To mark the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprisings in New York, and the birth of the modern Pride movement, the theme of LGBT History Month in February is CATALYST: 50 years of activism. Brighton joins the celebrations with a variety of events and exhibitions.
February 1-28
• PIECES OF EIGHT – OUR TREASURE IS SUPERDIVERSITY, open Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat from noon-6pm; Tue/Thur from 2.30pm-6pm.
Rainbow Hub hosts an intriguing photo exhibition of eight Brighton & Hove residents. Each subject was born in a different decade over the last 90 years. From 17 to 87, teenage musician to elder statesman these inclusive photos are a light hearted examination of them, their pinups, how they used to look and an inspirational quote.
Free entry. Rainbow Hub, 93 St James’s St, BN2 1TP: therainbowhubbrighton.com/
February 1-28
SPEAKING VOLUMES
BHCC LGBT Workers Forum partnered with Sussex Beacon host the Speaking Volumes Exhibit in the main foyer of Brighton Town Hall. This project has allows the voices and stories of hidden, stigmatised and marginalised people living with HIV to be heard. Launched in parliament, it’s travelled internationally before returning to its home city. Free entry.
Main Foyer, Brighton Town Hall, Bartholomew Square, Brighton BN1 1JW
February 1-28
• TRANS* GENDER
The Clare Project host this superb international photo exhibition from the Rainbow Cities Network, called Trans* Gender. The exhibition explores ideas around gender identity, activism, trans lives and community. Cities from across the world have provided one photo each and Brighton & Hove’s features a resident attending the city’s Trans Pride event. Rainbow Cities, emphasise that every single person has the right to experience any gender identity in freedom and that the public space belongs to all citizens. Free entry.
Dorset Gardens Methodist Church, Dorset Gardens, BN2 1RL
Saturday 2
• POLARI ON TOUR: Free Creative Writing Workshop from 10am-12pm with Paul Burston and VG Lee. Call 01273 290800 to book your place.
• POLARI ON TOUR: Free Author Event at 2pm with: VG Lee, Paul Burston, Cerys Evans, John McCullough, Elly Griffiths.
No need to book, just turn up!
Whitehawk Library, 179A Whitehawk Rd, Brighton BN2 5FL.
Sundays 3, 10, 17 & 24
• FREE FILM SCREENING each Sunday at 1.30pm to celebrate LGBT History month. For info on what film is being screened call 01273 290800.
Jubilee Library, Jubilee St, Brighton BN1 1GE
Friday 15 – Sunday 17
• QUEER CODEBREAKERS by Elle Castle, computational artist, is an installation that enables users to explore the parallels between ciphers, espionage, coded queer communication and the fragility of oral history. The installation incorporates snippets from the Queer in Brighton oral history collection. Queer Codebreakers is a collaboration between the Sussex Humanities Lab, Queer in Brighton, Brighton LGBTQ+ History Club, Brighton Digital Festival and is commissioned by the British Academy through Dr Sharon Webb’s ‘Rising Star Engagement Award’.
Free entry to installation Fri–Sun, but you need a ticket to attend the talk on Sat 16, click here:
or email sharon.webb@sussex.ac.uk for details.
Jubilee Library, Jubilee St, Brighton BN1 1GE
Saturday 16
• QUEER CODEBREAKERS TALK, 11am-1pm.
You can talk with artists and hear Elle Castle speak about the installation and their inspiration for the piece. Laurence Hill, Director of the Brighton Digital Festival and advisor on the project, and Dr Sharon Webb, Lecturer in Digital Humanities at the University of Sussex, will speak about the wider significance of the installation and the motivation for this commission.
Free event but you need a ticket to attend, click here:
or email sharon.webb@sussex.ac.uk for details.
Jubilee Library, Jubilee St, Brighton BN1 1GE
• BRIGHTON VOICES: SOCIAL MEDIA – FRIENDS OR FOE? at 6.30pm.A multimedia presentation by Fox and Owl Fisher followed by Q&A session.
To book free tickets, click here:
Attendees are asked to consider making a donation (suggested amount £3), these funds will be split between My Genderation and LGBT+network activities at the University of Brighton.
Sallis Benney Theatre, Grand Parade Building, City Campus, Brighton, BN2 0JY
Thursday 21
• BIRD la BIRD’s TRAVELLING QUEER PEOPLES HISTORY SHOW from 6.30–8pm.
A fun and revolutionary exploration of the deep queer past which may change the way you think about LGBT+ history forever. This box set worth of true stories squashed into a show bursts with information, insight, laughter and emotion. Beginning in the vast prison which once stood on the site of Tate Britain, Bird lovingly traces the lives of queer prisoners spanning through centuries and across the British Empire. It decolonises LGBT+ history by taking an inclusive, irreverent approach to the past and highlighting the extraordinary lives of our queer forbearers and ancestors. This show is accessible in every sense of the word, with audio description, live captions and a DIY punk attitude to history.
Free event but you need a ticket to attend, click here:
Friends Meeting House, Ship St, Brighton BN1 1AF
Sunday 24
• FRIDA FRIDAYS & LIVING HISTORIES CYMRU presents: NOT THE DONE THING at 3pm.
Jane Traies discusses her new book Now You See Me: Lesbian Life Stories (tollingtonpress.co.uk/now.html), with live readings and poems by the contributors followed by An Extraordinary Female Affection: The Live and Love of the Ladies of Llangollen a performance with Jane Hoy and Helen Sandler. (www.facebook.com/LivingHistoriesCymru).
There will be intervals and time for drinks & mingling, with some background music.
To book tickets £8/£6 from BrownPaperTickets, click here:
Nightingale Room at the Grand Central (just outside Brighton Station, BN1 3PA)
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