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Newcastle LGBT choir celebrates fifth birthday

Northern Proud Voices (NPV), the North East’s largest and longest running LGBT community choir, celebrates its fifth birthday on May 18.

Northern Proud Voices
Northern Proud Voices

To mark the occasion, NPV will host, and perform at a series of fundraisers across Newcastle and the North East, raising awareness and donations for LGBT causes, and inviting others to join their choir.

As part of UK-wide Pride events, the choir will perform at Pride Durham (May 30), Newcastle Pride (July 16), Cumbria Pride (September 17) and Sunderland Pride (September 25), showcasing four-part choral arrangements of artists including Radio Head, Annie Lennox, Seal and Train.

Weekly rehearsals have been taking place in Newcastle in preparation for the events, and a social media campaign has been launched to encourage people to show their support and get involved.

Kathleen McDonald, Chair of NPV, said: “It has been wonderful to see the choir grow over the past five years, from a handful of singers to the largest LGBT choir in the North East with almost 100 registered members.

“We are extremely proud of the community we represent and we are always keen to welcome new members. Being able to offer an inclusive and safe social space for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people in Newcastle is truly rewarding for myself, and very important for some of our members.”

Supporting the choir’s fundraising celebrations, Ouseburn venues The Ship Inn and The Cumberland Arms will welcome NPV supporters with a fifth birthday party and a LGBT themed Lip Sync Battle with songs from queer culture.

Local improv-comedy group, Spontaneous Wrecks, will stage a 2-hour improvised show and musical to raise donations.

Choir member, Andrew Layton, said: “Not only is the choir great fun but it helps change perceptions some people may have of the LGBT community. I’m proud to be part of such a diverse group of people brought together by music.”

For event tickets and further information, click here:

Northern Proud Voices is a fully-inclusive, non-audition choir and their rehearsals take place every Thursday 7-9pm at The Mining Institute, Newcastle (excluding August).

Celebrating ten years of LGBT sports fundraising

RVT/GMFA Sports Day celebrates tenth anniversary on August 29.

Photo by Chris Jepson
Photo by Chris Jepson

With so much of the commercial gay scene changing, or sadly disappearing, it’s reassuring to know that traditions such as this annual sports day continue to bring the LGBT communities together and give us all a familiar warm, fuzzy feeling inside.

When it comes to breaking down barriers in the community, this legendary annual LGBT event is the ultimate sporting event.

It doesn’t matter if you are young, young at heart, thin, “fullsome”, fabulously flamboyant or a retiring wallflower secretly bursting to blossom – everyone is welcome.

As always, it is being held in Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens behind the Royal Vauxhall Tavern on Monday, August 29. Team registration is from noon till 1.30pm and the games start at 1.45-2pm.

Being the 10th annual Sports Day means there will be some extra fun surprises, alongside the hugely popular staple events such as the 50 metre mince, drag relay, tug o’ war, egg and spoon race and everyone’s favourite discipline – the handbag toss.

Team registration is now open. This year up to 21 teams (five a team) will be able to compete, but be quick to register as places are being quickly taken up.

The event will be raising funds for GMFA, Vauxhall City Farm and Friends of Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens.

Matthew Hodson
Matthew Hodson

Matthew Hodson of GMFA, said: “Come rain or shine, the GMFA/RVT Sports Day is still the most fun of all the fundraising events of the year – and after two damp years we’re due some sunshine this year. As it’s the 10th of the GMFA Sports Days, we want it to be even bigger, bolder and more outrageous than before. Sports Day raises funds for GMFA’s sexual health information and for FS magazine, which receive no Government funding and depend on the support of the community.”

For more information and photos from previous years events, click here:

New LGBT network launched

Want to be more confident about your sexuality?

Josh and Manuel
Josh and Manuel

KRUSH a new LGBT Network held a successful launch event on Thursday, May 12 at the Boudoir of Bar Soho in London.

Formed just two months ago by two flatmates Josh and Manuel, KRUSH offers opportunities for people who value face-to-face communication to network together.

Members are encouraged to put down their apps for just one night to meet some great new people and friends for life.

Suzanne who attended the event, said: “As a female exploring my sexuality I really enjoyed attending the first KRUSH event – it helped me to make new friends and feel more confident about who I am.”

KRUSH aims to bring all members of the community together no matter what background or sexual orientation they are. It also encourages people new to London and maybe those that aren’t even out yet to come and make new friends.

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Keena, a member of the transsexual community, added: “The KRUSH event helped me to connect with likeminded people and get the support I needed.”

KRUSH co-founder Josh, said: “We had a great turnout of 60+ people from the LGBT community at our first event. Our “buddying” system meant that nobody was left on their own. It amazing to be part of something that is making people more confident about their sexuality.”

The next KRUSH event will be held on June 9, at Stop Fix, Haggerston. There are also events next month in Bristol and Birmingham.

For more information, click here:

PREVIEW: Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival

Alan Cumming, Lea DeLaria, Buck Angel and Colby Keller are headline guests of the 11th Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival, TLVFest.

Alan Cumming
In Conversation with Alan Cumming: Thursday, June 2 at 20:00 at Cinematheque 4

TLVFest which takes place from May 29 to June 7 at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque will open with the screening and Israeli premiere of Oriented, the outstanding documentary directed by Jake Witzenfeld which follows three gay Palestinian friends living in Tel Aviv as they confront the conflict between their national identity and sexual orientation.

Buck Angel
Buck Angel

At the opening night ceremony the transgender filmmaker and activist Buck Angel will receive the TLVFest Award.

The festival programme includes national premieres of prominent and award-winning films from major world festivals includingVenice, Berlin, Sundance, Toronto and Cannes.

Colby Keller
Colby Does America: Thursday, June 2, 22:00 at Cinematheque 2

For a full list of events and screenings, click here:

To follow on Facebook, click here:

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Public meeting to discuss NHS changes

There will be a public meeting organised by Sussex Defend the NHS on June 30 from 7-9pm at St George’s Church, Kemptown to discuss how impending changes to the NHS may affect you and your family.

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If you haven’t heard about proposed changes to the NHS and would like to halt them, then this meeting is one for your diary.

Speakers will include: Doctors, nurses, patients, union representatives and local and national campaigners.


Event: Changes to NHS – Public meeting organised by Sussex Defend the NHS

Where: St Georges Church, St Georges Road, Kemptown, Brighton

When: Thursday, June 30

Time: 7-9pm

Entry: Free

 

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