Make Your Mark is the first fundraising project at Brighton’s new LGBTQ+ Venue the Ledward Centre – and the idea couldn’t be simpler or more colourful.
The centre, named after Scene’s founder James Ledward, is creating a progressive rainbow flag to be displayed in its reception. It will be 6 metres long and 3 metres high, made up of individual hand-made tiles, each personalised with the donor’s thumb mark and a message.
I went along a few weekends ago having donated £20 to make my tile. Helped by volunteer Silvio Grasso, it couldn’t have been simpler. First you press your thumb into a pre-prepared wet clay square, then choose what colour you wish the tile to be – obviously pink in my case. You then brush the coloured slip onto your tile – two coats are required – drying the surface with a hand-held hair dryer between applications.
The project which will also have online messages, allows you to say something or dedicate a tile to someone else.
Director of the Ledward Centre, Chris Gull told me: “ the Ledward Centre is coming together with the fitting-out of the downstairs areas to provide radio studios, cinema, youth room, Trans dressing room, public meeting room, classrooms, offices and a lounge. Make Your Mark is the chance to help us raise funds to cover running costs, while contributing to the flag, which will be made up of 6000 individual ceramic tiles”.
To book your tile-making session go to ledcen.org/MYM and check opening hours and meet up there for coffee and cakes.
