Drag performance is being used to support people living with HIV in Cape Town through The Resurrection Files, a project that combines queer creativity with fundraising and advocacy.
Liam Du Preez Paterson, Regional Director of AIDSARK Southern Africa, said the project was inspired by the longstanding relationship between queer performance, community-building and HIV activism.
“For me, drag and queer performance have always been about more than entertainment. They create spaces for expression, visibility, healing, and community,” he said.
Paterson, who was recently honoured at the 2026 Cape Town Pride Heroes Awards, explained that HIV has profoundly shaped queer history and identity, while drag has historically provided a platform for solidarity with people living with HIV.
“I wanted The Resurrection Files to continue that tradition while creating something hopeful and forward-looking, and to direct the funds to where the need is still great,” he said.
AIDSARK became the project’s charity partner, connecting the creative initiative to community-based support for people living with HIV, particularly in areas such as Khayelitsha.
Connecting Queer Creativity with HIV Support
“Knowing that the funds raised would directly support people living with HIV made the project feel deeply purposeful,” Paterson added.
For Paterson, the work is also personal. Growing up queer, he said HIV awareness and LGBTQ+ health conversations were part of the wider community around him. He has also lost close friends to HIV/AIDS.
“I think HIV is still something many people shy away from speaking about openly, despite how deeply it has affected queer communities historically and continues to affect vulnerable communities today,” he said.
Through The Resurrection Files, he hopes to create opportunities for awareness, compassion and conversation in a way that feels accessible and human.
“As an artist, I’ve become increasingly interested in using performance not just as spectacle, but as a platform that can provoke empathy, dialogue, and real-world impact,” he said.
Turning performance into action
Paterson believes performance art can inspire generosity by creating emotional connections between audiences and the causes they support.
Unlike conventional fundraising, which can sometimes feel transactional, a live performance brings people together through shared experiences of joy, vulnerability, nostalgia and celebration.
“People weren’t just donating to a cause; they felt part of something bigger,” he said.
That sense of collective participation can help audiences connect with an issue beyond statistics and awareness campaigns, encouraging them to become active contributors to community support.
Paterson also challenged perceptions that drag is primarily about glamour and entertainment, arguing that the art form has long been intertwined with queer visibility, resistance and political expression.
“Drag has always been political, whether intentionally or not. It challenges norms, creates visibility, and gives people permission to exist more freely,” he said.
He added that queer performance spaces have historically helped communities navigate difficult social and political periods by providing spaces for connection, expression and belonging.
“People sometimes underestimate drag because they only see the glamour, but underneath that there’s storytelling, resistance, vulnerability, humour, and community-building,” Paterson said.
“Projects like this show that queer creativity can also drive tangible social impact.”
The Resurrection Files Returns in 2027
By bringing drag and HIV support together, The Resurrection Files demonstrates how queer artistic expression can extend beyond the stage, helping mobilise resources and keep conversations about HIV alive.
For Paterson, the project is ultimately about using the power of queer creativity to foster compassion, strengthen community connections and support people who continue to need care and solidarity.
The Resurrection Files will return to Cape Town in February 2027, continuing its mission to bring queer performance, HIV awareness and community support together.
