Research Creation

Blending artistic expression with scholarly investigation, our experiments in research creation seek meaningful ways of connecting broader publics with this rich archive of oral testimony.

INSTAGRAM STORIES

Originally released on Instagram, this illustrated series depicts the most memorable Palace activities shared across our oral history interviews. Over 18 episodes, the series blends digital sketches with narrative text to reimagine our impression of an “average night” at the Palace, if there ever was such a thing.

Published to Instagram between Oct 2021 and Aug 2022.

Produced by Elspeth Brown; conceived by Elio Colavito; original illustrations by Ayo Tsalithaba; descriptive captions by Alisha Stranges, Elio Colavito, and Aisling Murphy

ep. 01

WELCOME TO THE PALACE

You’re at the south-west corner of Mutual St. and Carlton St., just a few blocks from Toronto’s “gay village.” A red-brick, four-story Victorian mansion stands before you. Most nights, this building is home to Club Toronto, a working-class, gay men’s bathhouse. But tonight, the Pussy Palace takes over. The theme of this iteration: “Night of 2000 Pussies,” and cismen are kindly uninvited. The atmosphere is electric and liberatory. Get ready to investigate the limits of personal pleasure and shared desire without hesitation or apology.

ep. 02

DISCOVERING THE PALACE

It’s September 2000… Pre-social media: no Facebook events, no group chats. Palace organizers have promoted the event through flyer campaigns, email listservs, and ads in the local, queer news media. But most patrons, like you, have discovered the Palace through good, old-fashioned word of mouth. Given the scarcity of bathhouse spaces designed specifically for queer women and trans folks, word travels fast within the community. This is a sell-out event, attracting upwards of 350 patrons.

ep. 03

JOURNEY TO THE PALACE

It’s nearing 7:00 p.m. As you cross the street, gaggles of fellow patrons flock toward the entrance from all directions. Some stroll in, like you. Others arrive by streetcar, bike, taxi, or motorcycle. Commuters travel by car or GoTransit. Most show up in their street clothes, with bathhouse attire in tow, ready to don a whole new persona once inside the club.

ep. 04

THE LINE UP

Doors open at dusk and close at dawn. By 9:00 p.m., there’s quite a line outside the club, full of people buzzing with excitement and nervous energy. Scanning the crowd, you see couples, peer groups, and a few fellow newbies flying solo. Volunteers distribute handouts informing patrons of proper bathhouse etiquette and clarifying patron rights in the event of a police raid.

ep. 05

THE THRESHOLD

You pass through the triangle archway, turn left and head promptly downstairs. At the end of the hall, an entrance booth, where you exchange a ticket for a towel and locker key. A volunteer runs through the full entertainment menu and advertises a tour of the space. Rendezvous at the first-floor staircase, if you’re interested. To the right of the booth, a locked door, and behind it, the Palace proper. You wait to be buzzed in. The threshold, neither public nor private, is your portal to another world.

ep. 06

THE CROWD

As a first timer, the Palace feels a bit clique-y. A difficult place to mingle. You look around. The crowd is predominantly white, ciswomen. Factions of dykes seem to form in different quadrants — softball in one corner, leather in another, or so it seems. You almost wish you had a few friends to explore with — much easier to have fun that way.

ep. 07

THE POOL

SPLASH! Welcome to the pool, a Pussy Palace highlight. Twilight lighting, warm silky water, and erotic scenes in every corner. You consider getting naked and diving in. You don’t want to miss your chance to let it all hang out right in downtown Toronto. A good place to spark a new connection, find your next hookup, or take a respite from the crowded dance floor.

ep. 08

THE CUPID BOARD

What was cruising before the advent of swiping right on someone? As a Palace newbie, you welcome all the help you can get. A volunteer paints a number on your belly, so that prospective “cupids” can identify you. You check the message board every so often, hoping someone has left you a love note. It’s fun, flirty, and straightforward — the ultimate anonymous icebreaker.

ep. 09

THE STAIRCASES

With four stories to explore and no elevator in sight, get ready to climb lots of stairs. An unfortunate feature of Club Toronto, and of most bathhouse spaces in the city, is its lack of ramps and automated lifts — an undeniable barrier for those patrons who were differently-abled. As you ascend from floor to floor, you uncover the building’s numerous nooks and crannies. It’s dark, humid, and disorienting. Curiosity is your only guide.

ep. 10

THE CATWALK

You arrive on the second floor and things seem to open up. You’re standing at the base of the main staircase, grasping the big wooden banister. Patrons hug the railing in an endless line, posing, watching, cruising. Everyone’s looking fine. Palace fashion is diverse: leather, lace, latex, and more. It’s about feeling seen, confident, sexy; communicating a certain vibe to potential partners; and making a statement… At least until the clothes come off.

ep. 11

THE GROUP SEX ROOM

One thing’s certain: the Pussy Palace is a kink-positive space. Toys, tops, and tantalizing fun, oh my! You look to your left and peer into the Group Sex Room where the temperature is rapidly rising. You take in the scene, the mix of bodies, all shapes and sizes. People are peeling off clothes and joining in. You wonder: where should I start?

ep. 12

THE FUCK LINE

You hear a flurry of excited whispers as a line of people begins to form all around you. One patron eagerly blindfolds another, and you wonder what all the fuss is about. Something wild is about to transpire, but what? Decision made, you take your place at the end of the line, tingling with anticipation of the unknown.

ep. 13

THE PRIVATE “ROOMS”

Get a room! Here at the Pussy Palace, you can… If you arrived early enough. Reservations are first come first served. On the third floor, rows and rows of little closets form a labyrinth of semi-private space. Yes, there were doors, but sound travels. With nothing but a metal frame, rubber mattress, and single bed sheet, this ain’t the Four Seasons, but no one seems to mind. If you’re looking for a modicum of privacy, these tiny bunkers can provide. Or not. If you’re feeling generous, leave the door ajar. Someone’s sure to sneak a peek or join in — with consent, of course.

ep. 14

THE PHOTO BOOTH

In the attic of the Pussy Palace, you find a small room off the back staircase. A resident photographer invites you to pose for a souvenir Polaroid, documenting your night at the bathhouse. Why Polaroids? They’re relatively private mementos, and, keep in mind, digital photography wasn’t yet widely accessible. Consensual voyeurism is more than welcome. You watch as some stage silly poses with friends while others opt for more serious, boudoir photos.

ep. 15

THE TEMPLE PRIESTESS

Shift change! As the photographer goes on break, the Priestess comes on duty. She’s here to hold sacred sexual space for patrons looking to ground themselves, ease anxieties, and make the most of their Palace experience. Using a multi-modal, trauma-informed practice that blends feminist and queer theology, somatic arts, ritual, mindfulness, and craft or elemental work, the Priestess invites you to ask her for anything you feel you need. Think: ‘radical hospitality meets BDSM.’

ep. 16

RAID ON THE PALACE

Here’s where the night gets less average. On September 15, 2000, at 12:45 a.m. five plainclothes police officers invade the Palace, under the guise of a routine liquor license inspection. Organizers jump into action, notifying security volunteers of the unfolding situation. Word travels quickly that cismen are in the space. The music stops, the energy shifts, and a hush falls over the crowd as police move throughout the club, “investigating” every floor. Patrons rush for their towels or hide out in their private rooms. Many flee en masse. Some carry on in defiance. Others seek out confrontation.

ep. 17

CARE AT THE PALACE

Aftercare: the necessary act of checking in with friends and partners after a traumatic event. Post-raid, patrons console each other, offering words and gestures of comfort. Folks are angry, scared, exhausted, as they take turns trading stories about what just transpired.

ep. 18

THE JOURNEY HOME

Around 2:00 a.m., the police depart. Only a few hours left before doors close, and the mood has totally shifted. A crew of volunteers begin a soft clean up, as the remaining patrons slowly make their way out the door. Some walk home. Some take taxis. Some catch the TTC. Some doze off in private rooms to avoid a long commute home. Back at street level, you breathe in the dawn air, clasp the straps of your backpack, and look north. “To Golden Griddle, or not to Golden Griddle?” That is the question.

ANIMATED SHORTS

Our animated shorts weave audio soundbites with original, digital illustrations to showcase thematic interview highlights.

RAID ON THE PALACE: NARRATORS REFLECT

Multiple patrons recount their memories of the September 15, 2000, police raid on the Pussy Palace, and the transformative impact of this collective wound.

Published to YouTube on Sep 14, 2022.

Produced by Elspeth Brown; illustrated, animated, and edited by Ayo Tsalithaba; concept, storyboard, and artistic direction by Alisha Stranges

CARE AT THE PALACE: NARRATORS REFLECT

Multiple patrons reflect on experiences of care before, during, and in the immediate aftermath of the police invasion.

Published to YouTube on Jun 17, 2022.

Conceived and produced by Elspeth Brown; illustrated, animated, and edited by Ayo Tsalithaba; storyboard and artistic direction by Alisha Stranges

SENSORY PORTRAIT: ROBIN WOODWARD

Patron Robin Woodward remembers how the Palace felt: the colours, the textures, the sounds. These are the memories that have endured — sediments of youth in “a really, really deep dark pink.”

Published to YouTube on Nov 25, 2021.

Produced by Elspeth Brown; illustrated, animated, and edited by Ayo Tsalithaba; concept, storyboard, and artistic direction by Alisha Stranges

SENSORY PORTRAIT: KAREN B. K. CHAN

Toronto Women’s Bathhouse Committee member Karen B. K. Chan remembers ice in their glass, people in differing states of undress, and “the pool, lit from below…a deep turquoise.”

Published to YouTube on Apr 19, 2022.

Produced by Elspeth Brown; illustrated, animated, and edited by Ayo Tsalithaba; concept, storyboard, and artistic direction by Alisha Stranges

REMEMBERING IN COLOUR

Multiple narrators express their sense memory of the Palace through a single colour.

Published to YouTube on Jun 8, 2023.

Produced by Elspeth Brown; conceived and edited by Alisha Stranges; illustration of the Palace by Ayo Tsalithaba

AUDIOGRAMS

Our audiograms highlight short, resonant soundbites, featuring digital sketches of project narrators laid over present-day photographs of the Palace.

AUDIOGRAM, ep. 01: Diane Hamilton

Toronto Women’s Bathhouse Committee member Diane shares how the Palace expanded her definition of ‘dyke.’

v.1. Published to YouTube on Oct 28, 2021.
v.2. Published to TikTok on Nov 2, 2022.
v.3. Published to YouTube on May 25, 2023.
v.4. Created on Aug 13, 2023.