is Kansas City’s multi-disciplinary queer arts festival focused on queer artists living and working in Kansas City or surrounding region. We center queer voices through performance, visual art, and community-centered programming. We are back for our 7th year, featuring a curated visual arts exhibition at Smalter Gallery and a one-day performance showcase at The Ship.
Full Schedule of Events
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Starting the Queer Narratives Festival with a BIG Party, meet & greet with House of DOV & live DJs!
Before the dancers take the stage at Charlotte Street, we invite you to No Divide KC on July 10th for an immersive opening party, co-presented by No Divide KC and Charlotte Street Foundation.
Circle of Apathy is a "hypnotic" study of growth and disintegration. At this kickoff event, we bring that spirit to the party. Join us for:
Ambient Soundscapes: Live improvisational textures from Chicago’s own Family Junket.
Artist Meet-and-Greet: Connect with Creative Director Drew Lewis and the House of DOV ensemble.
Festival Kickoff: Help us launch the Queer Narratives Festival with high energy and deep intention.
PAY WHAT YOU CAN: We believe in a sustainable future for dance. There is no set ticket price for this party, but we are asking for donations at the door. 100% of proceeds from this event go directly to the traveling artists to cover their costs while touring to Kansas City.
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Join us for Circle of Apathy, a new dance project from House of DOV with live music from Family Junket, in the Charlotte Street Stern Theater on July 11 from at 7:30 PM.
In Circle of Apathy, the new dance project from House of DOV with live music from Family Junket, the ensemble explores the cycles of growth and disintegration intrinsic to nature, and works together to build physical structures which increase in precarity over two acts as the group strives toward expansion. “Through creative process, we’ve sought to understand our own place within the greater ecology of our landscape, and to experience the human body as a metaphor and microcosm of the natural world,” says Drew Lewis, creative director of House of DOV.
This performance is co-presented by No Divide KC and Charlotte Street as part of the Queer Narratives Festival.
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Queer Narratives is an exhibition featuring work by queer artists living and working in Kansas City and the surrounding region. This exhibition centers queer artists, not only work explicitly about queerness, but work that emerges from artists who navigate the world through queer lived experience. We are interested in what queer artists are making now: how identity, environment, history, material, and imagination intersect in their practice.
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Party during the Queer Narratives Festival on an unforgettable night of Fabolous bands, desks & drag? Yes! Think music classroom meets ballroom at the No Divide KC Studio.
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Queers Care is an annual health fair and panel where queer and trans folks connect with affirming health professionals, movement makers, and each other.
No jargon, no gatekeeping, free resources, and time to build trust face-to-face.
Hosted in collaboration with trusted partners across Kansas City, Queers Care is an invitation to rest, ask questions, meet your next provider, and walk away with something useful, whether that’s a referral, a truth, or a hug.
In collaboration with KU Gender Diversity Clinic.
AGENDA:
11:00 AM – 11:30 AM: Mingling & Community Resource Fair
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM: Panel Discussion
12:30 PM – 1:00 PM: Expo
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Join Miana Abramson on her debut as the first artist resident at No Divide KC, Miana’s work creates a fine line that blends between contemporary dance and drag.
Followed by Nora Sharp and the touring dance-theater-comedy solo show, Cosmic Docks, a trans tall-tale about orbiting the sources of yourself and searching for clarity in a broken world. Through looping choreographies, chronicles, characters, and soundtracks, Nora Sharp builds a world where personal history and and sci-fi futurism intersect in the dumpster out back of a local top surgery office, eventually charting a pathway beyond story or self.
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Queer Narratives is an exhibition featuring work by queer artists living and working in Kansas City and the surrounding region. This exhibition centers queer artists, not only work explicitly about queerness, but work that emerges from artists who navigate the world through queer lived experience. We are interested in what queer artists are making now: how identity, environment, history, material, and imagination intersect in their practice.
“I believe NDKC is at the forefront of necessary active change that maintains and creates contemporary art in all mediums”
BIG NEWS!
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BIG NEWS! 〰️
The Shadowcliff x No Divide KC Residency
A Mountain Sanctuary for the Creative Soul
No Divide KC is thrilled to announce a new partnership with the Shadowcliff Residency in Grand Lake, Colorado. This 2027 residency opportunity is designed for artists to escape the chaos of the everyday and find deep focus, renewal, and inspiration amidst the breathtaking peaks of the Rocky Mountains.
Two artists—one performer and one visual artist—will be selected from the current Queer Narratives Festival lineup to receive a free one-week residency at Shadowcliff.
This residency is designed for "research and reflection", a gift of time and space to breathe, look at the mountains, and contemplate, work and develop your next project.
There is no application for this residency. Selection is made by the No Divide KC curatorial team based on the work presented during this year’s festival. The two selected artists will be announced live during the festival, so ensure you are present!
The Residency Experience
Timeline: The residency will take place for one week during the summer of 2027 (June – September), based on Shadowcliff’s availability. Scheduling will be coordinated directly with Shadowcliff in September 2026.
Lodging: Selected artists will stay at either the Remple Lodge (dormitory-style shared bathrooms, guest kitchen) or Cliffside (private bathrooms, full home kitchen). All rooms feature a writing desk and views of the natural world.
The Maker Space & Facilities
While this is a "non-technical" residency, artists have access to incredible local resources through Shadowcliff’s partnerships:
For Performers: Access to a small space for practice or intimate performance in a beautiful converted chapel.
For Visual Artists: Proximity to the Grand Spirit Maker Space and the Rocky Mountain Folk School (5-minute walk), featuring ceramic studio and metal equipment (available via previous arrangement).
Nature & Connection: Beyond your art, you are invited to explore. Shadowcliff can facilitate field trips, such as elk watching in the park meadows or visits to nearby hot springs.
Logistics
Accessibility: Please note that Shadowcliff is located on a mountainside and is not ADA compliant. The terrain is rugged and may be challenging for those with mobility issues. Please reach out to discuss specific access questions.
Travel: While a travel stipend is currently TBD, transportation is provided once you arrive. Shadowcliff offers shuttle services from Denver and local van transportation for grocery runs.
Campus Rules: Shadowcliff is a no-smoking campus (due to high fire risk). Pets and weapons are strictly prohibited.
Community: Bathrooms and kitchens are shared facilities, fostering a sense of communal respect and connection.
For more information on the mission of Shadowcliff, visit shadowcliff.org
Queer Narratives Festival 2023 - Vaughan Harrison
Queer Narratives Festival 2022 - Vaughan Harrison
Queer Narratives Festival 2025 - Kat King
“Look no further for one of the city’s best examples for nurturing LGBTQ+ communities”
“Sincerely - the Queer Narratives Festival goes above and beyond what I have seen other organizations do so far, and this reflects highly of No Divide KC”