Liverpool Pride announces 2012 festival date and fundraising campaign

Liverpool Pride announces 2012 festival

LIVERPOOL PRIDE RETURNS FOR 2012

FESTIVAL’S FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN BEGINS IN EARNEST EARLIER THAN EVER BEFORE

Liverpool Pride is to return on Saturday 4 August 2012.

Organisers have announced that the main festival site will remain at the Pier Head. However, a presence will definitely be maintained in the Gay Quarter thanks to a close working partnership between Liverpool Pride and the Liverpool Gay Business Association, the collective that organised Stanley Street Pride in 2011.

Liverpool Pride is one of the biggest FREE LGBT Pride festivals in the country, with over 40,000 people attending the event in 2011, double the 2010 figure of 20,000. A study completed by Liverpool Pride showed that 2011’s festival generated a total spend of over £2.6 million* for the local economy as people spent money on hotels, travel, clothes, food and drink. The study also showed that a large number of Pride Goers booked their trips to Liverpool Pride more than two months in advance.

Faced with Liverpool City Council’s proposal to cut all funding to festivals, organisers have taken the decision to start fundraising for the festival much earlier than ever before and have devised an all year round fundraising campaign will begin from 2012 onwards.  The Liverpool Pride Board of Trustees is adamant that it will continue its core work of combating homophobia and transphobia in the city, whilst maintaining a free festival to ensure that everyone feels welcome. 

The fundraising campaign will launch with the Camp as Christmas event, produced by Hope Street based Orb Events who have previously worked with Liverpool Pride on their 2010 & 2011 festivals. The event, which promises to be Liverpool’s ultimate LGBT Christmas night out,  will take place at newly opened venue The Dome, Renshaw Street, on Saturday 17 December, starring X-Factor duo Diva Fever, actor, writer and comedian Rikki Beadle Blair and a whole host of local talent including Caz & Brit, Barbieshop, Emma Dears and Liverpool’s finest drag queens. 

There are also Liverpool Pride runners in the city’s Santa Dash and a series of smaller fundraising events, to be held throughout 2012. Liverpool Pride will also bid for funds through applications to trusts and large public sector organisations as well as through corporate sponsorship from the private sector on both a local and national level.

To date, Liverpool Pride has already received funding from Merseyside Police Authority for its 2012 soccer project and from the Big Lottery Fund. The money from which has been used to recruit a Volunteer Manager as well as funding the Liverpool Pride 365 Cultural Visions project, which will work with LGBT people to produce art, photography and theatre, celebrating gay culture in Liverpool.

As part of the Liverpool Pride 2012 fundraising campaign, the organisation is also asking local businesses and individuals to run fundraising events such as bring and buy sales, cake bake offs and sponsored drag days, walks, runs and any other ways in which they would like to raise money. Businesses and individuals who are interested in supporting Liverpool Pride 2012 in any way are invited to contact James Davies, Liverpool Pride Trustee on 0151 709 5069 or james.davies@liverpoolpride.co.uk.

More information on the Camp as Christmas event can be found at www.thedomegrandcentral.com.

James Davies of Liverpool Pride said: We’re delighted to be able to announce Liverpool Pride 2012 and can’t wait to start on the road to creating something that is truly special once more. Although we face some funding cuts due to wider cuts in public spending, we’re determined to make Liverpool Pride 2012 even bigger and better than ever before and can only do that with the help of Liverpool, as a council, as a community and as a business collective. We’re grateful to the City Council and to the likes of the European Regional Development Fund as well as our sponsors for all of their support thus far and hope that, despite budget cuts, we can continue to work with them in the coming years.

We believe that this festival is one hundred percent worthwhile and that it is truly helpful for raising awareness of LGBT issues, specifically reducing homophobia in the city in addition to being good value for money for funders as the festival brings a relatively large amount of money into the city’s economy over the course of the Pride weekend.

We made the festival into a massive success in 2011 even though we faced a 60% cut in our funding from the City Council and we’re determined to do it again even if further cuts should occur. We will continue the work of Liverpool Pride and have set out on a mammoth fundraising campaign to ensure that the 2012 festival is free, safe and enjoyable for everyone and we would ask you to support the forthcoming fundraising events such as the wonderful Camp as Christmas show produced by Orb Events as well as getting involved on an individual and a corporate level to join with us and ensure that Liverpool Pride 2012 is an event that is worthy of Liverpool’s gay community.”

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40,000 attend Liverpool Pride 2011

PROUD MERSEY

OVER 40,000 ATTEND LIVERPOOL PRIDE 2011

Over 40,000 people turned out to enjoy Liverpool’s second official Gay Pride festival this Saturday, which was held at the city’s iconic waterfront.

The number of attenders was almost double that of Liverpool’s first Pride Festival, which attracted 21,000 to the city in 2010, with 35,000 attending the main Pier Head festival site and a further 5,000 revellers visiting the Stanley Street fringe events. 

Thousands of people lined the streets as the as the Liverpool Pride march passed through the city centre. The march, lead by members of murdered teenager Michael Causer’s family, saw 2,500 of the LGBT community in addition to their friends and family flow through the city in a blaze of sound and colour. Numerous organisations including Homes for Everyone, Merseytravel, Merseyside Fire and Rescue, UNISON North West and numerous clubs and bars including Superstar Boudoir, The Lisbon, Masquerade and Garlands also took part.  

At the Pier Head, Pride goers were treated to two stages, over fifty stalls, Zumba sessions, caged football matches and a whole host of street entertainment. On the main stage, acts including soul divas Rowetta and Kym Mazelle, accompanied by the Liverpool Pride Dance team from AJ Dance, blew the crowds away with stunning performances, the main stage line up also included House of Suarez, Nikki Belle, Cubstars, Bears Aloud and Diva Bliss, whilst up and coming local artists including Oh My, Alan Cross and Cocabelle entertained the masses on the second ‘Summer of Love’ stage. The day ended at the Pier head with a dramatic balloon release, with hundreds of colourful balloons floating over the River Mersey. The Pride fringe events held in the city’s gay quarter also attracted a large number of revellers, with several bars being packed to capacity well into the early hours of Sunday morning.

A further 2,500 people took part in Chill Out Sunday events, which were held at arts and cultural venues and restaurants across the city. The Big Gay Brunch event, which took place at Franklins @ FACT, The Bluecoat, TATE Liverpool and The Egg Cafe was well attended by pride goers enthusiastic to recover and catch up on the main day’s events. The Gay Gardens at The Bluecoat attracted a large crowd of budding LGBT gardeners and the Costume Drama talk at Sudley House had visitors gasping in both amusement and wonder at the fashions of times past. The afternoon was capped off with a northwest premiere screening of LGBT film, The Cost of Love. The weekend ended on a massive high at the glittering closing party at Homomodo.

Tommy McIlravey, Chair of Liverpool Pride said: ‘It was an absolutely brilliant day, everything went to plan and we were even blessed with good weather. We didn’t think anything could top last year’s event but this surpassed our wildest dreams. We smashed last year’s attendance of 21,000 with 35,000 coming along to enjoy Pride this year, which was incredible, at one point, 20,000 people were on the festival site. The whole of Merseyside was represented, which is what the event is all about, people brought along their children and their grandparents, there was such a great mix of people. Having the festival at the Pier Head in front of the Liver Building proved a huge success and we’ve had fantastic feedback about the festival site and our wonderful programme of events. Rowetta and Kym Mazelle, who was drawn to the event because of the site, really got the crowd going and everyone who came along really enjoyed themselves.’

Pride goer Carol Foley from Liverpool said: “Pride being held at the pier head was a great idea as it meant people could be around longer as there was lots of seating there, which means we could relax and listen to some of the fab talent, they had on the stage’s and there was definitely more of a buzz about the day than last year, a moment i loved was when Pete Price had us all singing, Ferry across the Mersey, to hear it in such voice was heart –warming”

Pride goer Lara Sproson said ‘I had a fabulous day - even the walk between Pier Head and Stanley Street was fun as the crowds flowed backwards and forwards across Liverpool. Will be back next year, bigger and brighter than ever!’

Collections on the day raised over £1000 to go towards the cost of Liverpool Pride 2012 and more fundraising events are due to be held in the coming weeks, with a screening of BREAK MY FALL, an LGBT film at FACT this evening (Monday 8^th) and a Liverpool Pride Zumbathon on Sat 20 August – more info at www.liverpoolpride.co.uk.

Before 2010, Liverpool was the largest city in the country that hasn’t had its own official pride festival. At the launch of the LGB&T Network the public voted for a pride festival to engage, empower and involve the LGB&T communities within the city and this was fully endorsed by Liverpool City Council in January 2009 and Liverpool Pride kick stated into action, following the inaugural event in 2010, Liverpool Pride 2011 celebrated the diverse community of one of Europe’s leading cultural cities in spectacular style, cementing the city’s reputation as THE city to be in for great arts, music and culture.

HERE’S TO NEXT YEAR!

LIVERPOOL PRIDE 2012 HERE WE COME!

Keep up to date at liverpoolpride.co.uk

 

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Liverpool Pride 2011 review

This Saturday saw the return of Liverpool Pride for it's 2nd year, with a wide variety of acts, and entertainment spread across the city, there was definitely something for everyone to enjoy. With the Pier Head being the main area for people to congregate, the Radio City stage brought a few big names like soul and 90's dance legend, Kim Mazelle, up and coming talent Sean Rumsey did a great set and X Factor's very own Rowetta and with plenty of local talent across the two stages including Alan Cross, Liverpool's favourite crooner, plus a whole lot of tribute acts, including Bears Aloud and Haus of GaGa, along with the obligatory campness of The Sundaes, who were dressed like, well ice cream sundaes complete with wafers in there ice cream whipped wigs.

At the other end of town we found the Fringe element of the festival, which saw Eberle Street, Stanley Street and Cumberland Street transformed into a rainbow heaven for all those party people. With Juice FM dj'ing throughout the day and various other DJ sets from the variety of clubs in there area, including Pink and The Navy Bar, the atmosphere was definitely one of fun and a wash of bodies moving to the beats blasting over the district.

Only thing that slightly ruined the atmosphere for me was the fact that the festival had to be split into two area's. After last years run away success, it would have nice to have seen the entire festival kept within Liverpool's gay district again, so people had the full benefit of everything on offer in the one site, instead of having to traipse between two different areas and meant missing out on so many things on offer. Hopefully next year, it will be all in the one place again so we can drift merrily from on stage to another to view this entire event at it's full camptastic capacity.

Review by Alison Goggin

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The Countdown Begins to Liverpool Pride 2011

With just days to go until Liverpool Pride 2011, organisers of the festival have announced a full line up of events, which will take place across the city when the festival marches into town, this Saturday, 6 August.

Organisers promise a FREE day of family fun for everyone to enjoy and there is now even more fun to be had with the announcement of a second ‘Summer of Love’ stage, which will be situated at the Pier Head festival site. The new stage will host the best in local talent, playing alongside the ‘Radio City Main Stage’, which will also be sited at the waterfront location.

The ‘Summer of Love’ stage will include a wealth of local artists including Parr Street’s singing sensation Steve MacFarlane, talented singer Cocobelle and poptastic princesses Oh My! Local Comedians Random Acts of Wildness’ will compére the day in their unique, hilarious way.  The new Summer of Love stage rocks up at the other end of the Pier Head to the Radio City Main Stage, where Kym Mazelle, SIX-D, Rowetta, Sense of Sound and House of Suarez are just a handful of acts which will appear throughout the day.

The Pier Head site will also feature a massive Community Market including 50 stalls where you can find a bargain and find out more about the LGBT community groups working in your area. Stall holders include SEEN Magazine, Wildthang, where you can pick up a special souvenir, Face painting and temporary tattoos.  Pride goers will also be able to pose for a perfect profile picture then get down to The Queer Village and explore the social side of social networking.

Pink Sofa TV will be at Liverpool Pride filming all the festivities, so girls, if you haven’t experienced life on the sofa yet and you want to see if YOU made it onto the TV, why not take us up on our 14 day free trial offer? Simply go to www.pinksofa.com and enter the promotional code ‘UK11’. See you there and have a great day!

For the more active and adventurous, check out Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service who bring their street soccer and climbing wall or go Zorbing!

Pride Fringe events, organised by G-Bar, Garlands and the Liverpool Gay Business Association will take place on Eberle Street, Stanley Street and Cumberland Street. These flowertastic events will feature a host of talented local performers and the best DJs around. Cabaret comes courtesy of Superstar Boudoir, with The Masquerade’s Aunty Marlene also making a special appearance. The Rat Pack comes to life through Matt Martin and classic covers from Anna Lee are sure to have you singing along down Stanley Street.  Lavinia, Carlton Hudson, Whitney Wind-on and John Hooper are just a few of the DJs lining up to play the Gbar and Garlands dance area at Eberle Street.

Tommy McIlravey, Chair of Liverpool Pride said:

‘It’s so exciting to think that the city’s second ever official Liverpool Pride festival is just days away.  I am really glad to see that the challenges we have faced have led to the event growing and diversifying, ensuring that there really will be something for everyone in this year’s festival. It’s incredible to think that we could be in the top 5 biggest Pride’s in the UK in only our second year. I can’t wait to see the Waterfront and the Gay Quarter come to life with colour, music and fun once more. This Saturday is going to be such a special day for the whole community and we want everyone to enjoy it no matter what your sexuality. We wish everyone who comes along safe and happy Liverpool Pride 2011

Cllr Steve Radford, Chairman of the Liverpool Gay Business Association said:

On 6th August everyone is welcome to join Liverpool Pride festivities! The LGBT communities are ourselves diverse and will bring different and contrasting styles to contribute to the day. However one message that we all want to make loud and clear is that prejudice and hatred has no place in our great city.  Liverpool is a city that celebrates diversity and values all our residents and wishes to see everyone aspire to the best of their abilities. Yes we in the LGBT communities have suffered in the past and yes we still no doubt face challenges, but these challenges we face together and with confidence in both ourselves and our city. We hope to see you all on this magnificent day!

A full line up of performers taking part on the Liverpool Pride can now be found at www.liverpoolpride.co.uk

This is going to be a Summer of Love that no-one will forget make sure that you’re there to share the love with Liverpool Pride on Saturday 6 August!

Liverpool Pride – Full Main Stage Line Up

From 2pm

Rowetta

Sean Rumsey

Zara

Adam Lyons

Sense of Sound

From 3pm

Sh-bang

Tameka

Bears Aloud

Ruth Cullen

From 4pm

Andi Fragg

The Sundaes

Alan Cross

Dance Dynamix

Diva

Cubstars

From 5pm

Kym Mazelle

Britt Love

Beauty

Haus of Gaga

From 6pm

AJ

SIX-D

Gemma Irwin

House of Suarez

FTW

Elouise

From 7pm

Chelcee Grimes

Liverpool Pride – Full Summer of Love Stage Line Up
From 2pm
Baby Brave and the Love Bites
Sophie Bellamy
Jem

From 3pm
Jo Bywater
Sam Kearny

From 4pm
Caz and Brit
Karl William Lund
TJ and Murphy

From 5pm
Rachel Kay
Jay Norton

From 6pm
Lonesome Georginas
Steve MacFarlane
Together

From 7pm
Cocabelle
Oh My!
Alan Cross

Liverpool Pride Fringe – Full Stanley Street Stage Line Up

2:15 Cabaret and DJs from Superstar Boudoir
3:00 Philip McGuire
3:15 Lisbon singer Anna Lee
3:45 Aunty Marlene from Masquerade
4:00 Matt Martin

4:15 Secrets, Nicky Nolan – Acoustic set500 CHELSEA O CONNEL/COVERS/MUSICALS
5:00 Chelsea o’Connel
5:15 DJs from Pink and Heaven

6:00 Whitney Wideon’s Drag Act
6:15 Reform DJ Set from Mark Kelly
7:00 Beauty

7:15 Navy Bar DJ Andy Mac
8:00 Juice FM Bazz Todd
9:00 Alan Cross

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Six D to headline Liverpool Pride Festival 2011

SIX-D, the world’s first street dancing pop band are to headline Liverpool Pride 2011.

Organisers of Liverpool Pride announced today that SIX-D, will headline the festival, which will take place at Liverpool’s Pier Head on Saturday 6^th August. 

Six D’s high-octane first single, 'Best Damn Night', was released yesterday and is expected to shoot up the charts as it has already had massive radio airplay and their rhythmic slice of pulsing, party-centric R’n’B flavoured fun is proving popular in clubs too.

See the official video here and watch out for their debut album which will be released later this summer.

Six D are a twelve legged streetdance crew who sound as good as they look. And they look amazing. If you’re looking for the Future of Pop, then you’ve come to the right place.

With an average age of 21 - aside from baby of the band, 15 year old world champion street dancer Levon de Silva - sassy lead singer Chantelle Bernard, worldly wise Kieran Edmonds, outspoken Cassie MacMillan, cool Pierre Angus and edgy Kimmy Campbell are the most thrilling thing to happen to the UK pop world in a long, long time.

The super-talented Six D have been working with Laurieann Gibson creative director and choreographer du jour who counts Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj as clients. Turning down 99% of acts offered to her, Six D impressed Laurieann so much that she immediately agreed to collaborate with her first ever UK act.

Signed by Jive Records at the beginning of 2010, the six young members of this exciting British group are the best of the best. Joining movies like Streetdance 3D and Step Up, and the triumph of acts such as Diversity on Britain’s Got Talent, Six D are the latest addition to the global vogue for street dance.

Six D join the flower-tastic acts alongside soul and disco diva Kym Mazelle, the one and only Rowetta, club sensation Nikki Bell and House of Suarez who will give a taste of the Death by Glitter Vogue Ball, which will take place later this year. The day will end on a high with a dramatic balloon release across the river Mersey and a glittering finale from a number of local performers.

A full line up can be found at www.liverpoolpride.com

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Liverpool Pride 2011 announce Full line up

Liverpool Pride has announced an exciting line up of locally and nationally renowned acts, which are sure to get the crowds dancing when the festival rocks onto Liverpool’s Pier Head on Saturday 6 August.

The Summer of Love is beginning, the sound of guitars is in the air, Rainbow flags are being hoisted, daisy chains are being pulled together and a throng of flower children is making its way to Liverpool. Organisers promise a FREE day of family fun for everyone to enjoy.  The iconic waterfront site will be transformed into the perfect hippie hang out complete with two stages, a football area, market stalls, a health and wellbeing area and food outlets. Mersey Ferries are also offering Pride goers 2 for 1 tickets to take Pride cruises down the river throughout the day.

There is a plethora of flower-tastic acts who will take to the Radio City Main Stage to ensure that Pride goers have a Summer of Love to remember.  Headlining is soul and disco diva Kym Mazelle, who is sure to get everybody into the party spirit with her classic hit ‘Young Hearts Run Free’ in addition to her other hits including Got to Get You Back and Missing You, which she originally performed with Soul II Soul. 

X-factor duo Diva Fever will also take to the stage to perform their version of a number of top pop hits and the one and only Rowetta whose act brought the house down at last year’s event is sure to have everyone dancing when she returns for her second Liverpool Pride performance.

There will also be a wealth of local talent gracing the Main Stage including Sense of Sound choir, locally renowned crooner Alan Cross and House of Suarez who will give a taste of the Death by Glitter Vogue Ball, which will take place later this year.

If you enjoy something that’s as camper than Christmas, then The Sundaes will definitely be for you, they’ll be camping it up alongside drag artiste Diva Bliss. Tribute act Haus of Gaga is sure to get the crowd rocking to some of Lady Gaga’s biggest hits and  Bears Aloud will be on hand with their unique performances of pop hits including numbers by Girls Aloud and Steps . If you prefer your bear to be a little manlier, then be sure to get your fix when Manchester based bear-band Cubstars take to the stage.  Boy band FTW and singers Sean Rumsey and Adam Lyons will also provide Pride goers with a little eye candy on the day.  Girls should check out beautiful singers Elouise, Ruth Cullen and club divas Gemma Irwin and Chelcee Grimes. 

The Summer of Love will be brought right up to date with a mix of acoustic, Indie and electro acts including Britain’s Got Talent Semi-Finalist, Liverpool’s own Beauty, who will perform songs from his forthcoming album Freakshow and talented Liverpool based indie-electro artist Zara is also set to perform. She’ll be taking to the stage with a few of her original songs.

The day is sure to end on a high with a dramatic balloon release across the river Mersey and a glittering finale from a number of local performers.

Organisers promise that they have an extra special surprise act up their sleeves , which will be announced shortly.

A full line up of performers who are taking part on the Liverpool Pride Radio City Main stage can now be found at www.liverpoolpride.co.uk . A line up of acts which will be appearing on the Liverpool Pride Summer of Love Superstar Boudoir Stage, and a list of stalls which will be featuring in the Liverpool Pride Market Place on the day will be announced shortly.

This is going to be a Summer of Love that no-one will forget make sure that you’re there to share the love with Liverpool Pride on Saturday 6 August.

Liverpool Pride – Full Main Stage Line Up

From 2pm

Rowetta

Sean Rumsey

Zara

Adam Lyons

Sense of Sound

From 3pm

Sh-bang

Tameka

Bears Aloud

Ruth Cullen

From 4pm

Andi Fragg

The Sundaes

Alan Cross

Dance Dynamix

Diva

Cubstars

From 5pm

Kym Mazelle

Britt Love

Beauty

Haus of Gaga

From 6pm

AJ

The LIPA Dancers

Gemma Irwin

House of Suarez

FTW

Elouise

From 7pm

Diva Fever

Vida

Chelcee Grimes

A little about Liverpool Pride...

Liverpool Pride is the official pride festival by and for the Liverpool lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LBGT) communities. In 2010 it was a two day event with one day festival held on 7 August 2010 and a ‘Chill Out Sunday’ on 8 August with a range of cultural and sporting events across the city.

The date was chosen to coincide with the anniversary of the death of Michael Causer. Before confirming the date organisers took into account the date of other events in the city, festival organisers are also happy to confirm that the festival does not clash with any major pride festival including Brighton and Hove Pride which this year will take place on August 13^th.

Liverpool Pride is funded through contributions made from delivery partners as well as through advertising and sponsorship as well as significant in-kind support. Liverpool Pride is currently undergoing charity registration and does not make a profit.

A little about Liverpool LGBT festivals...

Liverpool Pride joins Homotopia, an arts and social justice organisation, which has existed since 2004. Homotopia produces an annual arts festival & year round participatory, education & social justice projects 

The OpenLGBT Youth Film Festival celebrated its debut with five days of free screenings at the Plaza Community Cinema, visit http://openlgbt.wordpress.com/

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