Colby King discovered his chosen family in New York’s Kiki ballroom scene, a thriving subculture in New York City. Kiki traces its origins to youth-led offshoots of the Harlem drag ball tradition, which was born from Black and Latino queer communities seeking creative refuge and chosen family. From the storied ballroom houses of the 1960s and ’70s, the Kiki scene emerged in the 2000s as a more accessible, youth-centered environment. Often hosted through LGBTQ+ health outreach centers, Kiki events (“kikis”) became vital spaces for young queer people of color to practice voguing and other categories, build kinship, and access emotional and health support. 

Today, the Kiki scene continues to be sustained by young creators whose artistry drives global culture, even as they face systemic barriers to entering the arts and creative industries. These barriers are rooted in wealth, training pipelines, and institutional gatekeeping that exclude nontraditional voices.

King is founding the Kiki Arts Collaborative (KAC) to bridge that gap. KAC will equip LGBTQ+ youth of color with mentorship, networks, and resources to translate their creativity into long-term economic independence. Through residencies, fellowships, exhibitions, and public programs, KAC will support both artist development (creative practice, portfolio building, professional presentation) and workforce development (preparing youth for roles across media, marketing, academia, and cultural institutions). 

Participants will also gain essential tools in financial literacy, contract negotiation, and professional sustainability. Partnerships with the Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, Manhattan Neighborhood Network, Inspiration Point, and the National Black Theatre will create direct pipelines into cultural and professional opportunities. 

KAC’s vision goes beyond the balls. The skills honed in the Kiki scene — design, performance, styling, storytelling, leadership — are not only cultural assets but professional ones. By transforming raw talent into pipelines for creative industries, KAC will ensure that the young people sustaining ballroom can thrive far beyond it — diversifying the future of art, media, and civic life itself.