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Day: October 21, 2016

Alternative Pantomime to kickstart official LGBT History month celebrations

Posted on by Besi

Alternative Pantomime provides a spectacular Brighton curtain raiser to LGBT History month 2017.

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In a unique development, this years Alternative Pantomime ‘A Ladd In’ will be staged by the organisers and performers of the Alternative Pantomime, in partnership with the University of Brighton, Brighton & Hove LGBT Community Safety Forum (LGBT CSF) and Gscene Magazine in the Sallis Benney Theatre at the University of Brighton.

The new partnership brings together LGBT students and academics at the University of Brighton with the city’s diverse LGBT communities, through use of the theatre facility, help ing foster and develop the production of the Alternative Pantomime as a positive addition to the University of Brighton event and programming strategy.

This ground braking affiliation seeks to engage university students in the wide range of issues highlighted through the work of GScene Magazine and the Brighton & Hove LGBT CSF, as well as Brighton University’s work with the awarding winning Count Me In research project, further work in LGBT research, and LGBT educational and community activity at the University of Brighton.

The Iconic Alternative Pantomime ‘A Ladd In’ will open on Thursday, January 19 and is the official curtain raiser to LGBT History Month 2017 in Brighton & Hove.

As well as raising money for the Rainbow Fund, who make grants to LGBT/HIV organisations delivering effective front line services to LGBT people in the city, the partnership will help raise awareness of scholarly issues related to, LGBT history, artistic and performance practice, health, and sociology.

The production of  ‘A Ladd In’  at the Sallis Benney Theatre will run in tandem with other LGBT events and exhibitions at Jubilee Library and other city centre exhibition spaces, culminating towards the end of February with the resurrection of the Iconic LGBT History Ball, bringing LGBT History Month 2017 to a spectacular climax.

Opportunities for student engagement with the production and related initiatives are fundamental to the partnership which will be managed by the Brighton & Hove LGBT CSF. All monies raised during the run of the Pantomime will be distributed by the Rainbow Fund, through their independent grants programme.

As part of the wider partnership GScene Magazine will be offering opportunities for student journalists at Brighton University to engage with the city’s diverse LGBT communities, with an open call to develop a student section in the magazine and cover city-wide news.

Current research projects including the annual Brighton & Hove LGBT CSF Trust and Confidence Survey will be developed with the help of academics and the partnership will be seeking to develop a research project through which a researcher will examine the history and history-making associated with LGBT theatre and entertainment.

The Alternative Pantomime will be organised and developed in accordance with the terms and conditions of the University Theatre and Gallery, in recognition of the University’s Code of Conduct and Equality and Diversity protocols. Safeguarding policies will be developed and delivered by the Brighton & Hove LGBT CSF, enabling the University of Brighton to be a recognised partner, that can be proud of hosting this iconic LGBT event.

For up to date information about A LADD IN and to book tickets online, click here:

Wear it pink today for Breast Cancer Now

Posted on by Besi

Wear it pink is back for its 15th year, calling on supporters across the country to wear pink for the day and raise money for Breast Cancer Now’s life-saving breast cancer research.

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Simon Kirby, MP for Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven recently joined fellow MPs in wearing it pink in Westminster to encourage people across the UK to get involved and help Breast Cancer Now towards their ambition that, by 2050, everyone that develops the disease will live.

Simon, said: “I’m fully committed to standing up for the women and families affected by the disease in Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven and I am very proud to support wear it pink. I hope everyone in the local community will join me by wearing it pink on Friday 21 October and show their support for Breast Cancer Now.”

Gogglebox star helps launch service for grieving cat owners

Posted on by Gary Hart

Gogglebox favourite Chris Steed has lent his support to a new telephone helpline to help grieving cat owners cope with the loss of a much-loved pet.

 

 

Chris Steed and Ginge
Chris Steed and Ginge

Chris, best known for his witty TV commentary on the Channel 4 show, said Cats Protection’s new Paws to Listen service would help fellow animal lovers cope with the devastating loss of a pet.

The new service gives bereaved owners the chance to use a free and confidential helpline to speak to trained volunteers offering emotional and practical support.

Chris, who experienced the loss of his own pet cat Ginge last year, said: “No one can prepare for losing a feline friend and I think this is a really important and much-needed service. Sometimes, having someone to talk to can make a massive difference and I fully support this.

“When I lost Ginge I was devastated, but fortunately I had a partner to support me through those hard times. I can’t imagine what it must be like not to have that support so having a service like this is a wonderful idea.”

Manager of the service, Nick de Bruxelles, said the helpline, which is supported by free online guides and leaflets, would help owners with sensitive issues including understanding euthanasia and helping children deal with the loss of a cat.

He said: “Grieving for a pet is not necessarily just about death – quite often, the process begins when a cat reaches advanced old age or when their health begins to decline and euthanasia needs to be considered.

“It can be incredibly difficult for owners to make that final decision to have their cat put to sleep, and we often hear from owners who feel guilty and distressed from having made that choice, despite it being based on veterinary advice.

“Grief can also extend to owners whose cats have gone missing or to those who have been forced to rehome their cat. However it occurs, saying goodbye to a much-loved pet can be incredibly difficult for people of all ages.

“Cats are generally long-lived and cherished pets and the loss of one can bring significant challenges. There are many emotional hurdles, but owners also have many practical questions – such as what to do with the body of their pet, and this can compound their grief.

“Our service is designed to help owners move forward and find the best way to remember their pet.”

As well as the support line and information guides, Cats Protection also offers a memory wall on its website, where owners can pay tribute to their pets, and a page where people can offer support to other grieving cat owners.

To find out more, click here:

Or to speak to a volunteer on the Paws to Listen phone line, telephone 0800 024 94 94. The line is open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays.

Cats Protection is the UK’s largest cat charity, helping around 200,000 cats every year through a network of over 250 volunteer-run branches and 32 centres.

 

Pride organisers join forces with new national network

Posted on by Gary Hart

New national network of LGBT+ Pride organisers from around the UK established at Birmingham conference earlier this month.

UKPON Conference

The UK Pride Organisers Network ‘UKPON’ aims to “bring together Pride organisers to share best practice, ideas, learn together and network”.

In addition to two conferences each year, UKPON plans to offer webinars and online support, and to represent Prides at a national and international level.

There are currently 98 LGBT+ Pride events around the UK and some calculations suggest as many as 3 million people are thought to have attended a Pride event in 2016.

UKPON’s executive committee, which meets for the first time today, Thursday, October 20, comprises representatives of Pride events in Reading, Cardiff, Coventry, London, Hull, Gloucestershire, Oxford and Winter Pride.

The new organisation has already been represented at an international pride conference in France at the weekend.

Co-Chair of UKPON, Steve Taylor, said: “Pride is a vital movement for human rights and equality around the world. In the UK, where we have more Prides than any other country in Europe, we want to increase the visibility and viability of every Pride, so that they are a beacon of hope for the rest of the world.”

Delegates at the conference earlier this month signed messages of love and support for Pride organisers in Istanbul, Turkey which was cancelled by police, and in Kampala, Uganda, where police raided an event and many LGBT+ activists were assaulted and imprisoned.

Kristine Garina
Kristine Garina

Kristine Garina, President of the European Pride Organisers Association, who attended the conference, said: “It’s fantastic to see so much energy and passion for the Pride movement in the UK, and it was an honour to speak to organisers at their recent conference and address issues of LGBT+ rights and human rights that are at the core of Pride. The European Pride Organisers Association shows how much we can achieve when we work together and how important is the solidarity and support we can give each other. I hope that the new Network will increase the visibility of LGBT+ equality in the UK and internationally.”

Commenting on the creation of UKPON, Co-President of InterPride Brett Hayhoe said: “I salute the UK Pride Organisers Network and look forward to working with them in solidarity, unity and community. I wish them the best of British for a successful collaboration, today and for many years to come.”

Mr Hayhoe added: “The international InterPride theme for 2016 is ‘solidarity through pride’. In the light of recent world events, this theme and the global pride movement has never been more relevant and important for all LGBTI people around the world.”

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