Trailblazers
Gef’s 30 Under 30 Winners: Q&A with Owen Atkinson
Ten categories. Thirty young visionaries making their mark on the Isle of Man. Introducing the all-new #Gef30Under30 winners: the next generation of our island’s leaders.
The Expol Trailblazers glanced at the beaten path and chose to go their own way, going against the grain to create the worlds they want to live in.
What is your name and age?
Owen Atkinson, age 26.
Job title or role in the community?
Drag queen – you may know me as Fenella Beach!
How did you start your career or role in the community?
I started drag in Bristol whilst at university. My mum helped me come up with the name Fenella Beach when we were visiting the island. There’s so much drag in Bristol and I knew I wanted to get involved in the scene. I never thought I’d be bringing Fenella back to the island, but I guess it was inevitable with a name like that!
Tell us about your business/industry, is there something interesting about it that most people wouldn’t expect?
Drag on the Isle of Man is so much more diverse than what you see on TV. Nearly all of the drag performers on the island are trans, and we come in all body types and genders. I don’t use drag to “look like a woman” – it’s an expression of my inner creativity and a chance to have fun with colour, makeup, sequins, music, dance, poetry, pop culture, gender and all the different elements of me.
Have you experienced any hurdles in your career or community efforts and if so, how did you overcome them?
Being a visibly queer (and especially trans) person on the Isle of Man is difficult – my friends and I are harassed in the street, mocked, shouted at, filmed. This happens in and out of drag. It’s not easy, but you’ve just got to keep walking – literally and figuratively. Sometimes I shout back now, depending on how angry they’ve made me and how safe I feel in the moment.
You have to focus on the love and the joy and support that is out there and remember why you’re doing it. I’m just out here living my life and I hope other people are able to do the same. I want to get out there and represent. When I protested against the police presence at Isle of Pride last year with my drag sister (and besite) Nona Binary, we received a lot of backlash from members of the public. We don’t regret what we did because we stood up for what we believed in, but it was hard to be at the end of so much direct hate. You’re allowed to disagree with what I say, but you should also take the time to listen to my lived experience and that of my community.
Tell us about why you think you won as a Trailblazer?
“Trailblazer” is a very flattering title! I think I was recognised in this category because I created things where they didn’t exist before. Before I came back to the Isle of Man, there wasn’t really a “drag scene” – there were a couple of queens, but one or two people can only do so much. I host shows every Thursday night at Moonlight now and anyone who wants to see drag or take to the stage and express themselves has the opportunity to do it.
What do you wish you knew when you were getting started in your career?
It’s okay to make mistakes! It’s okay to be scared! Just do it anyway and you’ll learn from the process. No one has any idea what they’re doing in life so just have fun and ride the wave and you’ll get where you need to go.
What are your plans for the future?
I have plans to release my debut poetry collection soon and I’m planning bigger, better and camper drag shows on the Isle of Man later this year! Aside from that, just vibing it out and following what makes me feel good. I want to be happy and fulfilled.
What, for you, are the benefits of staying on or moving back to the island for young people under 30?
Life isn’t easy on the Isle of Man as a young person, I’m going to be honest. Housing is ridiculously expensive and jobs in the creative sector are few and far between. I came back to the island a year after graduating because I didn’t really have much of a choice; but I stayed because I wanted to help foster a creative scene over here and help provide a safe space for people who previously didn’t have one. I’m not saying I’ve accomplished that, but I’m doing my best, and that’s what counts.
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