Image credit: Jesse Ray Photography. Performers: Hot Dyke Party
Nestled in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood, The Birdhouse is a vibrant, queer and trans-run art space and event venue that has quickly become a cornerstone of the city’s 2SLGBTQIA+ nightlife scene. Birdhouse owners Ryn Broz and Paige Frewer previously ran DIY venue Eastside Studios, Birdhouse’s first incarnation in the Strathcona neighbourhood, and a true hub of Vancouver’s alternate queer scene as an inclusive and safe space of joy and expression for queer women, 2SLGBTQ+ people of colour, non-binary and trans people. Since Eastside’s doors closed in 2023, The Birdhouse has not only been continuing that legacy, but building its own as a dynamic hub for drag performances, dance parties, karaoke nights, and live music. Paired with an evident commitment to creating a safe and welcoming environment for marginalized communities, The Birdhouse is a unique and affirming space where creativity and authenticity thrive.
As The Birdhouse gears up for a summer packed with events and electric energy, BC Creates caught up with co-owner Paige Frewer to talk about the roots of their community-driven space, what fuels their programming, and the work it takes to keep the party going.
What inspired you to open a space like The Birdhouse (and prior to it – Eastside Studios) in Vancouver?
We were inspired to try opening our own event space due to the lack of queer spaces in the city, and the perpetual short-lived-ness of those that did pop up here and there. We’d been producing queer events at various nightclubs in East Van and Gastown for several years, and although there were a few gay bars in the West End and some “queer friendly” venues who were open to hosting our events, we saw a need for a dedicated and queer-owned venue so we decided to take the leap.
What are some of your favorite events to put on, and what should someone expect if it’s their first time attending?
Our “flagship” event is Man Up, Vancouver’s longest running drag show! We love it because it’s got such an established culture of gender and body diverse drag, which we try and cultivate through all our programming. Because of its long history, it tends to be where we’ll start with experimenting new ideas, like incorporating more live music into our drag shows, and expanding accessibility for guests, such as our ASL livestream (still in Beta!).
How do you ensure The Birdhouse is a safe space for performers and attendees alike?
One of our core values is treating safety and accessibility as a never-ending process and effort, that can always be taken a step further. We have a code of conduct for the space that applies to everyone – guests, performers, and staff alike. One example of our house rules for safer spaces is our cultural appropriation policy, which centers the safety and wellbeing of our racialized guests. It’s taken a lot of intentional discussion and workshopping with community over the years, but upholding a standard of cultural sensitivity that goes beyond the status quo is something that means a great deal to folks, and has helped us build trust with our communities.
What was a favourite event hosted at The Birdhouse? And do you have any favorite local deejays, artists, or bands you’ve hosted that you think are ones to watch?
Another one of our favourite core events is Rhythm of the Night, a 90s club kid deejay/dance night. Man Up and Rhythm of the Night are going to be, for the first time ever, held at the Commodore Ballroom this coming Pride! We’re incredibly excited to bring our top tier lineups of drag performers, DJs, and musicians to this historic Vancouver music venue. Our favourite local band to watch out for is Hot Dyke Party, who will be opening Man Up on Friday August 1st. They always put on an outstanding, high energy show, and will be the perfect vibe to kick off our weekend of events at Commodore and the Birdhouse.
Are there any new ideas or dreams you’re excited for—different types of programming, partnerships, or expansions?
We’re working on finessing an ASL livestream feature at the Birdhouse that we’ve begun to introduce at some of our shows. Originally suggested by a Deaf community member, and then developed by our amazing GM Emily and AV designer Chris, we’re now able to provide live ASL interpreting projected not only onto large screens inside the Birdhouse, but also to our Twitch channel for folks tuning in from home. The feed displays a live cam of the stage performances, with the ASL interpreter in a bubble in the corner, and high quality audio for non-Deaf guests to watch from home as well. We’re hoping to access funding to be able to offer this more consistently in future, which will require upgrading our tech, and training more staff to operate it.
What has been the most rewarding part of running The Birdhouse?
Seeing the room full of smiling people celebrating their queer selves! It’s difficult to articulate just how meaningful it is to feel like we’re providing queer and trans people space to feel at home in their bodies, especially as so many parts of the world are growing increasingly hostile towards them.
What should we expect from The Birdhouse this Pride Month and beyond?
In addition to Man Up and Rhythm of the Night at Commodore over Pride weekend, we’ll be doing our first ever block parties at the Birdhouse. Le Hangover will feature one of our favourite musical artists headlining, Dai Burger from NYC, on Saturday August 2nd. And on Sunday August 3rd, we’ll have our first ever Pride weekend Queers & Beers (usually it’s the weekend before!). Both these events will take place on 4th avenue, as well as the full parking lot and interior of the Birdhouse, which will be our biggest ever event site capacity to date!
How can people support queer-owned businesses beyond just showing up during Pride?
A meaningful and impactful way to support us is to buy tickets for new events and events being produced by newer promoters. We also really appreciate when our guests are mindful of the fact that we are less resourced than many bars and nightclubs, and although we’ve come a long way since our first run-down warehouse space, we are still in many ways DIY-ing everything we do.
Tickets are on sale for Man Up and Rhythm of the Night at Commodore Ballroom over Pride weekend. Stay tuned for news and events with The Birdhouse on their Instagram and Eventbrite pages.
This post is part of our Pride Month series, highlighting queer stories and creators from British Columbia’s creative industries.
