In our adversarial political climate, queerness offers strategies, possibilities and ways of working that are original, cooperative, sustainable and can empower marginalised communities. Grand Union Gallery, The Marlborough Pub & Theatre (New Queers on the Block) and SHOUT Festival present an informal day of provocations, discussion and networking for the arts and heritage sector exploring how we can better support queer artists, audiences, and communities.
We will welcome artists, researchers, curators, community organisers to come together, share, and learn from examples of sector-leading work with queer communities. Drawing on experience across artforms and curatorial practices, including theatre, performance, and visual art, we will offer an intersectional view of queerness providing practical approaches to responding to the specific needs of, and barriers that face our communities.
Queering the Sector – Full Programme
10:00 – Arrivals & Welcomes
10:30-11:30 Looking After Queer Artists:
This panel will look at the specific needs of queer artists and how organisations can better support them, ways to make venues more accessible to queer artists; dealing with homophobia, biphobia, transphobia; and creating working structures and environments that allow queer artists to develop their work and practice.
PANELISTS: Ruby Glaskin (Milk Presents), David Sheppeard (The Marlborough Theatre), Suriya Aisha (Artist, Founder of UNMUTED), Kim McAleese (Grand Union)
11:30 – BREAK
11:50-12:50 – Tokenism & Representations of Race:
This panel will ask organisations to think about programming and audience development that moves beyond tokenism and into meaningful opportunity and representation for QTIPOC artists and audiences. It will bring together artists and organisations already doing meaningful for with and for queer people of colour to share their practice, and make suggestions for how the wider sector can make change.
PANELISTS: Cheryl Martin (Black Gold Arts), Rico Johnson-Sinclair (CineQ), Kayza Rose (AZ mag/QTIPOC Family)
12:50-13:30 – Lunch
13:30-14:30 – Workshop with EJ-Scott (details to be announced)
14:30-15:30 – Class, disability, and barriers to access:
This panel will explore some of the barriers facing queer artists and audiences with a focus on disability and class, it will bring together artists who are making noise working to remove these barriers and offer suggestions for organisations about the change they need to make to meaningfully support working class and disabled queer artists and audiences.
PANELISTS: Jackie Hagan (Artist), Matty May (Scottee & Friends), Dan Daw (Dan Daw Creative), Darren Pritchard (Darren Pritchard Dance), Katy Baird (Artist)
15:30-15:45 – BREAK
15:45-16:45 Queer out of the Capital – “Regional” perspectives on queerness:
This panel will focus on bringing together artists, producers, and organisations supporting queer communities outside of London, and outside of urban centres. It will look at the specific needs of queer communities regionally, and the role that organisations are filling in meeting these needs and making provision for local queer communities.
PANELISTS: Adam Carver (SHOUT Festival), Phil Douglas (Curious Arts/Queer Arts North), Katy Baird (Home Live Art)
16:45-17:00 – Closing Remarks
further panelists and details to be announced.
Come join us as we unpack the ways the sector can better support queer artists, audiences, and communities.
To book your ticket please go to Eventbrite.
£5: independent artists & producers/unwaged
£20: funded organisations
***FREE TICKETS FOR LOW INCOME. to book a free ticket to this event, simply email shoutfestival@blgbt.org.