Helene De Joie: At the Heart of Hedonism

Londons' Hottest Ticket To The World of Psych-Burlesque.

If one would doubt the power of the capital's nightlife, they may care to talk in a cemetery gilded in the golden power of Helene De Joie: founder of an extravagantly Rock n Roll event. Indulgent and tantalising, Factory De Joie has stolen the limelight across East London.

"I think the rollercoaster goes hand-in-hand with being artistic.The chaos and the comedown. It's all part of it."

Sat in a Stoke Newington Cemetery, De Joie reveals her creative ride from the occasional 'Burlesque Banana' to artistic endeavours and audience close ups. The show must go on.

@EAPPhotography

Mid-summer seems the perfect moment to showcase the array of wardrobes which contribute so heavily to Helene's performance. Burlesque to many, may seem like a niche of nightlife only exposed to the eccentrics. Yet as our lives get crazier, so do our desires for pure escapism. Whilst careful planning into each nights theme and feeling is critical to Factory De Joie, it is also the audience that keeps the Burlesque ball rolling.

"I performed at Sexhibition in Manchester the other year, and a couple started getting it on at the side of the stage. I thought well at least I get people going!"

Spending an enchanting afternoon with De Joie has left one siding with the words of Burlesque royalty, Dita Von Teese. "I cannot imagine that life was ever so silly, so colourful, so fun."

Yet this is no nostalgic throw-back. In fact De Joie is creating a new-wave of Burlesque. An artistic collaboration that has taken residency over venues including the Victoria Dalston, Hackney's Paper Dress Vintage, Mile End's Genesis Cinema and any other nook or cranny filled with a potential for pleasure.

"Factory de Joie started in the 'Summer of Love 2016' I wanted to bring this scene together with the musicand combine my two loves; live music and peformance art."

Cherry Cola Club Photography

"I am very inspired by the 60s and Warhol's Factory. I created an immersive night that embodies the hedonistic vibe of the era."

With seven years experience of Cabaret and Burlesque perfection, these nights come with many secrets and stories that make them a unique gem in the confusion of 'la vie nocturne'. Factory De Joie harnesses venues that ooze with soul to provide a thrilling schedule. The Victoria Dalston is next to host Helene on August 4th : 'Factory De Joie & Moof present: A Playground of Psychedelia'.

But what is it that makes Factory De Joie a night into the psychedelic unknown?

Without revealing all, a typical recipe for 'Psych-Burlesque' could be anything from Warhol themed shows, abstract projections, as well as Helene's own headline performance. *Think* an artist relishing in a Mcdonalds meal followed by latex and fetish, Go-Go dancers, glossed with more latex all together in one cocktail of hedonistic tripped-out bliss.

De Joie reveals her dream audience would invite anyone from Nick Cave, Brigitte Bardot and exotic dancer-cum-WW1 spy Mata Hari. This eclectic mix represents the fluidity of her audiences; Acceptance, body positivity and expression are a staple of Factory De Joie's ethos.

Yet De Joie's focus of 'Anything Goes' is not just a freedom, it is a statement.

"My shows are quite chaotic-

If I told you how outrageous things get, I'd have to kill you."

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Collaboration is an essential ingredient, over time De Joie's steady collection of performers keeps each night as unpredictable as the last. This August 4th, working with founder of psych music/arts publication MOOF Magazine, Melanie Xulu.

"I don’t have time for dickheads. Women need to support each other. Why waste energy hating on one another?"

From dungeons to cinemas, dark clubs and Manchester's infamous Sexhibition, under De Joie's influence the scene is thriving. With the recent threat of curfews for London's throbbing centre of nightlife, you wouldn't believe that Factory De Joie emerges unscathed. The unstoppable force of Burlesque is here to stay.

See details below for Factory De Joie & MOOF Magazine Present: 'A Playground of Psychedelia'