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MindOut secure sustainability grant from cabinet office

MindOut, the Brighton based LGBT mental health project has been successful in its application for a £64,455 grant to enhance its sustainability.

MindOut

The Cabinet Office’s Local Sustainability Fund supports small to medium-sized high-impact voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations.

MindOut was shortlisted alongside several other local and LGBT organisations and will be working in partnership with these over the next 12 months.

The grant will enable MindOut to develop much-needed new income streams with the aim of reducing reliance on grants and contracts, develop its marketing and how it demonstrates its impact, and to strengthen its governance and management.

Helen Jones
Helen Jones

MindOut CEO, Helen Jones, said: “We are delighted to have been successful and secured this much-needed grant.  This is a huge boost for LGBTQ mental health and for the LGBTQ voluntary sector in general”.

For more information about MindOut, click here:

For more details of the grant, click here:

 

PREVIEW: Louise Reay: Que Sera, 些拉

Fresh from an Australian tour, Louise Reay, winner of alternative new comedian of the year 2015, returns to the Brighton Fringe with a brand new show.

Louise Reay
Louise Reay

Que Sera, 些拉 is a comedy show in Chinese for people who don’t speak any Chinese at all!

Only 7% of communication is verbal – so it’s an experiment in the other 93%. You’ll understand it, but you won’t know why. And will a Zoltar machine help? A true and personal story, featuring video footage filmed over the past 4 years, which asks if we can control our destiny. Que sera, 些拉?!

“An absurdly brilliant clown act that explores the nature of communication and language” – Fringe Review

“It might sound strange,” says Reay, “but people have been performing comedy in this way for centuries. This work is a nod to the medieval tradition of ‘grammelot’ where travelling performers used an expressive physical language to communicate.”

“Like the teletubbies doing standup…fascinating” – Steve Bennett, Chortle

Originally from Brighton, and with a BA in modern and classical Chinese, Louise started to study clowning with Dr Brown in 2014. She took her first clown show It’s Only Words to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2015, which received 4* reviews, was in the Amused Moose shortlist for best show (top 15 shows of the Edinburgh Fringe 2015), featured in the national press, received full sponsorship from the Confucius Institute and was described by The Scotsman as “one of the most insanely high-concept undertakings at the festival.”

“Louise Reay can legitimately claim to be unique” – The Independent

She won Alternative Comedian of the Year 2015 and was a finalist in the Leicester Square Theatre New Comedian of the Year competition 2015.

“Truly fantastic…really charming, see it!” – Al Murray


Event: Louise Reay: Que Sera, 些拉

Where: Komedia, Studio Bar, Gardner Street, Brighton BN1 1UN

When: May 14 and 22

Time: 4pm (doors 3.45pm)

Cost: £6

Age: 14+

To book tickets online, click here:

PREVIEW: Diversity: Genesis 2017 tour

Award winning dance group and winners of Britain’s Got Talent, Diversity bring their new show Genesis to the Brighton Centre on Tuesday, April 18, 2017.

Diversity
Diversity

After six sell out UK tours, 300,000 tickets sold, and countless television performances; Diversity have announced their seventh tour Genesis, created by Ashley Banjo for April 2017.

After wowing audiences in 2015 with their 31 date Up Close and Personal tour, Diversity will once again return to arenas across the UK.  The new tour Genesis is the concluding part of their super hero fantasy epic and follows Limitless: The Reboot.

Creator and choreographer Ashley Banjo said of the tour: “It is approaching 7 years since Diversity won Britain’s Got Talent in front of an audience of over 20 million and thanks to the support of the British public and our legion of fans we have gone from strength to strength.”

Driven by their motto Dream, Believe, Achieve Diversity continue to inspire all generations and are a remarkable example of what can be accomplished with dedication, belief and hard work.

After finishing his fifth series as head judge on Sky 1’s Got to Dance, in 2016  Ashley  Banjo  currently co  presents BBC One’s brand new entertainment programme Can’t Touch This and will also front a pioneering television programme for ITV tackling the sensitive issue of bullying.

Other Diversity members Jordan Banjo and Perri Kiely continue to work closely with Nickelodeon and have just returned from Los Angeles as UK presenters for the Kids Choice Awards for the third consecutive year.

Diversity continue to inspire the next generation of dancers as they will be teaching over 150,000 children in their academies at Butlins throughout 2016 and will also be hitting TV screens throughout the year with jaw dropping performances not to be missed.

Tickets for Diversity’s Genesis arena tour go on sale today, Friday, April 1 at 10am

To book tickets online, click here:

Brighton Kemptown MP joins Peacehaven Easter Parade

Simon Kirby, MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, joins local residents in the Peacehaven Easter Parade.

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Simon said: “I was delighted to join the Peacehaven Easter Parade and would like to thank Peacehaven Town Council and local residents for all their hard work and effort in making it such a great event. Well done to everyone for the great costumes and to all the Scouts, Brownies and various community groups that took part.”

Cllr Rachael Coles, added: “This was the first ever Easter Parade to be held in Peacehaven. The parade was to mark 100 years of Peacehaven and was led by our Town Mayor Cllr Robertson and our MP Simon Kirby. We had massive support from our local groups, clubs and charities. The day was enjoyed by all and we all went back to the hall after for a hot dog, refreshments and a disco.”

Bristol Pride puts spotlight on hate crime

Organisers of Bristol Pride Festival shine a spotlight on Hate Crime with a campaign to raise awareness, increase reporting and to tackle the number of incidents taking place.

Mayor Ferguson and Pride organiser
Mayor Ferguson and Pride organiser

The project, made possible by funding from the Avon and Somerset Police Crime Commissioners Community Action Fund, aims to tackle Hate Crime in Bristol with a series of street stencils supported with poster and social media outreach.

Bristol Pride want to raise awareness of LGBT+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) and Race related Hate Crime incidents that have taken place across the city and to make people stop and think about what Hate Crime is and the importance of reporting it.

Hate Crime is motivated by prejudice against a person because of their: ethnicity or race, disability (including mental health & learning difficulties), sexual orientation, gender identity, religion or belief, age, gender, marital or pregnancy status.

A Hate Crime can take many forms including physical attacks such as hitting someone, name calling or verbal abuse, or even bad gestures. It can include threats, harassment, intimidation or humiliation. In some cases, it involves vandalism or damage to someone’s property, nasty letters or graffiti and increasingly in our digital age: abusive emails, cyber-bullying and trolling.

Hate crime affects the individual in every area of their life, work, school and home. It has a very detrimental impact on wellbeing and people can be left feeling humiliated, guilty and too embarrassed to complain.

It can also lead to emotional and physical symptoms and distress. Over the last 3 years Homophobic or Biphobic Hate Crime has accounted for 13.5% of all incidents reported, Transphobic hate crime accounted for 3.6% whilst last year Race related Hate Crime accounted for 82% of the cases reported to Avon and Somerset Police.

Along with the street stencils the Pride team, with the support of Bristol Hate Crime Services, have compiled information on a series of Hate Crime incidents with information about each case and any outcomes or the effects it has had on people.

Daryn Carter
Daryn Carter

Daryn Carter, Director of Bristol Pride, said: “Just like prejudice, Hate Crime has no place in our city and yet we are seeing an increase with the number reported to the police, up by 18% last year. Some of this comes from better reporting but we know that Hate Crime and specifically Hate Crime against the LGBT+ community is under reported. We want to make people think about Hate Crime, to stop incidents taking place and if it does happen for people to feel confident in reporting it, even if they do not want any action to be taken and that it is taken seriously.”

Sue Mountstevens
Sue Mountstevens

Avon and Somerset Police Crime Commissioner, Sue Mountstevens, added: “I was delighted to be able to award £4,950 from my Community Action Fund, administered by the Police Community Trust, to Bristol Pride for their city-wide domestic violence, Trans and Hate Crime awareness campaigns.

“As individuals, I believe our differences should be celebrated, it’s our uniqueness that makes each and every one of us who we are.  Being targeted because of your age, race, sexual orientation, religion or any other reason is unacceptable and will not be tolerated in Avon and Somerset.

“There is lots of work being done and we have some fantastic services helping to support victims of hate crime, however it is essential that people, who have experienced hate crime, come forward and report it.”
To report a Hate Crime call Bristol Hate Crime services on 0800 171 2272 or call the police on 101.

If it is an emergency or the incident is taking place now then call 999.

For more information on the project and Hate Crime, click here: 

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Rink: A coming-of-age short film seeks Kickstarter funding

Rink, an LGBT coming-of-age short film, is set to begin filming in London this May.

Rink Team Left to Right Zoe Guilford, Gail Hackston and Annabel Bates
Rink Team Left to Right Zoe Guilford, Gail Hackston and Annabel Bates

When Jane – a tomboy on the brink of her teens – inadvertently flirts with another girl at her local ice rink, she is surprised and amazed when the girl flirts back. Rink is a coming-of-age story about emergence, identity and confidence.

The film aims to tell a gentle and positive coming out story – not everyone comes out with a bang, with many young people trying to understand their feelings for years before finally putting a name to it. Coming out can be more of an evolution or emergence than an announcement, and that is Jane’s story.

The project is lead by award winning writer/director Gail Hackston, alongside producers Zoe Guilford and Annabel Bates. Rink is a short film that has been developed by Film London and the Eastern Edge Film Fund, as a part of their London Calling scheme.

Rink’s young, diverse up-and-coming cast will be announced soon. With filming scheduled to begin in May, organisers have launched a Kickstarter campaign to help raise the last of the money needed to fund the production  – and have already raised more than 30% of their target.

There are a range of different rewards available for Kickstarter pledgers, from social media shout-outs to digital previews of the film, and invitations to the official cast and crew screening.

For more information about Rink, click here:

To pledge a donation or find out more about the Kickstarter campaign, click here:

PREVIEW: Edit Profile@Rialto Theatre

What you into? Into Chemsex? BB? Groups? Up for joining us?

Edit Profile
Edit Profile

Wherever, whenever, tap the app and you’re just a few meters and a few words away from a world of hot guys waiting for you, needs must when the devil drives, and it’s you in the driving seat.

Very Awkward Company presents an explicit and raunchy exploration of the escapades of a single hard and horny gay man as he navigates the world of dating apps, chem sex and group play.

With all this non stop pleasure at his fingertips what could possibly go wrong?


Event: Very Awkward Company presents Edit Profile

Where: Rialto Theatre, 11 Dyke Rd, Brighton BN1 3FE

When: May 5-8

Time: 10pm

Cost: £12 (conc.£10)

To book tickets online, click here:

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