The Magic Garage has been delighting audiences in Salzburg with its drag show for around two and a half years. The QueKuSa association has now been founded to do justice to its growing success. QueKuWhat? QueKuSa! Peter Goebel and Florian Niederseer from gaysalzburg.at met Max Niedl and Louise Hallman from QueKuSa for an interview.

QueKuSa is run by Louise Hallman, Max Niedl, Christine Peintner and Maximiliano Tamburo and is the legal framework for the Magic Garage. And many other activities that give queer culture in Salzburg (QueKuSa) space and want to develop it further.

The Magic Garage started in October 2021 with a handful of drag enthusiasts who simply wanted to be on stage, try themselves out and present a mixture of drag show, comedy and cabaret to the audience. To date, after 14 shows at the Narrencastl and several shows at other venues, the Magic Garage has almost 20 regular, irregular performers. People who simply want to bring their ideas to the stage. But for many interested parties, the stage is not the only goal.

QueKuSa is intensively committed to the cultural interests of queer people in Salzburg. For example, the new Austrian film “What a feeling” premieres in Salzburg on 16 April. The love story of two women against all preconceived conventions. On 26 April, organised by QueKuSa, the German version with English subtitles will also be shown at the Mozartkino. Afterwards, director Kat Rohmer will discuss the film with the audience. On 16.04. in German, on 26.04. in English.

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Queer dynamics in the city of Mozart

This also has to do with the fact that most QueKuSa members are not Salzburgers but expats who bring a lot of ideas and inspiration to Salzburg. And they usually communicate in English. And they bring a queer dynamic to the city of Mozart, which makes Salzburg’s queer infrastructure even more exceptional in relation to its population.

The spirit of the Magic Garage is to be extended to all possible areas of culture. Photography, museums, circus: requests for joint projects from renowned Salzburg cultural institutions are currently being processed. Max on the spirit of the Magic Garage.

There will be film meet-ups such as the above-mentioned film “What a feeling”. There will be a monthly queer get-together at the Narrencastl on 25 April (always on the last Thursday of the month). Monthly book meet-ups as readings and discussions in the Academy Bar, a drag workshop as well as the well-known Dragoween on Halloween. On 21 June there will be the Longest Night of Drag at Arge Kultur. An event that Louise, Max, Christine and Maximiliano are really looking forward to.

The full QueKuSa programme can be found on the association’s website. Salzburg can therefore look forward to a new queer dynamic. Not only for the locals but also for the many tourists who can find another reason to travel to Salzburg. A feature by Peter Goebel and Florian Niederseer

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