Blending comedy, poetry, performance art, and music, Collective Disorder is a show that 
highlights queer, underrepresented artists. February 8th, 2026 marked the tenth performance 
and third anniversary for the show. Curated by Autumn Jean Cairns, Collective Disorder 
breathes life into every performance. Cairn's passion for the event is evident both through the 
artists she showcases and the exciting energy of the crowd. Disorder X features a diverse set 
of artists, such as Arya Afshar, Carmen Lee, Nora Vision, Cairns, How To Survive A High 
Rise Hotel Fire, Doom Loops, and Tall Mary, who each bring a unique vision and artistry to 
the stage. With each act representing belonging and togetherness, Collective Disorder is a 
cabaret-inspired show for and about the queer community. 

In the tight, dark room of the Red Gates Art Society, people are lingering, chatting, and 
getting comfortable. The stage is set up with instruments and technical equipment, and below 
it is an array of stones scattered across the floor. Stand-up comedian Arya Afshar emcees the 
show, bringing political comedy, comments on the current societal climate, and playful 
criticism of the right and the left. With their dry, witty, and sarcastic humour, Asfar skillfully 
energizes the audience while smoothly managing the flow of the event. 

Comedian and poet Carmen Lee continues the comedy by sharing personal stories about race, 
relationships, and sex. The energy in the room shifts once Lee comes on stage. In opposition 
to Afshar’s political comedy, Lee relies on self-deprecation in their jokes, resulting in the 
audience connecting with her instantly. “I’m bisexual; I hope that’s okay!” is one of the many 
moments her one-liners had everyone in hysterics. The irony of her jokes highlights their 
quirky, offbeat personality. Lee ends her set with a poem titled “Empty.” The poem is a 
deeply personal work, as is most of their art, about the desolate feeling of being the first to 
arrive in the theatre. The poem flows through feelings of anxiety, acceptance, and finally, 
belonging, and has bits of comedy sprinkled throughout. Carmen Lee’s signature quality is 
relatability. This trait fills her art with the comfort of a second bowl of soup. 

Following the themes of love, poet and artist Salem Paige shares five beautiful poems, two in 
dedication to their partner and three about their experience being transgender. Each poem was 
filled with intense, raw, human emotion, and as he spoke, the hot, stuffy air in the audience 
was filled with love and admiration, clinging to and relishing every word. My personal 
favourite performance by Paige was “This Malleable Form.” The poem is an empowering 
piece about the ability to mould and transform into any form one chooses. The poem is a 
cycle of change that becomes evident each time Paige utters the word “myself.” Starting as a 
clay figurine, a fresh, moldable pallet waiting to be changed, we move into a sense of longing 
as each feature is described as “unconventionally attractive,” and we end with acceptance of 
this form, perfect or not, until one feels they want to change once more. 

As the audience shifts in their seats, so does the art; from poetry comes Nora Vision, a 
playwright and drag queen performing a sci-fi scene that goes straight into a lip-sync 
performance. Her scene blends together a commentary on artificial intelligence and comedy. 
The act has some slight technical difficulties (with the song skips), but Nora skillfully turns
each moment into a bit showcasing her ability to sway the audience's attention. She then went 
into a drag number with the song “Strict Machine (We Are Glitter Goldfrapp Mix)” by 
Goldfrapp. The electronic-pop song is a sensual description of being in love with a “strict 
machine,” perfectly encapsulating Nora Vision’s artistic vision. As Nora glides across the 
room, she exudes confidence, and everyone’s eyes are on her, proving why her stage presence 
is her specialty. 

After a brief pause in acts, the room falls into a quiet mumble as Cairns and How To Survive 
A High Rise Hotel Fire set up for their performance. The stones sit heavy on the floor. As 
Cairns steps onto the stage, she explains that each stone symbolizes a woman from her 
family, whom she actively honours through the construction of rock cairns. This performance 
art is based on grief and is a deeply moving ritual as Cairns lifts each stone one by one from 
the ground onto the stage. The audience falls to complete silence. All one hears is the 
instruments played by How To Survive A High Rise Hotel Fire; the haunting bass and oboe 
create a sinister feel to the performance. This profound piece is a touching remembrance of 
the past that forces the audience to sit and ruminate in their discomfort and stillness. 

Finally, chairs and couches are pushed away, and the two bands set up. The first to perform is 
indie rock band Doom Loops. The crowd creates a dance pit as soon as they begin. Doom 
Loops songs are energetic with a nostalgic 80’s vibe, as they heavily utilize synth in their 
instrumentals. Each song is filled with personal lyrics about relationships, awkwardness, and 
feeling out of place. My favourite song they performed is “I Hate My Heart." The audience 
was told to go hard—and they deliver. The song is impossible not to dance to, and Doom 
Loops performs it with such intense emotion and care, and those feelings clearly travel 
through each member of the audience. 

The headliners of the evening, Tall Mary, end the show with a grungy, messy set that 
encapsulates the noise rock genre. As the crowd moshes, the band members play harder, even 
bringing out a power drill to play guitar with. The band creates a chaotic atmosphere of 
music, staying faithful to their punk fashion. 

Art is an integral part of living; I encourage anyone to visit a Collective Disorder event or any 
local event they can find.

By: Nejdana Houshyar