In the spirit of pride, boldness, empowerment and representation, Vizzy, the first Hard Seltzer with Acerola Cherry, has hired Canada’s first crowned drag superstar, the Queen Priyanka, as community impact director and working with Queer Collective to launch the #Vizzybility Project, which elevates the #Vizzybility of LGBTQ+ artists. Read our interview with Priyanka below! —Vita Daily
How has your journey brought you to where you are today? What challenges have had to overcome in your career to seek visibility?
As a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community and a person of colour, I understand first-hand what it feels to be under-represented. I’m not alone as 69% of the Canadian LGBTQ+ community feel underseen and misrepresented in the media. My dream was to be on television. My mother always told me to not let my queerness or heritage hold me back and pushed me to go after my dreams. Starting out as an intern at MTV in Canada, I worked my way up in the industry and became the first web host of YTV’s “The Next Star.” I toured Canada as the face of Next Star Nation, and then was hand-picked by YTV as the face of their flagship after school program The Zone. But even with all my success, I was still faced with “you’re too flamboyant for TV”, “you’re too this”, “you’re too that.” After 6 years of being on TV, I decided I didn’t just want to be the one interviewing, I wanted to be the one being interviewed. In 2018, I tried drag for the first time and I felt instantly connected to myself as an artist and creator. As a member of the LGBTQ community, I discovered our power in creating our own platforms, shows, and how we want to look. As Priyanka, I feel unstoppable. And now I want to channel her to help other LGBTQ+ people like me be represented in the media, which is why the #Vizzybility Project is such an exciting initiative for me to be a part of. Through this collaboration, Vizzy and I are on a mission to drive impact and facilitate a contribution to the LGBTQ+ Community with the intention of celebrating what makes everyone unique.
Why did you decide to work with Vizzy?
As a brand that celebrates what makes us different, I’m proud to be teaming up with Vizzy and notable nonprofit, Queer Collective, to invite marginalized creators to apply for the chance to receive a grant, mentorship from the me, and most importantly gain visibility. Knowing that under-represented communities can experience challenges with creating and accessing positive spaces to participate and express their art, and 69% of the Canadian LGBTQ+ community feel underseen and misrepresented in the media, Vizzy and I are on a mission to drive impact and facilitate a contribution to the LGBTQ+ Community with the intention of celebrating what makes everyone unique.
What is The Vizzybility Project?
Vizzy, the first Hard Seltzer with Acerola Cherry, has signed me, Canada’s first crowned drag superstar as Community Impact Director to launch the #Vizzybility Project—a new creative grant program that elevates the #Vizzybility of LGBTQ+ artists. Through The Vizzybility Project, four Canadian diverse LGBTQ+ artists will be chosen to receive brand supported #Vizzybility valued at over $35,000 each to fund their art and provide exposure across Canada.
Where did the inspiration come from to create the Vizzybility project? Was this an idea brought to you from Vizzy, or were you given the reins to ideate?
The idea came together in collaboration between myself, Vizzy, and Queer Collective. As a proud member of the LGBTQ+ Community and the fact that I understood first-hand what it feels like to be under-represented, Vizzy signed me as their first Community Impact Director to help ideate and develop an impactful plan to launch in Vizzy in Canada and drive true meaning and impact for marginalized communities in Canada. From brainstorms to late-night reviews, we worked together very closely to come up with and launch the Vizzybility Project—an idea I am SO passionate about and proud to have contributed to.
What is your involvement with the Vizzybility project?
Vizzy has signed me as their first ever Community Impact Director with a mission to drive impact and raise #Vizzibility for LGBTQ+ artists. Together, we came up with the idea to launch our first project in partnership with notable nonprofit, Queer Collective: the #Vizzybility Project. In addition to coming up with the idea and being involved with every detail leading up to launch, I am also excited to be able to mentor the grant recipients to help them bring their creative vision to life and be able to bring more visibility to those in the LGBTQ+ community through my social channels and across this entire project. With Vizzy’s support, I’m creating my own form of art, my music videos for a suite of new songs which will be on my upcoming debut EP! Through the videos and the #Vizzybility Project, our goal is to inspire other queer people to become the popstars of their own lives, whatever that means for them. It’s about taking your pain and struggles and turning it into bold, authentic art.
Where do you apply for The Vizzybility Project? How long is entry open for?
Head to vizzyhardseltzer.com where you will find all the details and application instructions! To enter, all applicants will be asked to record a short video telling Vizzy, me, and Queer Collective about yourself, your artistic vision and how you will use the grant to achieve Vizzibility. Applications are being accepted until June 14, 2021.
How do you think this project will provide impact?
My hope is that this program will provide marginalized creators the visibility and confidence to continue to share their art with the world and celebrate their differences.
How has competing on and winning Canada’s Drag Race increased your visibility? What has this meant to you?
Drag Race is such an immense international platform. Getting casted for the show was a win in itself, but then being crowned Canada’s first Drag Superstar? Iconic! While I’ve been on television before, Canada’s Drag Race allowed me to be COMPLETELY MYSELF. I want to use this huge platform to help other LGBTQ+ people to know that by sticking to your guns, and being yourself without limitations can be your greatest gift. Art and vulnerability are the great connectors. People will always remember how your art and your story made them feel.
I hear you’re releasing a suite of music videos in celebration of The Vizzybility project. Can you speak on this?
I am so excited to share my new music with the world! I began working on new music at a time when my life was in shambles. My uncle died, I got into a car accident and my boyfriend had just dumped me. I was inspired to channel all of that pain and confusion into larger-than-life pop songs my fans could dance and cry to. With Vizzy’s support, I’m creating music videos for the new songs which will be on my upcoming debut EP! I hope that they inspire other queer people to become the popstars of their own lives, whatever that means for them. It’s about taking your pain and struggles and turning it into bold, authentic art! But I know that it’s also hard to see your own power as an artist. For every one person who enters the Vizzybility grant program, there will be a thousand more people who don’t have the confidence to participate. I hope that just by seeing someone like me in a music video, breaking into the mainstream, it will hopefully inspire them to live boldly. Stay tuned, you are not going to want to miss this new pop era!
Do you have any tips or tricks of the trade to offer to upcoming applicants? How can they shine through?
Be bold. Be fierce. Celebrate what makes you different. If I could share one piece of advice it would be to be yourself! We really want to see the true you come through in these applications.
How will you be celebrating Pride this year?
I’m so excited to celebrate other queer people’s art for Pride Month with the #Vizzybility Project, and encourage even more artists to come forward and apply for the grant program. I’ll be kicking the festivities off with Vizzy and the launch of my lead single “CAKE” on May 28 and will be hosting a live AMA at 12pm for all those eager to learn more about the single and the #Vizzybility Project. I’ll also be headlining Toronto Pride for the first time and releasing new singles for the summer.
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