The popular Women’s Performance Area will be returning to Brighton Pride at Preston Park on August 1 and will be named after community activist Sheila McWattie who suddenly passed away last week.
SHEILA, a journalist and proud supporter of the Brighton Women ‘s Centre helped organise the Women’s Performance Tent at Brighton Pride for many years. It is fitting the new Women’s Performance Area this year is being named after Sheila, to acknowledge the fight she had over the years, along with other women activists, to ensure that women performers had a space to showcase their talents at Preston Park each year at Brighton Pride.
Musician, Nicky Mitchell who worked on many Pride events with Sheila, said: “Sheila was a fearless, community champion. She believed that women deserved a space to perform at pride. She then set about making sure they got it and brought high standards to the event. These high standards, which she relentlessly administered year on year, ever improving, benefitted and blessed so many women performers, volunteers and members of the community. It’s fantastic that Pride are bringing back the women’s area. It is a lovely and fitting tribute that the space will be named in her honour. Sheila McWattie. Thank you.”
Following feedback from the lesbian community, this popular feature of Brighton Pride returns to provide women with a unique and welcoming space to meet up, chill out and enjoy their Pride day with an eclectic and diverse selection of acoustic women’s performances.
If you are a performer interested in taking part in the Women’s Performance Area at this years event, click here: