MISSION STATEMENT
House of Suarez exists to recognise and celebrate Vogue Culture as an independent art form incorporating unique & specific dance technique, theatre, costume design/creation and drag performance.
Values
House of Suarez is an anti-racist organisation, striving from its inception to be inclusive, diverse and to provide opportunities for under-represented communities including the varied QTBIPOC, LGBTQIA+, deaf and disabled and neuro-diverse communities.
We celebrate Vogue Culture - with its roots in Black & Latinx Queer and Trans culture - and recognise and further Vogue as an independent art form through training, education and the staging of large scale events.
history
Darren Suarez was the founder of the Vogue Ball event "Liverpool is Burning" as part of the Homotopia LGBTQ+ programme for European Capital of Culture in 2008. Since then the HoS Vogue Ball has been produced independently in Liverpool & from 2010-2020 has grown its audience & participants to form one of the main cultural events in the city's calendar, appearing as a photo story in Attitude Magazine (Nov 2018).
Over the past decade House of Suarez has produced multiple Vogue ball events in Liverpool with the premier of the annual Manchester Ball in 2014. Attracting artists, celebrities and participants from across the UK and internationally. The creation of the House of Suarez Vogue Balls was to celebrate and pay homage to Ballroom culture, whilst adding a theatrical element that brings it to a wider audience.
Ballroom culture started in the 60’s and 70’s in New York’s Black and Latinx, LGBTQ+ communities. This was then populariSed by the documentary film ‘Paris is Burning’, Madonna’s hit single ‘Vogue’ and currently by FX’s primetime award winning hit ‘POSE’ which made it’s UK debut on BBC iPlayer back in March 2019.
The House of Suarez Vogue Ball is a major public event that gives opportunities for both professional and community artists to compete using choreography, styling and design with unapologetic fierceness!
To compete, a group of artists - known as ‘Houses’ - would enter into one or more of the Ball’s categories in front of a large audience and a panel of esteemed celebrity judges.
Liverpool is Burning 2008
"The first Vogue Ball event, ‘Liverpool is Burning’, was specially developed for Liverpool’s European Capital of Culture year, 2008. The Ball has since grown from strength to strength.”
- Liverpool Museums
The Justice Ball 2010
“I felt the vogue ball should be dedicated to a close friend’s life who was brutally murdered in a homophobic attack. His death was pushed aside and me and my fellow friends thought that there was an injustice to his death. Therefore the ball was dedicated in honor to him and titled ‘THE JUSTICE BALL’
- Darren Suarez
Death By Glitter 2011
“A craftfully choreographed work with hints of Butoh and Ballet, a sensory overload. Underground chi-chi ecstasy! The pool of life is clearly a pool of talent and the ballsy attitude and sheer enjoyment of each performer was wonderful electric.”
- Firecracker Fashion
Twisted Fairytails 2012
"Don't expect a fairytale ending at this years vogue ball, more a one night only trip to a castle of decedant and twisted happenings where the Cinderellas, Snow Whites, Belles & Beasts of Liverpool will be able to exhibit their seedy and seductive night moves on the UK's most messed up catwalk show"
- Firecracker Fashion
Gods & Monsters 2013
"Liverpool's fiercest fashionistas unleashed their inner diva at the city’s annual Vogue Ball. The award-winning event, which had the theme of Gods and Monsters this year, saw club culture meet high art. Vogue teams competed at Camp and Furnace for dance supremacy wearing lavish and creative costumes."
- Liverpool Echo
The Space Oddity 2014
"The highly anticipated vogue ball was a huge success on saturday, as the dance phenomenom transported a sell out audience at the Titanic hotel and rum warehouse into the darkest depths of the galaxy."
- LBN Daily
Sugar Ball 2015
"The 2015 House of Suarez Sugar Ball was a night I won’t forget in a long while. Darren Suarez should be very proud of arranging such a prestigious and enjoyable event."
- Louderthanwar
THE ICONIC BALL 2016
"The whole place was buzzing and alive. It was the kind of music that you could feel pounding in your chest. The atmosphere was like no other."
- Purple Revolver
Seven Deadly Sins 2017
"Opening the show with a Hellraiser inspired puzzle box vogue, House of Suarez served up a deviant psychosexual glamour and took our hands, delving into the circles of the Inferno."
- Get Into This
Toy Box Ball 2018
"It was hard to dispute the sheer creativity, passion and energy this night ignites every year, including nutcracker dolls, wiry-haired trolls, gigantic pinata-esque reveals and even the Mario Bros"
- Get Into This
The Ball Of Atlantis 2019
"Visually, we thought it might have been difficult for House of Suarez to top last year’s theme of The Toy Box, but five minutes into The Ball of Atlantis, it was fairly obvious that the Vogue Ball is never short on ambition."
- Planet Slop
Carnevil 2020
"The ball has always been a safe space for all who enter and attend and this year is no different, providing a very welcomed escapism from our new norm"
- (The Guide Liverpool)