If you’ve stopped playing sports because of bullying, exclusion or general toxic behaviour, you’re not alone. It’s common, unfortunately. And while we can’t turn back time and change those experiences, The Huxleys have decided to do the next big thing: help you live out your sport dreams in loud and proud queer fashion.

The glam artistic duo – comprised of creative and romantic partners Garrett and Will Huxley – are putting together a massive series of photoshoots and parties for Melbourne Fringe Festival, reclaiming the domains of sport where people have been made to feel unwelcome – perhaps due to their gender, sexuality, culture, background or disability.

The massive new festival commission, called The Winner Takes It All, is a large-scale participatory event, with the Huxleys inviting Melburnians from the LGBTQIA+ community to don their most glamorous and campy sports regalia for a series of surreal and joyful photoshoots: one at a swimming pool, another at a tennis court and a third at a cricket ground.

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“Sport highlighted my differences and made me an easy target for playground bullying, and so I spent 12 years of my life trying to get out of every sporting activity possible,” said Garrett Huxley in a statement.

Part-show, part-art event, The Winner Takes It All looks to subvert expectations around queer people and sports by putting them front and centre of their own sporting fantasies.

They are looking for hundreds of participants to play the roles of sports stars, umpires, ball runners, spectators and orange slice attendants. Each person will get to take home their own limited-edition print from the shoot – free of charge.

The events take place at Prahran Aquatic Centre, Princes Gardens Tennis Court and Malvern Cricket Ground on October 6 and 12. Participation is free and registration is open now. Melbourne Fringe Festival organisers will be in touch by September 1 to confirm your ticket.

melbournefringe.com