Queer-side is a dance, arts, culture and activism organisation which became a legacy project, born out of a collaboration with Break Mission as part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival. They have now set up as an independent CIC (Community Interest Company) in order to continue supporting queer artists and organisations in Birmingham.
During the Birmingham 2022 Festival, they carried out a programme of free activities in the city “with the purpose of making visible and celebrating local queer artists and from different parts of the UK.”
Queer-side is now fundraising and looking for new sources of funding which will allow them to continue their development for the LGBTQ+ community locally. In order to raise funds, Queer-side has set up a JustGiving page to raise £6,000 to support their work.
Founder of Queer-side, Eric Scutaro – a dancer and performer specialising in Waaking and Voguing – said: “We keep working to continue creating more events and activities for the city and the queer community. We hope to be able to hold our [Queer-side] festival again in the future, and we will work hard to make it so.”
Jamie Wrong, who is working alongside Eric Scutaro to support the newly constituted Queer-side CIC, added, “We aim to provide year-round dance classes, arts workshops, meet-ups, performances, installations, discussion groups, interventions and so much more in and around Birmingham, but we need your help to do that.
“If you or your organisation might be able to support, or support in kind, we would be hugely grateful! Please contact me or contact projectqueerside@gmail.com.”
Eric will also be leading new Voguing and Waacking classes with Fabric Dance, in partnership with Queer-side, each Thursday from 6pm. These classes will offer four complimentary spaces to LGBTQ+ Black & People of Colour as part of the partnership between Fabric Dance and Queer-side.
To find out more about Queer-side’s work in Birmingham, follow them in Instagram.