being a dame, dame tracey. sounds good.ah, i was thinking about you", and i said to him, "you know, there's not many really working—class people "that get the honour of being a sir ora dame, orwhatever". and i said, "but you sound all right, sir elton". and he said to me, "you've gotta admit, tracey, "it's an oxymoron". isaid, "yeah, dame tracey" — it's just so brilliant. it's just like, it should inspire people, you know, that, like, if you work hard enough and you're really... it's not... the accolade of being a dame is for the work that i've done. and that's why it feels good. if you were to start out as an artist today, as a young woman, do you think it would have been easier for you in any way? well, yes and no. sadly, it's almost impossible to go to art school or university or college if you come from an impoverished background. it is impossible. i think now, it's much better for women doing art, and in the arts, and i think it's much better for people from black and from different ethnic cultures doing art. when i wa