In a bid to improve life at home for LGBTQ+ people across the world Manchester Pride is creating a series of online events to kick off the weekend right.
Manchester Pride: Live In Your Living Room will see four weeks of Friday night shows made up of performances from Manchester Pride Festivals 2017, 2018 and 2019. It will launch this Friday with sets from Rita Ora, Louisa and Liberty X and the event will start at 8pm.
The four weeks of past performances will be followed by four weeks of yet to be announced new content from the LGBTQ+ charity. Each night viewers will be encouraged to follow Manchester Pride’s social media channels for the chance to enter competitions to win festival tickets and merchandise.
Mark Fletcher, chief executive for Manchester Pride, said; “As an LGBTQ+ charity, in this unprecedented time, we’re making sure that we do all we can to check in with LGBTQ+ people and support them through what could be quite a tough time in isolation. We recognise that statistically, LGBTQ+ people are at much higher risk of experiencing poor mental health.
“We want to bring back the joy of the performances we have hosted at Manchester Pride Festival over the past three years for our communities to enjoy from the comfort of their own living rooms and give them something to look forward to. Whether people are experiencing the current situation with family, a partner, housemates or alone, we hope Manchester Pride: Live in Your Living will be the highlight of their week.
“Our huge thanks goes out to the artists that have kindly agreed to the broadcast of their performances for free in support of our campaign for greater LGBTQ+ equality”
The performances will be hosted on YouTube and will only be online for a limited time so viewers need to watch it live or miss out.
Mark Fletcher, chief executive for Manchester Pride said; “I am saddened to see the world’s Pride events being cancelled as a result of COVID-19. As CEO of Manchester Pride I must constantly balance the need for us as a charity to do the work we are committed to and keep my staff, our suppliers and those that attend our events safe. Right now we are having lots of conversations with Manchester City Council about how we can get through the situation with as little impact as possible. As the situation develops, we’ll continue to be guided by the advice of health officials and the Government so that we can make the right decision for LGBTQ+ people and our city.
“As a charity which campaigns for LGBTQ+ equality all year round, we will continue our work online throughout the period of social distancing and we invite Greater Manchester to continue to support our cause. It’s vital that our conversations remain heard.”
Manchester Pride campaigns for the advancement of LGBTQ+ equality; celebrates LGBTQ+ life and creates opportunities that engage LGBTQ+ people so that they can thrive.
As one of the leading LGBTQ+ charities in the UK, its work aims to challenge discrimination in relation to homophobia, biphobia and transphobia and through grant-giving, it supports, enrich and empowers LGBTQ+ community groups, events and causes in Greater Manchester.
Whilst the UK is in lock down Manchester Pride is working hard to continue this vital work in as many ways as possible. In March the LGBTQ+ charity took its annual Manchester Pride Conference online with a day of important conversations, panels, workshops, speeches and discussions around the theme of ‘A Voice For All’.
The objective of the event was to give a platform and draw focus to those whose voices that often go unheard. The event shone a spotlight on a number of important topics and issues that do not receive the coverage and attention they deserve, both within and outside of LGBTQ+ & non-LGBTQ+ communities and spaces, in mainstream media and beyond.
Speakers who lead the conversation included non-binary writer, public speaker and model – Jamie Windust, editor of South Asian lifestyle magazine Burnt Roti – Sharan Dhaliwal, CEO of Mermaids UK (a charity that supports children and young people with gender variance, and their families) Susie Green, and staple in the Manchester drag scene – Cheddar Gorgeous.
