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PREVIEW: Fringe! Queer Fest returns at venues across East London

With over 40 events across six days, London’s queer film and arts festival, Fringe!, returns for its sixth year with screenings, talks, panels, workshops, performance and parties, taking place over nine venues in East London from November 15-20.

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This year’s international festival programme will host nine UK premieres including 18 features and over 70 shorts, bringing a packed programme of the most thought-provoking and cutting-edge new work from across the globe to London.

Queer Family is the main theme of this year’s festival with a large part of the programme looking at the families we make for ourselves and those we are born into.

Voguing will takes centre stage illuminating the continued interest in this popular artform through films, panels and workshops.

The festival will also pay tribute to one of the year’s major tragedies, June’s fatal attack on an Orlando LGBT nightclub, by shining a light on gay rights, bullying and homophobia around the world from Chile to China and the US to Italy.

The volunteer-run festival continues to host a large number of free and affordable screenings and events.

This year’s Fringe! hosts screenings and events at familiar festival venues including Rio Cinema, the Barbican, Genesis Cinema, Dalston Superstore and The Glory.

Fringe! has also announce a new venue hub partnership with Hackney Showroom which will host films and events as well as Free Word Centre, Juju’s and swish new screening venue and bar The Institute of Light in London Fields.

Alex Karotsch
Alex Karotsch

Alex Karotsch, festival director, said: “We are very thrilled to bring Fringe! back for its 6th consecutive year with another exciting programme of film, performance, discussion and lots of queer fun drawing attention to the highly rich and creative queer landscape we have access to today.

“This year’s festival features a strong queer family theme looking at both the families we were born into and the families we adopt. Other highlights consist of our focus on voguing featuring two of this year’s festival circuit hits, a tribute to June’s atrocious shooting in Orlando with a number of films broaching the subjects of homophobia and bullying, and a number of exciting UK premieres while staying committed to offering a wide range of free screenings and events to our audience.”

For full listings, click here:

 

 

National Adoption Week – October 17-23

Adoption charity Parents and Children Together (PACT) is calling for more adopters and for people to support National Adoption Week.

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This year’s campaign aims to raise awareness of the challenges of adoptive parenting and invites anyone whose life or heart is touched by adoption to post on social media using the hashtag #SupportAdoption.

PACT is one of the many independent adoption agencies and local authorities up and down the country to show their support for the campaign by taking photos of themselves with #SupportAdoption posters.

PACT is particularly looking for adopters for ‘priority children’ who may be aged four or over, in sibling groups, of BME heritage or have disabilities or health conditions.

PACT can offer accelerated adoption assessments to the types of adopters who are needed most, in order to speed up the adoption process for the children waiting.

Jan Fishwick
Jan Fishwick

PACT Chief Executive Jan Fishwick, said: “The #SupportAdoption theme is very apt. At PACT we are committed to supporting our families for as long as they need us and our therapeutic adoption support service FACTS, is shortlisted in the National Adoption Week awards for Excellence in Adoption Practice.”

PACT adopters Hannah and Helen approached PACT following the National Adoption Week campaign in 2010 and have since adopted Katie who was aged four when she was placed.

Helen said: “To anyone considering adoption I’d say do it, jump all over it, it’s the best thing we’ve ever done.”

PACT runs frequent adoption information evenings in London, Reading and Brighton.

At these events you can find out more about the process and speak informally to a PACT social worker or adopter from the area.

To find out more about information events or download a Guide to Adoption, click here:

Or telephone 0300 456 4800 between 10am and 3pm on Monday-Friday.

 

For more information on National Adoption Week and to download a #SupportAdoption poster, click here:

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TONIGHT: Davina’s BIG fundraising birthday cabaret party

Davina Sparkle celebrates her birthday at Charles Street tonight, Sunday, October 16 with a mega charity fundraiser starting at 7.30pm.

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12 Amazing Cabaret Acts, will be performing to raise money for the Wedding Wish Well Foundation, who grant and pay for weddings, to terminally ill cancer patients.

The party kicks off at 7.30pm, hosted by Sally Vate and Patti O’Dors.

Acts confirmed so far include:

♦ Davina Sparkle

♦ Miss Thunderpussy

♦ Miss Jason

♦ Sophie

♦ Spice

♦ Dave Lynn

♦ Miss Penny

♦ Elesha as Whitney Houston

♦ Laura as Marylin Monroe

♦ Fonda Cox

♦ Hayden Cheyne

♦ Stephanie Von Clitz

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There will be a raffle and auction on the night with exciting prizes including:

♦ Show and dinner tickets for Legends of Soul Show, for 2, worth £78 on Friday, November 4

♦ Show and lunch tickets for Legends of Soul Show, for 2, worth £78 on Sunday, November 13, Remembrance Sunday.

♦ Spa Treatment Voucher at the Grand Hotel Brighton

♦ Bottle of Champagne

♦ A Family Ticket to Hatfield House, Herts

♦ Afternoon Tea @ Old Ship Hotel, Brighton

♦ Sunday Lunch for 4 at Black Horse in Rottingdean,

♦ £100 Marc Scott Hairdressers Voucher Brighton,

♦ 2 Night Stay Novotel Hotel, Stevenage, with Dinner

♦ Aromatherapy Set from The Treatment Room, Brighton

♦ Golf 4 ball @ Chesfield Country Club, Herts

♦ Complimentary tickets to Brighton Racecourse

♦ Accommodation for 2 in The Algarve, Portugal at Wysteria Lodge, Countryside retreat

♦ Show and dinner for 2, with Miss Jason Presents, Mr Jason Lee, at the Queens Hotel Brighton, on Thursday, November 24

Raffle Tickets will be on Sale for £5 for 3 or £2 Strip !!

web-600Davina says: “I would like everyone to join me at Legends at 3.30pm for drinkies and cabaret at 4pm. We will all move to Charles Street at 6pm, for seats (first come first served) and Mega Cabaret Party !!”

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