Margate Pride 2018
Margate Pride is a culture-rich contemporary Pride - a celebration of all of Thanet's queerness & LGBTQI life, a chance for everyone to celebrate liberation - gay, straight, everything, nothing and all the in-between! With thousand visitors planning the journey to Margate Pride this year, Pride will have a positive impact on the East Kent celebrating alternative culture, community activism and local & international talent. It is always free for the whole community, independent and sponsor free.
‘‘Pride celebrations in the UK are especially important this summer, the LGBT community has seen a rise in hate crimes against them in the last year, not just in the UK but worldwide, notably the murder of 49 people in Orlando earlier this summer; in Margate we wanted to incorporate the ever growing arts community in our fantastic, resurgent seaside town, not only reaching out to the existing LGBT community, but also the wider community through events across the town in the week leading up to the event, encouraging liberation throughout the East Kent Coast and beyond...’’ Dan Chilcott, Director of Margate Pride.
Building on pervious celebrations, Margayte Pride in 2013 and Kent Pride in 2015, Margate Pride CIC was launched as a new artist-led organization in 2016. Support from the Big Lottery and the Arts Council England, Thanet District Council, Kent County Council, Dreamland, and local businesses has generated commissions by Queer artists and cultural producers working in the town bringing a spotlight to their work, encourage community group involvement, and celebrate Margate in a wider context.
Who is behind Margate Pride?
Artist Dan Chilcott, singer Tommy Poppers and Sink The Pink co-founder Amy Zing.
Why is it an important event?
LGBT people make up almost a quarter of the UKs young homeless. They lost a young member of their community to mental health issues resulting in suicide this year. Margate is a tough old beaut, with social deprivation and economic challenges, mixed with the faded glamour of the stunning coast line and an emerging arts scene. This is a recipe for an alternative pride of creativity, inclusivity and a free thinking punk spirit!
Now in their third year, they are here, they are queer and they are getting a lot of cheer! It is a group of artists of all ages, genders, sexualities. They started Margate Pride because they knew they needed it. They lost a young member of their community this year to suicide, this is not ok. They are passionate about bringing LGBTQI+ services to Thanet. Sexual health, mental health, community, trips to other prides and an annual chance for the whole town to come together, celebrate and support each other. They strive to be free entry, and free from excessive corporate branding.
Their pride is a week-long festival of arts, with events ranging from banner making workshops in retirement homes, drag queen story time for families, queer film nights, Ana Matronic DJing and Matthew Todd reading from his award winning book. They aim to do something for everyone, and if anyone feels not represented they ask them to get in touch, because pride is for the whole community.
Floats on the parade feature all aspects of the community including Margate Bike Club, the majorettes, residents of OAP homes, roller skaters, local schools, Dykes on Bikes, proud parents and proud pets. There is something for everyone!
Margate Pride is run by a committee, and at the helm singer song writer Tommy Poppers, artist Dan Chilcott and co-founder of Sink The Pink Amy Zing, who recently received an Amnesty Suffragette Spirit award for her work with OUT (Margates LGBT+ youth group) and Margate Pride.
For them, pride is not just celebrating one day, it is about building and developing authentic relationships and networks that benefit everyone- all of the time.
Saturday August 11th 2018
Walpole Bay Hotel
Time: 14:00
To find out more, visit: http://margatepride.org