DAILY NEWS UPDATES ON
www.gscene.com
Celebrating LGBTQ+ voices featuring Sussex writers of colour
A Big Night In with MindOut performances, bingo, games and more in aid of MindOut on Thursday, February 4 from 7.30pm.
) As part of LGBTQ+ History Month, Brighton & Hove Libraries in partnership with New Writing South and Writing Our Legacy is presenting two opportunities to get involved and celebrate new writing by Sussex-based LGBTQ+ writers of colour.
Big prizes to be won, including: a Craft Gin Club subscription worth £160 and luxury handmade soaps and bath bombs from PennyGrace Melts.
The Discover Your Inner Poet workshop and Celebrating New LGBTQ+ Voices reading will both be led by poet and activist AFLO, who was heavily involved with the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement and believes poetry provides an opportunity to get people to engage with a topic on a deeper level. ALFO. PIC CRED: NADIA MEL
Tickets £10 include access to the private Zoom party, bingo cards and exclusive drag performances. To book, visit www.paypal.com/ paypalme/paynereliefnight. Make sure you include names of attendees and email contact details with your booking. A link to the private Zoom Join Ophelia Payne and guests, room will be emailed along with your including Misty Van Cartier, Sperm bingo ticket. Donna, Richard Energy and Sweet D www.mindout.org.uk Boy, on Zoom for a night of drag ) Stuck for something to do in lockdown? MindOut, the LGBTQ+ mental health service, has got you covered.
pic cap
10
Friendship Lounge with Queer in Brighton you to some creative tasks.
Speaking of the events AFLO said: “As much as celebrating our history is important it’s also important to celebrate the present and what the past brings to that.
“I am hoping people will leave the workshop with either a poem or the start of a poem, as well as more confidence. I’m going to be sharing my own writing process and there will be a Q&A section. I’m hoping it will be a space where people feel confident to share what they have written. “That’s been the biggest part of poetry to me. Performing spoken word has been a life-changing experience in terms of confidence and self-esteem.” The reading evening puts the focus squarely on QTIPoC intersectionality. “There are several amazing charities and organisations that are focused on that but in general we feel quite missed,” said AFLO. “Of course everyone is welcome to attend but the focus is to put a spotlight on that intersectionality. In the UK it’s LGBTQ+ History Month and in the US it’s Black History Month, so it’s important to hold those spaces. There’s definitely a lack of visibility in that arena. Its changing and the ripples of 202 are going to continue that change but it still needs to be an active effort before it feels like the norm and we don’t need to differentiate between those spaces.” Tickets to both events are free, but you need to register on Eventbrite for security reasons as the events are online using Zoom. To register will need your Brighton & Hove Libraries card number. If you’re not a member you can sign up for free! WORKSHOP: DISCOVER YOUR INNER POET: Sunday, February 21, 3-4.30pm A one-off fun and inspirational introduction to poetry the workshop is open to people of all backgrounds, aged 16+. It is suitable for beginners as well as more experienced writers. CELEBRATING NEW LGBTQ+ VOICES: Thursday, February 25, 7-8pm An evening of new writing from LGBTQ+ writers of colour, including Joyoti Grech Cato, Lisa Climie-Somers, Suchi Chatterjee and Ameet Vaghela, followed by a DJ set. D For more info, visit: www.newwritingsouth.com
) On supposedly the most romantic night of the year, join Queer in Brighton on Zoom on Sunday, February 14 from 6.30pm to celebrate the truest form of love: queer friendship. Queer in Brighton has invited some special guests to help delve into the joy that friendship brings into our lives. EJ Scott will be guiding you through making an original 1970s cocktail/mocktail, and you’ll get to sip it together while enjoying lounge beats from DJ Xzan. If that’s not enough, they will get you playing with words and gestures, and challenge
EJ SCOTT. PIC CRED: ROSIE POWELL
“History is what influences us as creatives so it seems naturally intertwined at times. I was really involved with the BLM movement and shared some of my poetry to discuss topics such as decolonising education. We are so used to hearing people talk, but when you hear people talk and it rhymes sometimes I find it much easier to listen to.
The event is totally free but you need to book your space to get your Zoom link. You can also make a voluntary donation at checkout!
Upon booking, provide your postal address so Queer in Brighton can send a little gift your way. The evening will be live captioned. If you’d like to discuss access needs, email info@queerinbrighton.co.uk D To book, visit: https://tinyurl.com/ y6tc7hr2
New Grief Group with Roger Wheeler The Grief Group is a place where you can talk honestly and privately about things you might not talk to a professional about. Somewhere to just talk about your real feelings to others who have experienced loss. There are no experts, therapists or counsellors, just others who are going through ) Scene columnist Roger Wheeler it too. will be hosting a Grief Group for To register your interest, email: those who have suffered loss every roger.wheeler.u3a@gmail.com first Friday of the month on Zoom, starting Friday, February 5 at 6pm.
