Luton Borough Council
31/01/2022 - Celebrating LGBT+ History Month in Luton
February is LGBT+ History Month and we are proud to be supporting it here in Luton, a place where everyone is welcome and diversity is celebrated.
We’ll be joining in with the national festivities and celebrating LGBT+ culture primarily via our social media accounts – but we’ll also be using this space to highlight events taking place across the community.
If you are on social media, please do join in with sharing our posts using the hashtags #LGBTHM
#LGBTplusHM and #educateOUTprejudice
If you are holding an event or would like us to flag up something you are planning to attend, please get in touch with [email protected]
LGBT+ History Month events taking place this February
Gayle Lounge: What is Identity?
3 February, 6-7pm
Hat Factory Arts Centre, 65-67 Bute Street
Free entry and open to all
Open to all, a series of creative discussions to help craft the design brief for a brand new LGBTQ+ SPACE.
Hosted by Michael from Gayle Europe asking the questions; What is identity? Why is identity important? Can spaces have identity?
Come along, let your voice be heard and become a part of the creation of a new space in The Hat Factory Arts Centre.
Click here to book What is Identity?
Hat District Lates
3 February, 5-9pm
Hat District
Free entry and open to all
Eat, Drink and Create every first Thursday of the month at Hat District Lates!
Join us for an evening experiencing arts and music in The Hat Factory all whilst enjoying delicacies and drinks from restaurants and pubs across the Hat District.
Next up: 3rd February | LGBTQ+ History Month
Come along as we kick off our programme for LGBTQ+ History Month with an evening filled with music, workshops, discussions and food & drink at The Hat Factory Arts Centre.
Envy The Queen
Envy DJ brings everything from disco classics to pop bangers, sprinkled with a little 80's magic to bring the party alive. Always upbeat to keep your guests on their feet, it's always a fabulous night with the glamour of Envy on the decks.
Envy has been djing for many party with ginger events in well known London venues, as well as the chain of Adventure bars across London and many corporate one off events for high profile brands.
Versions of You
What are the versions of yourself that people don’t get to see? Who might you have been? Who are you at your best? Who were you once?
In this fun pop-up activity, chat to artists Matt Miller and Peader Kirk to devise a playful 3-word self-definition. Pose in front of the gold curtain, and hold your definition up for the Polaroid camera, then take your photo home with you, or leave it with us to display on our board of personalities.
Quick, lively and accessible to all, come and give some attention to alternative Versions of You!
Rainbow Creations
Join Mary and Aaron in creating some awesome pride-themed crafts at the Hat Factory.
Mary will guide you through the craft activities, Aaron will be on hand to make sure you’re being as loud as possible. (He may even get you up and dancing!) And together we will make something to be proud of.
Come craft with us, meet new folk, enjoy your favourite tipple, and have fun!
Materials provided, no experience necessary.
Fitting
10 February, 7.30pm
£12/£10 concessions
Hat Factory Arts Centre, 65-67 Bute Street
Age Guidance: 14+ Mild sexual references, some strong language
Magic is everywhere. Wear a dress and people treat you one way. Try a pinstripe suit and, abracadabra, it’s like you are a different person.
Fitting is about Matt’s adventures in dresses and suits and also has some magic tricks up its sleeves. From interactions with strangers at bus stops to transgressive explorations in charity shops, follow Matt as they navigate and explode the ground between gender binaries. Matt is interested in how appearances shape how we treat each other. Being visible, being invisible. Making things appear and disappear.
In a show which plays with the idea of performance itself, Matt has brought along some frocks and ties, some sleight of hand, some fitting in and some standing proud. Matt is neither a boy nor a girl but has been both. Matt will do their best, for you.
Matt will be performing. Playing out a version of themselves. Like we all do. After all, magic is everywhere, if you look for it.
In turns comic and touching, Fitting explores our universal experiences of visibility, invisibility and trying to find new places to fit. A theatrical genderqueer glamour fest, Sprinkled with magic and ready to mess with your binaries.
Click here to book for Fitting
10 Feb – 18:45 – 19:15 – next LGBTQ+ network meeting – Hat Factory
This will be to appoint co-chairs of Pride in Luton and other key positions to spread the workload.
Open to all in the LGBTQ+ community and allies.
We will also be deciding the theme of Pride.
The following roles will be decided upon:
Co -Chairpersons x 2 (1 will be reserved for an Women/ Non-binary/ Trans person to take, the other will be open to all)
Operations Lead
Entertainment Lead
Promotions and Communications Lead
Cultural Lead
Communities Lead
This isn’t to make things exclusive, but to make sure the work load is evenly spread. Those who don’t want to be the lead for an area can still get involved supporting the areas they feel they can be most useful in.
On the night and voting
If a role is competitive and more than one person puts themselves forward, those standing for positions will be allowed up to 90 seconds on why they should take that role. If you are unable to make it, but wish to be considered for a position, do let me know and I can put your name forward.
The vote will be conducted by a simple raising of the hand by those present. The person with the majority will be appointed. In the event of a tie, a job-share will be offered.
Pecadillo Pictures
17 February, 7pm - 8pm
Free, donations welcome
Open to all
What makes an exemplary brand? What does your brand say about you, your business or your services? Does your brand match how others perceive it?
Launched in 2000, Peccadillo Pictures is now one of the UK's most recognised distributors of LGBT & World Cinema titles. They are an award-winning UK film distributor of Art House, LGBTQ+ and International Cinema from with an impressive collection of films from across the world. Peccadillo nurtures new and upcoming talent alongside established directors. In addition, Peccadillo Pictures also distributes short films and re-releases of classic titles.
Join Tom Abel, Chairman for Peccadillo Pictures in a discussion around brand authenticity, it's importance and how they developed Peccadillo into the successful brand it is today.
Winner: Screen Marketing & Distribution Awards, 2012
Winner: Screen Marketing & Distribution Awards, 2017
Running Time: 60 minutes
Gayle Lounge: Safe Spaces
17 February, 6pm - 7pm
Hat Factory Arts Centre, 65-67 Bute Street
Free entry and open to all
A series of creative discussions to help craft the design brief for a brand new LGBTQ+ SPACE.
Hosted by Andy from Tokko, asking the questions; What is a safe space? What does it feel like? What do they look like?
Come along, let your voice be heard and become a part of the creation of a new space in The Hat Factory Arts Centre.
Gayle Lounge: What is Community?
24 Feb 2022
Multiple times
Hat Factory Arts Centre, 65-67 Bute Street
Free entry and open to all
A series of creative discussions to help craft the design brief for a brand new LGBTQ+ SPACE.
Hosted by Scott, a community activist, asking the questions ; what is community? what does it feel like to be part of a community? why is it important?
Come along, let your voice be heard and become a part of the creation of a new space in The Hat Factory Arts Centre.
Filmed with Love: Luton’s Queer Film Night (February)
24 February, 7.30pm
Hat Factory Arts Centre, 65-67 Bute Street
£7, strictly 18+
The Culture Trust in partnership with Gayle presents 'Filmed with Love' - a regular film night celebrating Queer culture.
Film: Are You Proud? (2019)
The history of the LGBTQ+ movement in the fifty years since the Stonewall Riots. Reflecting upon prominent issues within the LGBTQ+ community like AIDs and hate crimes, the film also shows how the movement has supported people from all walks of life.
Click here to book for Luton's Queer Film Night
Too Pretty To Punch
25 February, 7.30pm
Hat Factory Arts Centre, 65-67 Bute Street
£12|£10, Age Guidance 11+ due to ideas explored in the performance
A comedy spoken word show about gender, the media and not fitting any of the boxes, full of explosive movement, original songs and kickass video projection.
Edalia Day is a banjo wielding, poetry slam winning, trans warrior, taking on the world one troll at a time.
Too Pretty To Punch is a hilarious and uplifting journey through what it means to be trans in 21st century Britain. It reminds all of us (regardless of who we are) of the power of celebrating our existence.
Edalia is a transgender/non-binary spoken word artist, animator and theatre maker based in Norwich.
Trained at Lecoq and Alra, their theatre is visually stunning, with physical comedy and a child like sense of play at the heart of everything they make.
Writer/Performer/Animator: Edalia Day
Composer: Billie Bottle
Artists: B Mure & Jack Kelly
Set Design: Leo Calder
Stage manager: David Calder
Poster Design: David Cousens
The finale includes poetry, video and audio contributions from 15 transgender and/ or nonbinary poets from all over the world:
Lee Mokobe, Ashe Vernon, Cairo Nevitt, Ash Palmisciano Robbie Masters, Adriana Scott Newsum, Leo George, George Cook, Millie Quick, Sez Thomasin, Jay Hulme, Carey Wood-Duffy, Kit Rayne, Kay Kassirer.
Running Time: 110 minutes
Click here to book Too Pretty to Punch
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