The festival is just around the corner and we cannot wait. We’ve got so much planned and we just can’t wait to fill you in on the details.
What we are hoping to achieve this year is to get the community thinking, talking and working in ways it hasn’t before. We want you to ask the hard questions, talk about the tough subjects and beat the stereotypes that we’ve been given and enjoy yourself along the way.
Definitions mean different things to everyone, some see them as positive and some see them as negative. Personally, I’m defined in many different ways; I’m defined by my career, by my interests, my sexuality, by the clothes I wear and the music I listen to, but behind all of those things is the person I am. Pride is defined by many things, but are we the organisation that fits behind the definitions we’ve been given? How many people do you know who have been given definitions that aren’t in line with who they really are?
While exploring this, the festival will follow a slightly different format than previous years. While the events will still run for a month, they have been organised slightly differently. Our guide will give you all of the information when we launch it on 7 September, a month out from the events. Fairday will kick off the festivities, returning to Russell Square on 6 October. The community festival runs from 7 October through to the Parade on 3 November and we are encouraging community groups, businesses and everyone else in between to hold events during this period. Our festival, PRIDEFEST will run for two weeks from 15 October and will feature a range of community events, nightlife, free events, music, visual arts and so much more. The parade finishes the festival with a wild celebration of how Pride has been defined over the past 23 years; how the community defines itself and who the everyday people are behind the definitions they’ve been given.
This year’s theme gives everyone ultimate creative licence and we’re encouraging everyone to take up the chance. Let us know who you are, how you define yourself and really give yourself the chance to shine.
Alice Newport- Holden
Female Co- President
