The Making of Pinocchio

In “The Making of Pinocchio”, artist duo Rosana Cade and Ivor MacAskill explore the question of who defines what is real in terms of gender and sex.

In their first international co-production, the artist duo from Glasgow use their own everyday experience as the starting point for an artistically framed debate about the realities of life in the LGBTQIA* community: in 2018, MacAskill came out as trans* and began to medically transition. In parallel, Cade came out as non-binary. Given the lack of representation of queer couples in transition, Cade and MacAskill decided to creatively document their transformation.

The story of the wooden puppet Pinocchio, who wants to be a “real” boy, serves as a reflection surface for the artists’ autobiographical experiences.

In the setting of a film studio, the audience gets a glimpse into Cade and MacAskill’s creative process and their relationship.

The “Making of Pinocchio” challenges binary narratives of transition, contributing to the current debate around trans* identities. The stage piece also deliberately addresses the LGBTQIA* community in order to strengthen them in the self-confident recognition of their own identity. We support these approaches.