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Day: February 8, 2017

Total raised by Alternative Panto for LGBT Community Safety Forum climbs to £3,814.07

Posted on by Besi

After 20 performances the curtain fell on this years Alternative Pantomime A LADD IN at the Sallis Benney Theatre last Thursday night (February 2).

Starring Dave Lynn, Jason Sutton, Davina Sparkle, Allan Jay, Jason Lee, Sally Vate, Christopher Howard and Lola Lasagne, the panto, written by Andrew Stark and directed and staged by Quintin Young, received excellent media reviews.

This years production of A Ladd In was 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.

This 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, to help 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.

A final total of £3,814.07 was raised from bucket collections at the end of each performance and proceeds from the sale of programmes and advertising inside, goes to the work of the B&H LGBT CSF, an established independent LGBT+ forum of eight elected, unpaid volunteers working with the LGBT+ communities to address and improve safety and access issues throughout Brighton & Hove.

The Alternative Pantomime was 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 were developed and delivered by LGBT CSF, enabling the University of Brighton to be a recognised partner, that could be proud of hosting this iconic LGBT+ event.

Next years Pantomime will be Jack and his BIG Stalk.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Photos by Graham Hobson aka Captain Cockroach

B RIGHT ON LGBT Festival: Be Safe, Stay Safe! Public Community Safety Meeting tonight

Posted on by Besi

The regular quarterly public meeting hosted by the Brighton & Hove LGBT Community Safety Forum will be held in the Phil Starr Pavilion tonight, Wednesday, February 8 during LGBT History Month.

The group, an established independent LGBT+ Forum of eight elected, unpaid volunteers, works with the LGBT+ community to address and improve safety and access issues cross the city of Brighton & Hove.

They undertake cultural, educational and social safety community activities and all type of LGBT+ community/inclusion and accessibility initiatives.

For details of guest speakers and meeting agenda, click here:

LGBT History Month is an international month-long annual observance of LGBT+ History and the opportunity to commemorate and remember the bravery of those who campaigned and spoke out over the years to help us achieve the freedoms and equality we enjoy today.

The PHIL STARR PAVILION, located in New Steine Gardens, Brighton, BN2 1PB has a fully functional stage, light and sound system with heating and licenced bar.

This ground breaking affiliation seeks to engage the city in the wide range of issues highlighted through the work of the Brighton & Hove LGBT Community Safety Forum, as well as partner/stakeholder work.

Event: Quarterly meeting of LGBT Community Safety Forum, Be Safe, Stay Safe

Where: Phil Starr Pavilion, New Steine Gardens, Brighton

When: Wednesday, February 8

Time: 7pm – 8.30pm

Entry: Free

For more information about the LGBT Community Safety Forum, click here:

LGBT HISTORY MONTH: ‘Smiles Matter’ at Jubilee Library

Posted on by Besi

 

A new exhibition at Brighton’s Jubilee library runs till February 26 highlighting the good work of Accessibility Matters at Pride last year in Brighton & Hove.

Curated and designed by the Brighton & Hove, LGBT Community Safety Forum (B&H LGBT CSF) with the kind support of the Community Safety Team at Brighton & Hove City Council.

This exhibition of 18 large colour portraits of people attending Preston Park for Pride 2016 highlights the superb work of Accessibility Matters by showing us the people who are proud to attend and are able to attend because of the work of this ground breaking project.

This exhibit is part of celebrating the diversity of the LGBT population for LGBT history month 2017.

The portraits were taken by Amanda and Natasha Parker-Small or self-taken with a ‘selfie’ button.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The B&H LGBT CSF initiative Accessibility Matters, celebrated its fourth anniversary providing Access to LGBT people in Brighton and Hove in July 2016. There was a photo booth at Preston Park and people self-elected to pose and take pictures with their loved ones, friends, families, careers to celebrate themselves and to show how Proud they were.

Accessibility Matters is the only dedicated LGBT project that delivers effective front line services to the Disabled LGBT Communities in Brighton & Hove.

Accessibility Matters was created by the B&H LGBT CSF to address the needs of older disabled, and deaf members of the LGBT Communities in the city, to encourage and empower them to take part in community and social life on a par with their non-disabled peers.

 

Billie Lewis

Billie Lewes Chair of the B&H LGBT CSF, said: “I love these pictures for the pure joy that comes from each and every person in them. We all work hard on Accessibility Matters, the Safety Forum and the large group of volunteers who make this happen every year and the smiles on the faces of the people are the best reward. These photo’s light up Jubilee Square and the windows of the library with smiles of joy, from people who can be themselves in a supportive considerate and Proud pride environment.”

For more information about Accessibility Matters, click here:

Are you going to Brighton & Hove Pride this Year? Do you have Access needs? Are you deaf, disabled, elderly or have a mobility issue? Do you need a safe and inclusive personal changing area?

To sign up to make your day as inclusive and enjoyable as possible, click here:

Event: LGBT History Month event: Smiles Matter, an Accessibility Matters photographic project

Where: Front Window, Jubilee Library, Jubilee Square, Brighton

When: Runs until February 28

Entry: Free entry

 

London Mayor offers support for equal civil partnerships

Posted on by Besi

Equal civil partnerships have been backed by Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London after Green motion calls for ‘unequivocal’ support for different-sex couples who want an alternative to traditional marriage.

Sadiq Khan
Sadiq Khan

Caroline Russell, Green member on the London Assembly representing Highbury East Ward was unanimously backed by the Assembly when she set out a motion to support equal civil partnerships in November as a landmark case was being heard in the Court of Appeal.

The Mayor’s written response promised to lobby the Government in support of equal civil partnerships should the case currently being decided on fail.

Caroline Russell
Caroline Russell

Caroline Russell, said: “Whatever the outcome of the case currently being heard by the Court of Appeal we must be unequivocal in our support for different-sex couples forming civil partnerships.

“For true equality the law should properly reflect the values modern couples hold, and their desire to have these principles reflected in the legal recognition of their relationships.

“London is a forward-facing city and I am glad the Mayor has listened to us and will not hesitate to push for this next step to provide a legal alternative to marriage.”

Charles Keidan and Rebecca Steinfeld are currently waiting for the outcome of their landmark case to make civil partnerships available to different-sex couples.

REVIEW: Gaslight @ Theatre Royal

Posted on by Eric Page

Gaslight

Theatre Royal

The night opens abruptly in a Victorian drawing-room, all heaving solid furnishing, pendulous clock marking the long claustrophobic evening, a peeling wallpaper and proper subdued matrimonial scene; my heart sank, I didn’t want another trite drawing-room thriller but within moments the tight bright acting with more than a hint of disturbing controlling menace caught and kept my attention and we settled in for what seemed like a very swift first half.

While Jack Manningham is on the town each evening his wife Bella (Kara Tointon) is home alone. She can’t explain the disappearance of familiar objects, the mysterious footsteps overhead or the ghostly flickering of living room gaslight – is she losing her mind? Does the terror exist in her imagination or are dark secrets living in her home? The surprise arrival of a retired detective (Keith Allen) leads to a shocking discovery that will shake her respectable Victorian marriage to its core.

In the tradition of heavyweight thrillers from Hitchcock and Priestley, Gaslight is sensationally suspenseful, all-round elegant masterpiece.

The plot and its subsequent denouement is never quite as straight forward as it seems and Kara Tointon’s delicate tour de force as Bella’ doubt as to her sanity is explored with sensitivity and rising anxiety as she’s forced to confront both her real situation and the one forced on her by the manipulative psycho of a partner she appears to be domiciled with.  It’s a convincing performance. Keith Allen’s rather bumptious detective is a delight; funny & considerate as he exposes the web of deceit that’s strangling her sanity and also the rough charm of a man who knows he’s the instrument of vengeance.

Gaslight is written by British writer Patrick Hamilton. This masterpiece of suspenseful play-writing is a superb mystery thriller and my companion was engaged, thrilled and utterly enjoyed what he said was a ‘great night’.

Supporting cast Helen Anderson and Charlotte Blackledge are spot on and the side plots of vigilant servants and young passionate tease maid is swerved out of cliché by the quality of the casting and performances. Although this boils down to a one room play there’s enough strong acting to keep the narrative tension bouncing along and the audience ( quite rightly) in suspense.   The final scenes are done with relish and spring with  tension and give us a much welcome comeuppance for the unpleasantness witnessed earlier, and Rupert Young completes his ominous brooding arrogant performance with the indignity of entitlement exposed. There was some great acting tonight.

As tightly written, well-acted and delightfully compact production with a few well-timed jumps to add to the thrill, Gaslight is a lovely night out and worth trotting along to if you fancy some rather delightful quality writing performed with relish by this safe engaging company. It is 2 hours 25 minutes (including interval) but felt much shorter, testament to the gripping and absorbing production.

Plays until Saturday 11

Theatre Royal

New Road

Brighton

 

No Kemptown Carnival in 2017

Posted on by Gary Hart

Kemptown Carnival will take a year off in 2017 to fundraise and restructure the community group that runs it, with a view to staging the next Carnival in 2018.

The Kemptown Carnival Association plans to develop the organisation into a Community Interest Company, which will hopefully have even wider involvement from the local community and build partnerships across the city.

Carnival Director, Mat Cook, said: “The Carnival has doubled in size 2011 when it was first brought to life by the Kemptown Carnival Association and we’re proud that it’s now the largest free community street arts festival in Brighton.

“Transforming the Carnival organisation into a more professional body is the natural step for us. Year on year the Carnival has become more colourful and vibrant with over 700 artists and performers taking part in 2016.”

“It’s a truly wonderful event and I’m looking forward to working with the Kemptown community and our partners to protect the Carnival’s long term future.”

As well as re-structuring the body which runs it, throughout 2017 the Kemptown Carnival Association will host a season of musical and family events across the city to make an early start on fundraising for the 2018 event.

Working with the Palace Pier, the Carnival is excited to confirm that the first event will take place in Horatio’s Bar at the end of the Pier on April 15.

The gig will feature the Carnival’s 2016 headline act, the psychedelic wonders; King Lagoon’s Flying Swordfish Dance Band, supported by Bunty Looping, one of Brighton’s leading solo artists. Keep an eye on Kemptown Carnival and Palace Pier’s social media for details of ticket sales.

In May Kemptown Carnival will be at the Spiegeltent on the Old Steine, and on June 24, the Carnival will be hosting its popular children’s festival, cake bake and tea party at St George’s Church in the heart of Kemptown Village.

Following a public meeting last weekend, the Carnival is now inviting interested volunteers to get involved for the coming year.

If you have something to offer – time, skills, enthusiasm email: Mat Cook, cooktherabbit.events@gmail.com

The next public meeting will takeplace in March, with a date to be announced in the coming weeks.

 

Alternative Panto total for LGBT Community Safety Forum climbs to £3,814.07

Posted on by Besi

After 20 performances the curtain fell on this years Alternative Pantomime A LADD IN at the Sallis Benney Theatre last Thursday night (February 2).

Starring Dave Lynn, Jason Sutton, Davina Sparkle, Allan Jay, Jason Lee, Sally Vate, Christopher Howard and Lola Lasagne, the panto, written by Andrew Stark and directed and staged by Quintin Young, received excellent media reviews.

This years production of A Ladd In was 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.

This 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, to help 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.

£3,814.07 raised from bucket collections at the end of each performance and proceeds from the sale of programmes goes to the work of the LGBT CSF, an established independent LGBT+ forum of eight elected, unpaid volunteers working with the LGBT+ communities to address and improve safety and access issues throughout Brighton & Hove.

The Alternative Pantomime was 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 were developed and delivered by LGBT CSF, enabling the University of Brighton to be a recognised partner, that could be proud of hosting this iconic LGBT+ event.

Next years Pantomime will be Jack and his BIG Stalk.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Photos by Graham Hobson aka Captain Cockroach

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