Help open Chez Pansy - a new queer cabaret!

Hi, my name is Pansy. It's so nice to meet you! I am a drag artist and event producer who has been making a name for myself in Berlin for almost 13 years. I have hosted drag shows, performance parties, community outreach events, music festivals, and concerts at some of Germany's most prestigious institutions like SO36, Monster Ronson's, Deutsche Oper, Volksbühne, Theater des Westens, Festsaal Kreuzberg, Ruhrtriennale, Jägermeister, BMG and many more. We have taken our Berlin Drag all over Europe, Australia, Asia, the US and UK because of that as well. Now, I am ready for the next step and need your help getting there!

As some of you know, I have been talking about opening my own queer venue in Berlin for a while now. Well, that time has finally come! I have been working closely with a business coach for the last year finalizing the business model and finance plan and seeking locations. We have finally found the perfect location for Chez Pansy and now I need your help to secure it!

Chez Pansy is a cabaret, supper club, and cocktail bar under one roof. She is a nightclub that will host performances, concerts, parties, readings and community events with local and international artists, combined with a restaurant that offers selected dishes to share for brunch and dinner. She will be serving a unique mixture of classic French cuisine and American Southern favorites from my childhood -- and pie, of course. Basically, a collection of everything I have been doing in Berlin for the last decade held under one roof. She is a place where people can feel comfortable being themselves, where they can eat and drink with friends, where they can be surprised and entertained - and a place where locals and visitors alike come together.

The location has everything we need: a dining room, kitchen, bar, separate rooms for a stage, dancefloor, and lounge, plus a huge backstage area for performers to get ready (a true luxury in Berlin!) The space has been uninhabited for a while and needs a lot of work to get her beautiful again. She is located in a central part of town with great access to public transportation while still being in an area that allows us hold loud performances and parties without disturbing the neighbhors. From the moment I walked in, I knew this was where we belonged. She’s perfect—she just needs a little facelift. I am not able to attach pictures of the location for security reasons, but just know that she will be stunning.

This is where you come in. I have already invested 25.000€ of my own money to found and open the GmbH account and secure the location. The next step is to apply for funding through a bank loan to achieve the renovations we need. I need to show the bank that I have raised enough capital to be matched with a loan that will complete the renovations. The bank is more likely to give more money when it is possible to show more capital in the account before opening. Business! Therefore, in order to ensure the success of our application I am hoping to raise 52.000€ through crowdfunding.

Once these funds are raised, they will go directly to replacing the floor and ceiling of Chez Pansy in order to get her up to current fire code and keep her safe for everyone. Both of these will cost around 25.000€ each. The remaining balance from the bank will be used to build the stage, DJ booth, and dancefloor and remodel the dining room, bar, and kitchen. We are aiming to be open within 9 months. I vow to keep you updated on every step of the process on this page and on my Instagram.

Chez Pansy will be able to provide 20-30 new jobs for queer Berliners and countless opportunities for performers from all over the world. It will be a new home for us in the heart of Berlin where we can taste something delicious and experience something new. As clubs continue to face closures all over this fine city of ours, it is time for something new to open its doors! We can’t do it without your support and I thank you greatly for it.

According to the rules of GoFundMe no raffles, sweepstakes, giveaways, or promotions are offered in exchange for any donations made to this campaign. I learned the hard way while raising over 30.000€ for our music festival YO! SISSY in 2015 that sending out rewards to people after the fundraiser is extremely time-consuming and prohibitively expensive. It is important to understand that you are not buying a t-shirt or postcard, you are supporting the space.

All donations will receive their name written on the THANK YOU wall somewhere in the venue. Please make sure to list exactly how you would like your name written.

Given the unpredictable nature of the Berlin nightlife scene, there is always the possibility that we will not be able to open on schedule and that there could be delays along the way. The money will be held in a separate GmbH bank account and not touched until it is to be used for renovations. I vow to be as transparent as possible throughout this entire process and update you along the way. I am doing this for us a community, but it cannot happen without us a community supporting it along the way. I thank you deeply for your trust and patience.

We got this! Together.

XOXO,

PANSY