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Young LGBT+ people in care ‘SpeakOut’

New film reveals the experiences of young LGBT+ people coming out while in the care system.

THE six-minute animation promotes the findings of SpeakOut, a national study led by researchers at the University of East Anglia’s (UEA) Centre for Research on Children and Families (CRCF).

The research behind the film is the first and largest project of its kind in England. It focused not only on vulnerability and risk, but also on the strengths and resilience of the young people and the support offered by foster families and the professionals working with them.

Six young researchers who identify as part of LGBT+ communities and spent time living in care made the film with UEA and the Creative Research Collective (CRC). They were keen to use their own experiences to help others in care, improve services and to raise awareness of the needs of LGBT+ people in the care system.

The study itself involved interviews with 46 LGBT+ young people, together with 26 foster carers with experience of caring for LGBT+ young people. There was also a survey of 152 local authorities and focus groups with professionals, including social workers and those working in education and youth offending.

Dr Jeanette Cossar
Dr Jeanette Cossar

Lead researcher Dr Jeanette Cossar, of CRCF and UEA’s School of Social Work, said: “The responses from the young people in particular provide powerful insights into both their personal journeys and their varied experiences of services. Their contribution enhanced every stage of this project.

“We hope the film and the recommendations we’ve made for those working in the care system will lead to a better understanding of the issues facing LGBT+ young people in care and ultimately improve services and support.”

Brett Service is one of the young people involved in the project and features in the film.

He said: “As a gay care leaver I got involved in this amazing project to improve services offered to both the current generation of LGBT+ children in care and care leavers, as well as any future generations.

“It is important that LGBT+ young people get the correct support from professionals involved in their care so they don’t feel alone, unwanted or unsupported. In this project we have all been able to use our expertise as care leavers as well as our expertise as members of the LGBT+ communities to advocate on behalf of other young people who are LGBT+ to make the changes needed.”

Findings from the project include:

  • Support for LGBT+ young people was said to be limited by a lack of both knowledge and confidence and local authorities were keen to improve practice.
  • Several young people concealed their sexual orientation from carers and professionals resulting in isolation, increased vulnerability and sometimes placement breakdown.
  • Some young people feared that coming out in care would result in rejection and placement breakdown, but for others living in care offered an opportunity to explore their LGBT+ identity.
  • When young people came out in care as LGBT+ it helped when foster carers were accepting and reassured the young person of their commitment to them. However, several young people had experienced reactions which they found unhelpful.
  • Across the interviews with the young people there was widespread experience of homophobia, biphobia and transphobia.
  • There was recognition among professionals of inter-generational differences in understandings of sexuality and gender and the need for them to examine, and sometimes re-evaluate, their own attitudes.
  • It was felt that professionals might avoid discussing sexuality with young people because of a general cultural unease about talking about sexuality.
  • Young people said that social workers were not overtly homophobic but that some were awkward and uncomfortable when discussing sexuality with them.

Making of the film involved three full-day workshops, during which the young people met with researchers and the CRC team to explore both their own experiences and the main themes to emerge from the research. Through group exercises, discussions and interviews they decided on the message, the audience and the tone of the film. Artwork created by the young researchers was then animated and edited by CRC’s Lizzy Hobbs.

The film was recently screened at a public launch event as a part of Norwich Pride celebrations, and is now available on the SpeakOut project website: https://www.uea.ac.uk/speakout

New handbook for LGBTQ European travel destinations

In collaboration with the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association Foundation (IGLTAF), The European Travel Commission (ETC) publishes its first study on the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer travel segment.

THE Handbook, authored by Peter Jordan of Gen C Traveller, aims to help potential LGBTQ European destinations understand how they can provide a more welcoming environment for LGBTQ travellers from all around the world in order to improve Europe’s overall competitiveness as an LGBTQ travel destination.

First-hand consumer research for the Handbook was facilitated by Hornet Networks through an online survey of LGBTQ consumers in five long-haul markets: Brazil, China, Japan, Russia and the United States.

Additionally, the Handbook includes insights from sixteen experts who gave their perspective on the cultural factors that shape demand for travel among LGBTQ consumers.

Research results found that overall Europe has a strong competitive position, being viewed widely by LGBTQ consumers in its major long-haul markets as ‘the most liberal, socially progressive destination’, however weaknesses prevail as some parts of Europe are perceived to offer a less safe environment for their own LGBTQ citizens, and by extension, travellers.

♦ LGBTQ travellers in Europe’s long-haul markets have a high affinity with Europe and a strong desire to visit in the near future.  80% of survey respondents expected to visit Europe in the next three years, with 92% of those who had visited before expecting to make a repeat visit.

♦  LGBTQ travellers to Europe are highly sensitive to how local LGBTQ people are accepted in society. Most of all, they value an open-minded and forward-thinking culture, as well as a history of acceptance, and local laws allowing same-sex marriage or civil partnerships. LGBTQ events and nightlife are also major attractions, especially for travellers from Russia or China where these are less prevalent.

♦  LGBTQ events and festivals are high on travellers’ wish lists when visiting Europe, as well as the opportunity to discover the nightlife. However, the research highlights that a significant number of travellers are looking for a more cultural experience, such as visiting specific sites and monuments, socialising with local people and enjoying luxury experiences. In destination marketing, LGBTQ consumers value authenticity in the marketing message and images, and consistency between the marketing promise and in-destination experience.

said IGLTA President/CEO John Tanzella. “By sharing data and resources on the LGBTQ segment with the travel industry as a whole we can create greater understanding of our diverse community.”

“While we at ETC believe that a ‘separate’ approach for the LGBTQ traveller could seem incongruous with our beliefs in equality and inclusion, we cannot ignore the fact that also within Europe, the hospitality business, like no other, has its work cut out to ensure that we remain committed to our core values of freedom, equality and brotherhood,” said Visit Flanders CEO and ETC President Peter de Wilde. “Fostering support for LGBTQ inclusion also is an opportunity for economic growth and cultural development for tourism destinations. Destinations, governments are thus called to join efforts to create the conditions for LGBTQ residents to live in safety and comfort.”

The Handbook is free of charge, and can be downloaded through the websites of the European Travel Commission and the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association.

To download the handbook, click here:

New book delves into performance and identity

Reader in dance at Edge Hill University authors new book and two high-profile book chapters, exploring various aspects of performance and identity including drag, contemporary dance and queer art-making.

The book, Mesearch and the Performing Body, is written by Dr Mark Edward and is an anthology of Mark’s work that will be published by Palgrave MacMillan on December 29 2017.

It details his creative practice-led projects, transmitting and communicating his research through varied artistic means including contemporary dance, immersive art installation, drag performance and photography. It delves into performance making, ageing and performance, fat and body visibility, queer art making, ‘mesearching’ and shifts in identity.

Mark said: “My research, which I like to call ‘mesearch’, is quite unusual because as the author I am of course the theoriser but in my case I am also the theorised. This study delivers a personal, creative narration, combining reflections and emotions in relation to self and performance. Instead of being an attempt to undervalue or challenge the accepted notions of style within academic research, it promotes freedom of expression which allows greater fluidity between the researcher, the performer, and the writer.”

Mark also has a chapter in The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research Ethics, which will be published in March 2018. As a part of this in-depth review of the ethical considerations which accompany qualitative research, he will explore ethical dilemmas in improvisational site performance making, drawing on his own ‘mesearching’.

He continued: “Collaborative improvisational performance is, by nature. constantly evolving, so the ethics around it don’t always fit into a neat box. I explore such risky ethics within this chapter. People taking part in this sort of performance have a duty of care both to themselves and others.”

Mark also has a recently published chapter in The Oxford Handbook of Dance & Wellbeing (co-edited by Edge Hill’s Professor Vicky Karkou). In the chapter that Mark co-authors with Dr Fiona Bannon (University of Leeds), they discuss the fluidity of identity, performance making and mental health through performance.

Mark’s book Mesearch and the Performing Body can be accessed via the Palgrave Macmillan or Springer websites.

Women Over 50 Film Festival unveil 2017 programme

With just under two weeks to go until the Women Over 50 Film Festival (WOFFF), organisers unveil the full programme of films and events for the third festival plus an announcement of celebrity endorsement from award-winning Sussex-based actress Greta Scacchi.

Greta Scacchi
Greta Scacchi

The Women Over 50 Film Festival (WOFFF), supported by FilmDoo, will take place on September 16 & 17, 2017 at the Sallis Benney Theatre, University of Brighton, 58-67 Grand Parade, Brighton, BN2 OJY  in Brighton.

WOFFF is an international film festival aiming to redress the age and gender imbalance that older women face in the film industry.

Actress Greta Scacchi, who lives in a village near to Brighton, is supporting this year’s event because of what she has seen happening in Hollywood.

She said: “I am delighted that Women Over 50 Film Festival is here to upset the Hollywood apple cart that accepts actresses playing ten years older while actors can play ten years younger. This festival is unique in celebrating rather than hiding or ignoring older women in film. WOFFF rejoices in our older stories, older faces and older hearts and it is my pleasure to be associated with the Festival.”

WOFFF champions women over 50 in front of and behind the camera, and this September’s interactive, engaging, entertaining weekend of films and activities for older women and their friends it the largest event yet, with 55 films being screened from over 150 submissions from around the world – the largest number of submissions ever received.

For a full list of films being shown during the festival, click here:

 

 

 

 

This year’s festival includes work from filmmakers in Afghanistan, Iran and Egypt as well as the UK, Ireland, France, Australia, USA and Canada. There’s an impressive lineup of onscreen talent; stars like Maureen Lipman, Denise Welch, Anita Dobson, Miriam Margolyes, Carrie Cohen, Ewan MacIntosh, Sheila Reid & Maureen Beattie are front and centre on the WOFFF screen, showing that women over 50 are here to stay.

As well as eight programmes of over 50 short films, there is an all-female panel event, filmmaker Q&As, a lecture about older women’s representation on-screen and a variety of practical workshops. There are workshops to interest filmmakers and non-filmmakers alike. Sessions include How to Make a Film on your Smart Phone and How to Navigate Digital Distribution and Self Distribution.

For a full list of workshops, click here:

 

Festival Director Nuala O’Sullivan, said: “We’re excited to see the depth and breadth of talent on display, both on-screen at the festival and in our other events. We’re delighted to have film industry professionals, like Felicity Beckett and Claire Lamond, on our jury panel and University of Brighton film academics, Vanessa Marr and Louise FitzGerald, hosting workshops and delivering lectures at this year’s WOFFF.”

Veronica Slater, a Brighton-based visual artist, and Leah Thorn, a performance poet, are collaborating with the festival. Veronica is exhibiting her work Caravan to Castles throughout the festival and Leah has written a poem especially for WOFFF, entitled A treatment for women over fifty. A film of her performing this piece will open the festival shorts programme.

WOFFF 2017 launches officially on Thursday, September 14 with a screening of Mamma Mia! at the Duke of York’s Picturehouse at Preston Circus. The festival closes on Sunday evening with an awards ceremony and jury prizes for all winning filmmakers, and the all-important Audience Choice Award.

To purchase tickets online, click here:

Pride in London announce line-up of events during London Pride Festival

“Pride in London is not only a celebration of the LGBT+ community, it’s a celebration of the city itself”

Showcasing the full spectrum of London and its LGBT+ communities, this year’s London Pride festival will celebrate the true diversity of London’s art, history, theatre, film and music from June 24 – July 9. The theme of the Pride parade on Saturday, July 8 is Love Happens Here.

The official opening will take place at Tate Britain to celebrate their major new exhibition Queer & Now.

More than 60 new and returning events are expected to be a part of the two-week festival throughout the city, with highlights including:

♦     A Big Gay Iftaar, bringing together the Muslim and LGBT+ communities to open a fast together during Ramadan

♦     Cheeky historical tours of Soho with Saucy Soho Tours, a guided tour looking at characters who’ve lived and loved down Soho’s streets.

♦     City Dash Game, a high-energy, immersive treasure hunt specifically themed for the festival and LGBT+ Picnic in the Park, a special Pride picnic with entertainment from local favourites Shkembe Soup and Broken Swing Band

♦     Celebrating the 21st Anniversary of London’s Gay Symphony Orchestra, the UK’s oldest LGBT+ orchestra will be performing in St John’s Smith Square, featuring Russian classics as well as a new commission from Michael Finnissy.

♦     For under 18s Pride Prom 2017 will provide an evening of entertainment from LGBT+ performers and DJs in a healthy and safe environment

Sadiq Khan
Sadiq Khan

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “London’s LGBT+ community is one of the largest in the world, and I was proud to lead last year’s Pride march and to be Mayor of a city that doesn’t just tolerate diversity, but truly embraces and celebrates it. This year’s Pride in London programme reflects the full spectrum of the capital’s LGBT+ community and I urge all Londoners to immerse themselves in the festivities, proudly wave the rainbow flag and make this year’s Pride in London the biggest and most colourful yet.”

Peter Flynn from Pride in London added: “Pride in London is not only a celebration of the LGBT+ community, it’s a celebration of the city itself. London is one of the most diverse, welcoming and accepting cities in the world and we’re proud to be part of it, and we’re delighted to work with Visit London. Pride in London strives to be a beacon to the rest of the world, and hope people from across the U.K. and beyond will come to London this year and join the celebrations.”

Visitlondon.com, London’s official guide to the city, is the digital home and partner for this year’s festival. A dedicated website visitlondon/Pride-in-London will launch on May 19 to provide information and inspiration for visitors to the festival and parade day.

For more information about Pride in London, click here:

PREVIEW: BFI Flare LGBT Film Festival announce 2017 programme

BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival has unveiled its 31st edition’s full programme.

Signature Move (director. Jennifer Reeder) Closing Night, BFI Flare
Signature Move (director. Jennifer Reeder) Closing Night, BFI Flare

One of the most significant and long-standing film events in the world’s LGBT+ calendar, BFI Flare will present over 50 features, more than 100 shorts and a wide range of special events, guest appearances, discussions, workshops, club nights and much more.

The festival opens on the 16th March with the World Premiere of Fergus O’Brien’s BBC Production Against the Law at BFI Southbank, and will close with the International Premiere of Jennifer Reeder’s Signature Move.

Tickets are on sale to BFI Patrons, Champions and Members at bfi.org.uk/flare and will be available to the General Public from Monday February 27.

Tricia Tuttle
Tricia Tuttle

Tricia Tuttle, BFI Deputy Head of Festivals, said: “If last year’s 30th Anniversary of the Festival was time for reflection on just how far we’ve come, many world events in the 12 months since have reminded us just how vital this event still is. And what a programme we have to offer this year – it’s vibrant, politically engaged, playful, stirring – and with a number of World, International and European Premieres on offer, BFI Flare is absolutely the place to see the best new LGBT+ cinema first.”

The Centrepiece Screening of the 2017 Festival is the European Premiere of Torrey Pines, a psychedelic stop-motion animation about a child grappling with gender identity and a schizophrenic mother. The film will be accompanied by a live score from director Clyde Petersen’s Queercore band, Your Heart Breaks.

The year’s Special Presentations are both World Premieres: the new UK web series, Different for Girls, a smart, sassy, sexy multi-layered lesbian drama, directed by award-winning Festival alumni Campbell X and After Louie in which Alan Cumming plays a New York artist whose life is turned upside down by an encounter with a much younger man.

2017 sees the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Sexual Offences Act which decriminalised private homosexual acts in England and Wales.

The Festival marks this anniversary in a number of ways:

♦      Fifty Years of Queer History through the Moving Image and Beyond a unique afternoon of illustrated talks, screenings and storytelling with a wide range of historians, archivists and individuals who lived through the period.

♦      The aforementioned Against the Law is the profoundly moving true story of Peter Wildeblood and the events that led to the creation of the Wolfenden Committee on sexual law reform.

♦      BFI Flare will host the World Premiere of the politically charged Pride?, a provocative and intelligent documentary which details the history of the Pride celebrations.

♦      As previously announced, the BFI is also marking the 50th anniversary with a new season of screenings and events in July and August. Gross Indecency will explore the pioneering – and sometimes problematic – depictions of LGBT+ life in British film and TV in the 50s, 60s and 70s.

In a global climate which sees many LGBT+ people struggle for basic human rights, BFI Flare also presents a selection of films and events which explore LGBT_ culture around the world.

Highlights include:

♦      Out of Iraq is an outstanding documentary about the forbidden relationship of two Iraqi young soldiers at the height of the Iraq war.

♦      The Pearl of Africa follows the story of Cleopatra Kambugu, the first out transgender woman in Uganda.

♦      Sridhar Rangayan, the Director of Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival will attend BFI Flare and take part in an event exploring LGBT+ film and television culture in India, as part of UK/India 2017.

♦      LGBT+ film gets an international spotlight with the welcome return of fiveFilms4freedom, programmed in partnership with the British Council, which sees five LGBT+ short films from BFI Flare available online for free throughout the festival. Last year’s films were seen in more than 130 countries worldwide.

For further details and full programme, click here:

PREVIEW: HOTBED – A Festival of Sex

Louise Orwin | Pony Boy Curtis | Rebecca Atkinson-Lord and Greg Wohead | Lois Weaver | Beta Public | Propolis Theatre | Rachel Mars | and much, much more…

We live in a world saturated with sexual imagery – but how often do we talk about sex as it’s really felt, experienced or imagined? And why is theatre so seldom a part of that conversation? Hotbed is the Camden People’s Theatre’s brand new festival of sex from Tuesday April 25 – Saturday May 14: three weeks of adventurous performance guaranteed to expand your carnal knowledge. From the ubiquity of porn to the secrets of your sexual fantasies, from a celebration of sex-positivity to the difficulties of representing sex onstage, CPT’s sexual congress lays bare sex, 2017-style.

The festival is headlined by OH YES OH NO (April 26 – May 11), the brand-new show from Louise Orwin, creator of previous CPT hits Pretty Ugly and A Girl and A Gun. Her new show explores real sex and real bodies, trying to understand what you want and how to ask for it, in a conversation in which (almost) everyone is allowed to speak.

Legendary theatre maker – and former CPT Artistic Director – Chris Goode returns to Hampstead Road his ‘avante-garde performance boyband’, Ponyboy Curtis, premiering walk pause walk (May 12 – 14), a piece inspired by sources ranging from anarchist literature to skate culture to contemporary gay porn – it’s like a cross between an open rehearsal and an intimate gig, in which the boys explore the codes of masculinity, queerness and tribalism though a series of increasingly eroticised unrehearsed encounters.

Other highlights of the programme include Rebecca Atkinson-Lord and Greg Wohead’s new collaboration, Snowballing (May 10-11), sharing their own experiences, fantasies, mistakes and hopes about sex and relationships.

Legendary performance artist Lois Weaver investigates the truth about sex at midlife and beyond in What Tammy Needs to Know About Getting Old and Having Sex (May 6).

And Propolis Theatre’s SPILL: A Verbatim Show About Sex (April 27 – 29) does exactly what it says on the tin. With songs.

The festival features a programme of wraparound activity. Thomas Martin and Pat Ashe’s iconic night of work at the meeting point of theatre and videogaming, Beta Public (May 2), returns, for a one-off orgy of all things sex and sex-positive in performance and play.

Putting In A Good Performance: The Ethics of Presenting Sex (May 6) is a panel discussion bringing together theatre makers and ethical pornographers to consider the implications of presenting sex for a viewing audience.

And Rachel Mars and friends including Brian Lobel, Season Butler and Naomi Woddis unite for Your Sexts Are Shit: Older Better Letters (May 4), a sharing of some of the most brilliant and filthy sex letters from artists such as James Joyce, Frida Kahlo and Georgia O’Keefe.

For more information, click here:

Charity calls for dating industry to make reporting safety concerns easier

Independent research has found that a third of online daters have been concerned for their personal safety when communicating online or meeting potential partners from a dating website or app.

The research, which was carried out by YouGov on behalf of personal safety charity Suzy Lamplugh Trust (SLT) and funded by dating service Match also found that, despite the high number of users reporting safety concerns, over half of those never reported the incident to the dating provider.

Around 7.8 million adults in the UK used dating sites in 2016, making it the largest single way in which relationships start in Britain today. Whilst the majority are without incident, with 32% of respondents feeling concerned for their safety and over half of those not having reported the concern to their dating provider, the SLT believes that the number of unreported dating safety concerns could be over a million.

Rachel Griffin
Rachel Griffin

Rachel Griffin, CEO of the SLT, said: “While dating is mostly a fun and enjoyable experience, our research shows that the majority of those who have had concerns for their safety simply block perpetrator profiles, with 15% of daters feeling their report would not be acted upon by the service provider, 12% saying there wasn’t an easy way to report the concern on the dating website, and 7% feeling too embarrassed to report it.

It is essential that dating agencies encourage and support their members to report all incidents and concerns and that the mechanism for reporting is clear and easy to follow. This not only helps the individual involved, but may also safeguard other users as online dating agencies can spot potential problems and act immediately to protect their members.”

The research also shows that people feel comfortable sharing information about themselves online, with 44% saying it was easier getting to know someone quickly on an online dating website or app compared to face-to-face. 75% of those who have seen advice on safe dating said they have read it, but over half of those who have never acted on the advice they read (53%) said they felt they were already being careful (53%) or doing everything suggested (47%).

Suzy Lamplugh Trust personal safety advice includes:

♦      When online keep all communications with unknown persons through the dating website and not via personal communications such as social media.

♦      When chatting with someone online it’s better to talk about where you’ve been rather than where you’re going.

♦      When meeting people for dates tell someone where you’re going, who you’re meeting and check in with them before, during and after the date.

♦      Agree that if you don’t check in as agreed or respond then your friend would call the place where you’ve met or even go there to check on you.

♦      Report any suspicious or offensive behaviour to the online dating site.

For further information about the SLT and personal safety advice, click here:

SHORTFLIX: New filmmaking opportunity for young adults

SHORTFLIX is for aspiring filmmakers aged 18-25 who are not in full-time education, employment or training, and have an idea for a short film that tells their own story or that of their community, heritage, identity or area.

Applications are now open for SHORTFLIX, a new development and production programme offering ambitious young people from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to make their first short film, which audiences will be able to watch through Sky Arts on demand platform.

Creative England, the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain and Sky Arts are joining forces for this initiative, which will provide training and mentorship from industry professionals to ensure young filmmakers gain practical skills and experience as they take their first steps in the industry. Training is supported by the Creative Skillset’s Film Skills Fund, along with BFI’s Film Forever National Lottery funds.

Of the applicants, twenty projects will be selected for development from initial idea to script or outline stage. After the initial development period, five distinctive short films will be chosen to be produced, working with a professional producer, crew and budget of up to £10,000 each. The finished films will then be available to watch through Sky Arts on demand platform.

For young people interested in the programme, a series of roadshow events are taking place across several regions, where young filmmakers will be able to find out more and learn how to pitch their short film idea. The London roadshow takes place on 6th February, and the final roadshow will be held in Bristol on February 16.

Caroline Norbury, CEO of Creative England, said: “We’re delighted to be launching this programme, which provides an entry point into the film industry for talented and ambitious young people who might previously have found it impossible to take that first step. This is an important part of our mission to introduce new and diverse voices into the film industry, and support them in telling the story of their lives and culture. It is also a key element of Creative England’s ongoing relationship with Sky Arts, which supports television production from the English Regions.”

Paul Roseby, CEO and Artistic Director of the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain, added: “As the debate continues around the lack of equality and diversity in certain areas of the creative industries, we are proud at the National Youth Theatre of our continuing commitment to work with leading creatives to offer free alternatives to expensive formal training. Our mission is to discover Britain’s best raw young talent in all its diverse brilliance and put them in front of an audience and this important initiative will do both those things. This new exciting partnership is testament to our success reaching and connecting those most in need with life-changing opportunities.”

Phil Edgar Jones

Philip Edgar-Jones, Director of Sky Arts, said: “As the UK’s only dedicated arts channel, Sky Arts is committed to supporting creative people and original film-making.  This partnership with Creative England and the National Youth Theatre will help to find and nurture the next generation of talent from a range of diverse backgrounds, giving them an exciting opportunity to tell their stories and showcase them through Sky Arts.”

The development programme for the shortlisted filmmakers will begin in April and run throughout 2017. The deadline for applications is 5pm on February 28, 2017.

For more details on how the programme will run and to apply, click here:

100 new artists for The Great Escape

Having already signed-up some of the most hotly tipped musicians for 2017 in September, including Rag’ n’ Bone Man, Ray BLK, Cabbage and Nilüfer Yanya, The Great Escape (TGE) have announced a further 100 artists playing the festival for new music this year.

Slaves return to TGE for their ‘Slaves Pier Party’ a Spotlight Show Spectacular! When they last played TGE in 2015 a raucous and high powered show saw the dynamic duo unleash a crowdsurfing Manta Ray on their fans before an astonishing display of standing-up crowdsurfing while still paying their instruments.

This year they go further still, completely taking over Brighton Palace Pier and fairground, where they will play one of the most unique shows TGE have ever staged. Ticket holders will be able to enjoy the fairground delights at the end of the pier as part of their entry to the show with ride tokens included as part of their ticket.

Slaves
Slaves

Festival-goers will be able to register for the chance to receive free tickets for this unmissable spotlight show, or standalone tickets can also be purchased to guarantee entry. This show is presented by DIY.

Other acts added to the line-up today include Stefflon Don who is currently conquering the UK rap scene with her effortless crossover between dancehall, hip-hop, grime and RnB, and Tottenham lyricist Avelino, whose warm tone, smart wordplay and intricate productions have garnered praise from the likes of DJ Semtex and Stormzy.

Elsewhere, Cosima’s rich, soulful sound stirs audiences with its honesty and intimacy, while African-Australian poet and singer-songwriter Sampa The Great has made waves with her slick, confident mix of rap and hip-hop, and as an agent for positive change in the world.

Having worked with the likes of The 1975, Amber Bain comes to TGE with brand new project The Japanese House in which she blends synth harmonies and ambient sounds with androgynous vocals to create beautifully minimalist, melancholic electro pop.

Joining her on the line-up is folk-rock sensation Marika Hackman who’ll showcase tracks from her hotly anticipated upcoming album, which features a heavier sound sure to add an extra dimension to her live show, and Native Dancer – who use acoustic instruments, synthesizers and samplers to fuse elements of pop, soul, jazz and electro funk.

Rag’ n’ Bone Man
Rag’ n’ Bone Man

Having started out as an art project, Dream Wife have garnered attention for their bold aesthetic, distinctive alt-grunge sound and immersive shows, while HMLTD will bombard the senses with their experimental punk, outlandish visuals and chaotic live shows.

Synth-pop trio Off Bloom from Copenhagen have been splitting their time between studios in Denmark and London creating catchy electronic tracks with the likes of AlunaGeorge and Two Inch Punch, whilst Salen offer infectious pop tracks with sugary sweet vocals, light instrumentation and dark lyrics, and Tom Grennan has already provided vocals for Chase and Status and is making a name for himself with his bluesy, soulful tone.

Formed in Brighton, The Magic Gang craft soulful, pop-driven songs with a 60s feel, whilst Australian punk-rockers Tired Lion have been gaining high praise for their intense, infectious melodies, gritty vocals, loud guitars and a heads-up to their 90s forebears and Belfast duo Picture This have already had a debut EP number one hit in the Irish album charts and sell out tour with their energetic pop rock songs.

The Magic Gang said: “As we’re based in Brighton The Great Escape is always an event we look forward to playing . It’s a really great opportunity to see 20 bands in one night”

Working alongside this year’s international partner Swiss Music Export, TGE have also picked out some of the hottest artists from Switzerland including French based artist Buvette whose burgeoning reputation comes from his rap, reggae and dub-infused electro pop. Baba Shrimps’ concise synths, earthy folk, driving beats and catchy tunes will delight festival goers, while Zeal & Ardor the brainchild of Manuel Gagneux fuses blues, black metal and African beats to create striking, textured, atmospheric melodies.

Kevin Moore, Event Manager said: “It’s brilliant to be able to get out of the traps in January announcing 100 of the best new bands around joining the line-up for TGE 2017. And we cannot wait for Slaves to perform at the end of Brighton Palace Pier for what is going to be one of the biggest shows we have ever produced at the festival – it’s going to be one of those legendary “were you there” moments, no doubt about that. Roll on May!”      

The full list of artists announced today is:

67 /ADAM NAAS / ÁINE CAHILL / AINSLIE WILLS / AVELINO / BABA SHRIMPS / BALOJI / BELLY SQUAD / BETTY WHO / BOKITO / BRYDE / BUSTY AND THE BASS / BUVETTE / CATHERINE MCGRATH / CHARLIE STRAW / CHEAP MEAT / CHILDCARE / CLUB DRIVE / COCOA FUTURES / COSIMA / DAGNY / DAN CROLL / DEAD PRETTIES / DIANE BIRCH / DREAM WIFE / FAZERDAZE / FRANCOBOLLO / FREAK / FROTH / GABRIELLA COHEN / GORDI / HARE SQUEAD / HMLTD / HOMESHAKE / HORSE THIEF / HUSKY LOOPS / ILL / J. BERNARDT / JAKE HOULSBY / JERKCURB / JESSE TERRY / JOHN K. SAMSON / JORDAN MACKAMPA / JUDAS / KANE STRANG / KING NUN / KOJO FUNDS / KOLARS / KUDU BLUE / LIKE A MOTORCYCLE / LISA MITCHELL / LOWLY / MAMMÚT / MARIKA HACKMAN / MAUNO / MC SNIPER / MOLLY / MOSA WILD / MULLALLY / NATIVE DANCER / NOGA EREZ / NORTH DOWNS / OCTOBER DRIFT / ODD BEHOLDER / OFF BLOOM / OLYMPIA / ONE SENTENCE. SUPERVISOR / OUR GIRL / PARCELS / PAULI. / PICTURE THIS / PIXEY / PUMAROSA / ROSBOROUGH / SÄLEN / SAMPA THE GREAT / SHOGUN / SLAVES / SOSHE / STEFFLON DON / STEVE JAMES / STEVIE PARKER / SULTAN OF THE DISCO / SWIMMING TAPES / TENDER / THE BAY RAYS / THE GOON SAX / THE JAPANESE HOUSE / THE MAGIC GANG / THE PARROTS / THE RHYTHM METHOD / THE SANDINISTAS / TIRED LION / TOM GRENNAN / TSAR B / WILL JOSEPH COOK / YELLOW DAYS / YOUNG BLOOD / YOUNGR / YOWL / ZEAL & ARDOR

For full ticketing information, click here:

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