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Lincoln librarian shortlisted for Gay Times honours

Dr Beth Hellen, a Systems Librarian at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) in Lincoln, has been shortlisted for the Barbara Burford Gay Times Honour for Excellence in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths).

In 2014, while working as a postdoctoral researcher at Rutgers University in New Jersey, Beth created the LGBTSTEM blog that highlights researchers, scientists and engineers from across the world who identify as LGBT+. It aims to provide role models and show students that they can achieve anything regardless of their sexuality or gender identity.

Once back in the UK, she also founded the LGBTSTEMinar, a conference and networking opportunity for LGBT people in STEM fields.

Beth said: “When I started the blog, I was working as a bioinformatician and it really came out of my personal experience of not knowing anyone who was LGBT+ in the departments where I worked. It can make you feel quite alone, and I don’t think you can be doing your best work if you’re always trying to hide some part of your life.

“Since I started the project I’ve had a lot of really great support and the conference is getting bigger and better every year.”

The Gay Times Honours will be presented at the National Portrait Gallery, London on Saturday, November 18, 2017.

To view the LGBTSTEM blog, click here: 

Terrence Higgins Trust appoints new advisory board

HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust (THT), appoints new advisory board to help steer the charity into the future which includes Stonewall co-founder Lisa Power MBE and former Hove MP Ivor Caplin among its members.

The new advisory board will be chaired by Ivor Caplin, who was MP for Hove from 1997 to 2005 and a former Government Minister. Mr Caplin is a long-time supporter of THT and lives in the City of Brighton and Hove – one of the cities in the UK with the highest prevalence of HIV.

The advisory board will meet for the first time on October 24, 2017 and will operate as a ‘sounding board’ for both Chief Executive Ian Green and the board of trustees.

Other board members also include Ethan Spibey, who spearheads the Freedom to Donate campaign, calling for changes to the restrictions on blood donations for gay and bisexual men, and Winnie Sseruma, who is an HIV activist and black African woman openly living with the virus.

The charity’s former policy director, Lisa Power MBE, is also a member; she was one of the co-founders of LGBT charity Stonewall and is regularly included in lists of the most influential LGBT+ people in the UK.

The advisory board will not have decision-making powers but will provide confidential challenge and scrutiny to the charity..

Jonathan McShane, Chair of the Board at THT, said: “I’m confident that this new advisory board will be of great benefit to THT. We must ensure that all our decisions are in the best interests of the people the charity is here to support and in line with our strategic aims.

“The advisory board will meet twice a year and provide expert, objective advice across the organisation. The substantial experience and knowledge of the board’s members will add valuable external perspective to the charity’s key decisions.”

Membership of the group is diverse, reflecting the communities most affected by HIV and poor sexual health. It has expertise relating to key areas of THT’s work, as well as representing the charity’s geographical spread. The charity is still looking to appoint someone to the board from Scotland.

Ivor Caplin
Ivor Caplin

Ivor Caplin, Chair of the advisory board, said: “Both I and the other members of this new advisory body are deeply passionate about tackling HIV transmissions, enabling people to live well with HIV and promoting good sexual health for all. We’re keen to use the breadth of our collective experience and expertise to benefit Terrence Higgins Trust and its beneficiaries.”

The board will comprise of:

♦ Ivor Caplin – former MP for Hove and government minister, based in Brighton;

♦ Lisa Power MBE – a founder of LGBT charity Stonewall and former policy director at Terrence Higgins Trust, based in Cardiff;

♦ Ethan Spibey – a vocal campaigner on blood donation restrictions and a public affairs professional, based in London;

♦ Winnie Sseruma – an activist from one of the UK’s black African communities who is able to represent the views of women living with HIV;

Professor Rusi Jaspal – professor of psychology and sexual health at De Montfort University, based in Leicester;

 Alexander Walsh – a corporate investment manager and supporter of THT, based in London.

PREVIEW: Grease – Tom Parker from boy band to leading man

Voted The No.1 Greatest Musical in Channel 4’s 100 Greatest Musicals – GREASE comes to the Theatre Royal, Brighton for Christmas 2017!

Danielle Hope, Tom Parker and Louisa Lytton on Brighton Palace Pier: Image ©Pete Jones
Danielle Hope, Tom Parker and Louisa Lytton on Brighton Palace Pier: Image ©Pete Jones

In the absence of a traditional Christmas Pantomime at the Theatre Royal again this Christmas, it’s time to dust off your leather jackets, pull on your bobby socks and catch Brighton’s biggest Christmas party as Danny and Sandy fall in love all over again by the seaside.

Making his musical theatre debut, Tom Parker from boy band The Wanted plays heart-throb Danny Zuko, Danielle Hope winner of Over the Rainbow plays Sandy and Louisa Lytton from Strictly Come Dancing and EastEnders plays Rizzo.

GREASE, a musical love story, bursting with denim, leather, cheerleaders, slick hairstyles, rock n roll, 1950s pop culture, is an irresistible mix of teenage angst and young romance.

It is timeless and universal, the ultimate feel good musical, an electrifying extravaganza, packed with fun, energy, vibrant physicality and great musical numbers including You’re The One That I Want, Grease Is The Word, Summer Nights, Hopelessly Devoted to You, Sandy and Greased Lightnin’.

Having amassed worldwide success with boy band The Wanted, achieving two UK number 1’s and 9 top 10 singles as well as 4 Billboard 100 singles between 2009 and 2013, Tom Parker, with his first foray into musical theatre plays the iconic role of Danny Zuko made famous in the 1978 movie by John Travolta.

Tom says: “I originally auditioned for the role of Teen Angel doing just one song in the show, but the director called me back to audition for Danny Zuko. I had never done musical theatre before so it was a very big role for me to step into. Following my days with The Wanted which were a total free for all, the discipline involved in performing eight shows a week has been tough. I eat regular and well and had to learn to really look after my voice. I have loved every moment of the experience and learnt so much from it.”

Tom is just 29, feels he has got the party days out of his system and is knuckling down and taking the acting thing very seriously. Apart from a few acting lessons before he went into The Wanted, he is pretty much learning on the job. In his spare time he produces music for other artists to perform. “Just give me a piano and a computer screen and I am as happy as Larry.”

Joining Tom playing Sandy is Danielle Hope who made her professional debut as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium, after capturing the hearts of the country and winning the BBC’s smash hit Over The Rainbow show.

Completing the star lineup playing Rizzo is Louisa Lytton who played Ruby Allen in Eastenders and Beth Green in The Bill.

Completing the cast are Tom Senior as Kenickie, Michael Cortez as Sonny, Oliver Jacobson as Roger, Ryan Heenan as Doody, Callum Evans as Eugene, Lauren Atkins as Marty, Rosanna Harris as Jan, Rhiannon Chesterman as Frenchy, Gabriella Williams as Patty and Ailsa Davidson as Lynch. The ensemble includes Charlotte Coggin, Anthony Hughes, Alessia McDermott, Natasha Mould, Anna Murray, George Olney, Rory Phelan and Grant Thresh.

GREASE is written by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, directed by David Gilmore,  choreographed by Arlene Phillips and designed by Terry Parsons, with costumes by Andreane Neofitou.

GREASE is presented by Paul Nicholas and David Ian.

 

Image: © Pete Jones
Image: © Pete Jones

Event: GREASE

Where: Theatre Royal, New Road, Brighton

When: Monday, December 11 until Sunday, December 31.

For Times: click here:

Cost: £20.90 – £49.40

To book tickets online, click here:

Or telephone 0844 871 7650 (booking fees apply: calls cost up to 7p per minute, plus your phone company’s access charge).

Back To School Charity Spectacle tonight at Charles Street

Brighton & Hove Sea Serpents Rugby Football Club with Sister Kara Van Park, Sister Sally Vate and Father Jason Thorpe present: Our Lady of the Serpent Rugby School for Boys’ Back To School Charity Spectacle tonight at Envy above Charles Street Bar.

It’s the start of term and the rugby boys want to put on a show for everyone to enjoy! But first come the auditions and they will have to impress the nuns of Our Lady of the Serpent if they hope to become stars!

Join them for a night of fun and frolics and a good old School Disco from DJ Claire Fuller.

Tickets are just £10 and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Mind Out, the LGBTQ+ Mental Health Service.


Event: Back to School Charity Spectacle

Where: Envy above Charles Street, 8 Marine Parade, Brighton

When: Friday, September 22

Cost: Tickets £10

To book online, click here:

THEATRE REVIEW: Driving Miss Daisy @Theatre Royal

Driving Miss Daisy

Theatre Royal

Set in Atlanta, Georgia, the story begins one day in 1948 when a prickly, 72-year-old Jewish widow, Daisy Werthan, crashes her car.  Deemed too old to drive, her son hires her a chauffeur, an African-American named Hoke Colburn. Daisy and Hoke’s relationship gets off to a rocky start, but as times change across the course of a 25 year backdrop of prejudice, inequality and civil unrest, a profound and life-altering friendship blossoms.

It’s more than 30 years since the play written by Alfred Uhry & the award winning film first gained its reputation and this celebration tour is impeccable, stripped back to its essentials.

This is a perfectly balanced cast, Sian Phillips as Miss Daisy captures the fierce but fragile nature of this woman whose humble beginnings and comfortable retirement dictate her relationship with the outside world.  Derek Griffiths as her driver Hoke Colburn who ages and changes along with her is terrific, and the two of them get the accents and attention to detail just right.  The eye contact, the pauses, the deference, the challenges,  are all superb reflections of the South Georgia of its day, and although Griffiths gets the best laughs, it’s the careful and inevitable descent into  delicate brittle old age which Phillips nails with utter grace and charm.  Griffiths and Phillips have a believable relationship which starts with grudging good manners and ends with heart-breaking tenderness and care. They both look out and look after each other and become each other’s greatest friends and this ongoing friendship – which jumps through decades as the play progresses – is handled well by this stellar pairing. Teddy Kempner  portrayal of Daisy’s son  Boolie is a masterclass in deferral as well, it’s understated and allows the true focus of this story to remain on the principal pair whilst giving the plot just enough of a push along and keeping the narrative tension pleasantly taught each time he appears.  These three are directed by Richard Beecham in a uncomplicated way allowing the splendid acting to glow.

The play is a lovely handling of a horrible subject at a distance and although it’s been truncated there’s still enough ugliness in the world that these characters inhabit to bring the horror home. Both characters hold stereotyped attitudes which are challenged by the actions and behaviour of the others experience and then the connections of them both belonging to minorities being the targets of hate: the bombing of Daisy’s synagogue, the lynching of the father of Hoke’s childhood friend, the pernicious and pervading WASP attitudes and subtle white supremacy attitudes are all explored from different points of view, and all with a sheen of good southern manners.

Although the play was written more than thirty years ago, it’s soft but persistent message of hope, working hard to challenge prejudice and calling it out for what it is still relevant. It’s the steely softness of this play which makes it relevant, it’s so utterly polite in many ways and that masks the ugliness of racial segregation and the casual racist attitudes of the time.

My companion left welled up with tears, Phillips’s portrayal of Daisy in her twilight days is beautiful, touching & tender, capturing her humour and fragility at the same time and the final scene of Hoke feeding Miss Daisy her Thanksgiving pie is beautiful and touch perfect.

The set is simple, and subtle lights, sound scape and music give ambience and setting without any fuss at all, the car is a wheel on a stand, but it really doesn’t matter with this pair in the driving seat of this play.  There were a few sound hiccups and both the first act and end of the play were hasty; a slow lights down and moment to reflect would have ended much better than a hasty leap up for the applause.

Driving Miss Daisy reminds us of the cycles of human hatred and violence, how we can change them by changing ourselves, that little things matter and that the horrible times of the past are still relevant to us living today, more so considering the ugly rise in intolerance and hatred once again, but it’s a beautiful tender exploration of trust friendship and uplifting to watch.

Until Saturday, September 23

Theatre Royal

Brighton

New Road

 

 

 

Fundraiser for Brighton Women’s Centre

There will be a Fabulous Charity Cabaret Fundraiser for Brighton Women’s Centre on Saturday, September 23 @ The Brunswick Pub, Hove.

Hosted by Annabelszki, artists appearing include: Alice Frick, Sha Wylie, Sian Davis, Lynn Ruth Miller, King Frankie Sinatra and The Cheer Up Mollys.


Event: A fabulous night of comedy and music raising money for the Brighton Women’s Centre

Where: The Brunswick Pub, Hove

When: Saturday, September 23

Time: Doors7.30, show arts at 8pm

Cost: £14/12

To book tickets online, click here:

Last chance to buy a Snowdog!

Martlets Hospice, a charity that cares for people living through a terminal illness in and around Brighton & Hove, is offering you one last chance to buy a Snowdog puppy at its glamorous Halloween Ball at Brighton’s Grand Hotel on the evening of Saturday, October 28.

Norman Cook with Disco Dog

Marilyn Monroe will be making an appearance so guests can expect cheeky humour, songs and her trademark shimmy in a glitzy entertainment line-up that includes the band 29 Fingers and the Master of Ceremonies, Steve Bustin.

Emma Knight, organiser, said: “There are still a few tickets left for our Halloween Ball, so now’s the time to sign-up. It’s the last chance you’ll ever have to bid for a Snowdog puppy, designed by Brighton artists Steve Mason and Jason McQuillen.

“It’s going to be quite a night, with dancing until the small hours, raising money that will help us to care for local families.”

For tickets and more information, click here: 

CPS announcement concerns male victims of domestic abuse

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has published its first ever public statement recognising the needs and experiences of male victims of offences including rape, domestic abuse, harassment, stalking and child sexual abuse.

Written in partnership with the ManKind Initiative, Survivors Manchester and Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of West London, Dr Ben Hine, the statement’s key issues include:

♦     Providing information for prosecutors to help challenge myths and stereotypes; understanding the experience of male victims within the criminal justice system; and providing details of support services for male victims

♦    Exploring issues that may arise because of multiple forms of discrimination such as those faced by (black, Asian, and minority ethnic) or LGBT victims

♦     Ensuring all relevant policies, guidance, training and case studies for prosecutors contain details on the experience of male victims and outlining any unique barriers to reporting;

♦     Working with NGOs and Communications to consider ways to dispel societal myths, especially around masculinity, as well as responding to media issues;

♦    Involving more national men’s groups in the scrutiny of CPS policies, guidance and training and within the VAWG External Consultation Group;

♦     Establishing a stakeholder forum on child sexual abuse to specifically ensure that work expressly includes boys as well as girls;

♦    Reflecting the male experience of these crimes, in relevant media communications, by working closely with men’s groups, to increase confidence in reporting; and

♦    Providing data on male victims where possible and, with partners, striving to improve the gender and relationship breakdown of CPS relevant data.

Mark Brooks, Chair of the ManKind Initiative, said: “The public statement, and the commitments it makes, are landmark moments for male victims of crimes such as domestic abuse, stalking and forced marriage.

“We are very pleased with the CPS for sending a clear and inclusive message to both the criminal justice system, and to society as a whole, about the need to ensure male victims are recognised.

“I am certain this statement will encourage more men to come forward with the full confidence of the positive support and acknowledgement they will receive when they do so.”

The ManKind Initiative is a charity helping men escape domestic abuse.

For more information, click here:

To see the full statement, click here:

 

BOOK REVIEW: Carnivore by Jonathan Lyon

Carnivore

By Jonathan Lyon

This book follows the misadventures of Leander: Queer, druggie, manipulator, friend,  lover, fighter, liar.  Gifted with synaesthesia; a condition where the senses confuse and enhance information and also in constant chronic pain he seeks to rent himself out for BDSM sex as a chance to literally feel something different, or does he? Leander’s recanting of this tale is utterly unreliable in this book and the author enjoys playing with us as much as Leander seems to enjoy the same toying.  We jump right in and follow Leander’s decent into his primal world, described in extra intense tones and the prose sometimes has a life of its own.   With echoes of the narratives of Irvine Welsh, this chemical and narcotic story weaves a mysterious path in and out of reality and perception. The narrator’s perceptions are often twisted by pain, anger, clashing senses or huge doses of heroin so it’s got a pretty gaudy kick to it.

The book pivots half way through and the carefully set up states seems to unravel and hunter becomes hunted and twister is unwoven, there’s not a single normal person in this book, everyone has a huge backstory and everyone is pretty vivid.  I read it in flashes, it reads in chunks and the author has taken time to ensure the reader experiences the world though the drug fuelled warped senses of the anti-hero.  Lyon manages to keep most of this under control and although I wasn’t entirely sure at some parts who was talking to who or what was happening, I just rolled with it and went with the punched.

It’s refreshing to read such a horrible but totally Queer protagonist whose embrace of sexuality and opportunity is fully, apologetically bent. This books reminded me of  Exquisite Corpse, by Poppy Z Brite, it’s got that ‘smack in the face’ (as well as in the veins) quality about it.

There’s a fair amount of gruesome violence in the book and paired with such an apparent series of characters the volte-face of the final few chapters is not quite as plausible as the pace of the constantly rising narrative tension. However that’s a small gripe for what is an interesting and arresting book and if you are a fan of twisted crime, murder or druggy thrillers then you’ll find this book enjoyable.

Lyon has a strong voice and a curious crepuscular turn of phrase, one which he unleashes with full force in this book.  His personal experience of pain and intoxication is also transferred and then carefully explored in the book and provides a jolting  constant background hum/scream which I found difficult to shift after putting this book down.

This is a strong debut novel from Jonathan Lyon. He has the face of an angel but an inquiring and debauched imagination which has given us this compulsive psychoneurotic take on the crime thriller.

£12.99

For more info or to buy the book see the publisher’s website here

 

New LGBT+ night in Brighton

El Geebee Tea Queue, a brand new variety evening celebrating local, national and international LGBT + talent, launches at The Brunswick, Hove on Sunday, October 8.

Expect LGBT+ comedy, cabaret, live music, theatre, spoken word, film and dance from acts, including: “Drag Prince” Alfie Ordinary, musician and lyricist Hannah Brackenbury, musician Paul Murray, performance artist Annabelszki, singer/songwriter Paul Diello and composer/musician/artist Nick Hudson.


Event: El Geebee Tea Queue launch

When: Sunday, October 8

Where: The Brunswick, Holland Rd, Hove.

Time: 8pm

Entry: £4 adv/£6 on the door

To book tickets online, click here:

 

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