Gay activist, Rory O’Neill aka drag queen Panti was presented with a Humanitarian Award as part of the Smirnoff Winter Pride Art Awards on Saturday evening.
WINTER PRIDE was moved and inspired by Panti’s ‘Noble Call’ speech at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin following a performance of James Plunkett’s 1913 Lockout drama, The Risen People.
Rory delivered his memorable speech after the Irish Broadcaster RTE redacted comments made by Rory on the Saturday Night Show on January 11, in a debate defining homophobia in modern Ireland.
RTE later issued an apology for Rory’s comments and paid out over 80,000 Euros in damages to members of the Iona Institute Catholic Lobbying group.
In making the award, Winter Pride said they believe that emotive speeches of the kind given by Rory help to make a positive change in bigoted attitudes towards members of the LGBT community.
The winners of the Smirnoff Winter Pride Art Awards were announced at a dazzling ceremony at Tobacco Dock in East London on Saturday November 15 2014.
Irish broadcasting personality Brendan Courtney hosted the awards ceremony with introductory speeches by Winter Pride founder Rebecca Paisis and BBC Art Correspondent Brenda Emmanus who talked about diversity and equality in the arts.
The Winter Pride Art Awards Ceremony included a performance by Nevedya with her new song Miosis, a rousing tribal dance by Haus of Sequana, a moving short film by Hattie Lauren Grover and Danny-Joe Harrison, erotic poetry for vegans and vegetarians by Julie Mullen and East End’s infamous club performers Sink the Pink.
A spectacular display of artwork was showcased – a bronze figurative nude by Frances Segelman, pop art sculptures by Finn Stone, glass art by Iluá Hauck da Silva celebrity photographs by Barry Lategan, kinetic light sculpture by Paul Friedlander, floral couture pieces by Cyrill Tronchet, wearable art by Laura Iosifescu, drawings by Eleanor Pearce and Jane Moore, a mouth-watering Tree of Unity cake by The Cake Enigma, body-painted models by Seventa Image and screen print tablecloths by the art and design students at Middlesex University.
Visual and performance artist XXXora presented The Binary heard featuring one black sheep and one white sheep from Sheer Sheep, each having their wool cut into a box by Europe’s leading creative groomer Su Eld Weaver.
Stephen Fry, winner of the inaugural Smirnoff Winter Pride Luminary of the Year, said: “Winter Pride is a unique opportunity for up-and-coming artists and performers to showcase their creativity at a key LGBT artistic and cultural event – creative ventures of this kind are all-important for both the arts and LGBT communities.”
An exhibition of the winners, finalists and runners-up of the Winter Pride Art Awards will take place at new British art gallery Lacey Contemporary Gallery, 8 Clarendon Cross, London W11 4AP from November 18-29, 2014.
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