A (k)night: In conversation with Ainhoa Hernández Escudero

From Medusa to the Club

Ainhoa is no stranger to SPRING. After a successful co-production of their previous piece (Don’t) look me in the eyes,which reimagines Medusa’s myth to question dominant Western narratives, they have remained a vital part of the festival’s ecosystem.

“I’ve been supported by SPRING in different ways every year since 2024,” Ainhoa explains. “From the Spring Academy trajectory: Intermediality and dis-placing perspectives I guided last year,  to this year’s curation at EKKO. It’s a collaboration that keeps evolving and nourishing my practice year after year.

Bridging the Day and Night

For Ainhoa, A (k)night is a way to merge the two halves of her artistic life;  her day life in the theater and her night life in the club. “Drag, burlesque, and voguing are performing arts, yet they are still sometimes not fully accepted in the field as such. I think it is important to change that misconception” .”

The night is carefully curated with a mix of performers from the local performance scene and from The  House of Hopelezz and The House of Løstbois, the drag house Ainhoa belongs to. “I’ve invited people whose work I deeply admire and whom I trust fully to create the atmosphere of the night together.

The Knights and the Dolls

The title A (k)night is a clever play on words, blending the medieval imagery of protection with the queer royalty of drag kings and queens. But there is a serious underlying message.

“In the drag scene, we have kings and queens too”, Ainhoa explains. And in the medieval imagination, knights are warriors; the ones sworn to protect the crown.”We live in a time in which the old swords are being sharpened again, and drag performers along with all ‘the dolls,’ are under attack  in many places. We have to ask: who is going to stand with us ? We defend ourselves, of course, but who stands besides us?”

This call for solidarity is woven into the fabric of the night, which also serves as a fundraiser. “The world won’t transform over a (k)night, but one person’s world can”. 

What to Expect

The evening at EKKO kicks off at 20:30 with a transformation station. A drag makeup artist will be helping the audience and silver props and clothes will be available for the audience to transform themselves, blurring the line between the audience and the performers.

The program flows from Isadora Trasamasi’s snippets of their upcoming solo creation, titled “I Wanna Tell You Another Story ” into a series of drag and burlesque performances, some surprises in between, and DJ sets from Noise Dive and others that will carry the energy  until 04:00.

“I’m looking forward to having fun with everyone,” Ainhoa concludes. “To make a night where we feel connected in these dark times. To have fun,  to claim joy as a form of resistance.

Event Details

• What: A (k)night, curated by Ainhoa Hernández Escudero
• When: Saturday, May 16, 20:30 – 04:00
• Where: EKKO, Utrecht
• Theme: Silver, high-value performance, and club energy