RuPaul’s Drag Race stardom for musical textiles graduate

A Manchester Met graduate is competing to be the next superstar on this year’s RuPaul’s Drag Race on BBC Three.

BA Textiles graduate, Niall Trowsdale Stannard, also known as Viola, took the name from the uniqueness of being the only violinist drag queen in the UK as well as being able to sing and play the kazoo. 

During his course he often demonstrated a creative flair, often using materials like feathers and glitter, and recycling existing materials to create his own materials.

Speaking to Out Magazine about the show, Viola said: “I’ve been practicing my lip syncing, warming up my violin and one thing that people don’t know about me is that I’m a sewer, and I’ve made many of my own looks.”

This isn’t the performer’s first appearance on television, having previously appeared on the hit show Queen of the Universe, a global singing competition featuring the most talented drag queens from around the world. Now he is set to take on the competition on RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Sophia Fenlon, Senior Lecturer of Textiles in Practice at Manchester Met, taught Niall when he was a student on his BA course. 

She said: “Niall is a really good example of just how diverse studying textiles can be and how you can take it in so many different creative directions. He worked on a lot of projects that explored his identity and were used in practice as he did drag work. I really liked the rebelliousness of his raw material choices and how he combined them.”

The BA Textiles course emphasises personal growth and creativity, encouraging students to work on personal ambitions and use their textile knowledge in practice. Niall was a recipient of a bursary award from the Weavers’ Company, a Manchester Met partnership that enables students to gain hands-on experience of modern technology, for example by visiting mills and factories. 

Sophia added: “All the textiles team are massive fans of RuPaul’s Drag Race. We were so excited when we found out Niall will be starring this season. We’re all going to be watching it!”

The current season of RuPaul’s Drag Race is currently running on BBC Three, with new episodes airing every Thursday.