A vibrant programme of events focused on inclusivity and the freedom to express yourself is coming to Warrington in June as part of Pride celebrations.
Arts charity Culture Warrington will be hosting a number of themed events where everyone is welcome - including family-friendly creative workshops. It is part of a wider Warrington Pride party in the town centre promoting the dignity, equality and increased visibility of the LGBTQ+ community.
Culture Warrington’s first Pride event will be the “bold yet playful” Barely Visible on Friday, June 23. The solo performance at Pyramid’s Studio Theatre in Palmyra Square will explore identity, objectification and what it is to be gay.
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Then on Saturday, June 24, between 10 am and 4 pm, creatives will lead drop-in workshops for children, young people and their families at Castlefield Gallery New Art Spaces, Sankey Street.
The sessions will enable children and their families to express themselves creatively in an open and relaxed setting and there is no need to book.
Leah Biddle, cultural manager at Culture Warrington, told the ECHO: “We’re really looking forward to creating these opportunities and platforms for artists and engaging with the community and our young people while enriching the wider Pride programme.
“Our work with Warrington Youth Zone will see us further engage with young people using arts and creativity to enable self-expression. I’m particularly looking forward to Rowena Gander’s Barely Visible. This highly physical show has toured nationally and I’m delighted to bring Rowena’s incredible work to Warrington.
“Our audiences can expect to see a lot more contemporary performances presented within the town very soon.”
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The events will also see Culture Warrington team up with Warrington Youth Zone to create an interactive exhibition exploring relationships, gender and identity, which can be viewed until Sunday, June 25.
The programme concludes with a Queer Scratch Night on Thursday, June 29. A scratch night is a platform that gives artists and performers of all disciplines the opportunity to share and test out work in the early stages for audience feedback, peer review and further development.
Building on the success of the previous scratch nights at Pyramid, this adaptation of the usual platform will provide an opportunity exclusively for North West-based LGBTQ+ creatives to tell their stories.
Isabelle Rudge, from Warrington Youth Zone, added: “The young people are very excited to have the opportunity for their artwork to be showcased in an exhibition in the town centre.
“We have several creative projects running leading up to the exhibition, exploring the theme ‘Express yourself through art’. The young people will be involved in every step of the way, from their initial ideas to installing the artwork and seeing their projects come to life.”
The Pride events at Pyramid Arts Centre will also be the first Culture Warrington shows to feature a new “pay what you decide” pricing policy. The scheme aims to break down barriers to the arts and works by allowing people to book tickets and attend shows without paying beforehand.
On exiting the performance, visitors have the opportunity to make a donation based on their overall enjoyment of the event or what they can afford to pay.
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