Caroline Barry has been gallivanting around Nottingham for all the incredible gay and gay-adjacent events...
Everyone needs a little break from time to time.
So I decided to take April off from my column. After all, I had only been gallivanting for half the month before I decided to head home to Ireland for a well deserved sit down. Sit downs are great and all but it does leave me recharged and ready to get back out there. Luckily for me, this appears to be perfect timing as May is packed with LGBT events ready for the attending.
Although, I am leaving Nottingham for a weekend and travelling to Manchester to see Jinx Monsoon’s Death Becomes Her, as a belated Valentine’s gift for herself. Of course, no trip to Manchester is complete without a trip to Canal Street where you partake of far too many cocktails in plastic cups while bitching about the tourists and trying not to end up falling in the canal. It’s a rite of passage.
Manchester always makes me wonder what Nottingham would look like with a ‘gay district’ or street. On the one hand, it’s just where you go isn’t it? But then, I’ve heard enough moaning about Canal Street to convince me it’s not always a good thing to be so condensed into one area packed with tourists. I don’t know if the Nottingham gay scene could quite deal with it. So, what to look forward to?
May looks to be an incredible month for LBGT+ happenings. Reel Equality film are kicking off their season with an LGBT themed bang on the 4th of May screening the wonderful, The Miseducation of Cameron Post in National Museum of Justice as part of the Wigflex festival. Wigflex will be taking place all over Nottingham with multiple events. The event on the 4th combines with the homecoming of newly appointed Vogue columnist, Paris Lees.
If you don’t know Nottingham born and bred Paris (where have you been?) then it’s worth coming to hear her speak. I was fortunate enough to have interviewed her before for LeftLion’s 100th issue, and I can honestly say she is an honest, open and incredibly intelligent person. If you are up for more chats then also up for conversation, is the event at Rough Trade talking about consent and club culture.
I’m excited to be dragged (less so dragging but more an informal suggestion) by herself to go to Feminists Don’t Wear Pink live podcast recording in Nottingham Playhouse. I’ve never actually been to Playhouse so this will be my first time (ooh!) in attendance. I do love a bit of culture and a theatre bar. Speaking of dragging (or suggestions) then skip forward to June and make sure you get a ticket for the wonderful Gilded Merkin. Not only is it usually a fabulous evening but this event features the one and only female drag artist, Lolo Brow, and the amazing gender blurring performer Virgin Xtravaganza from London. This is one for those who like their burlesque and drag a little….unusual.
The Guilty Feminist podcast also comes to Nottingham in May. Well, the tail end of the month. I was fortunate to snag a ticket to this back when they were first announced in October. Unfortunately, this announcement was towards the end of the month so I think I may have spent rent money but who among us hasn’t?! May and June are also great months for LGBT+ creativity with plenty of writing workshops taking place in Waterstones. If you have been putting off writing something or fancy taking a whirl at it then pop down and practice. I’ve recently joined a writing group and cannot express enough how much fun it can be to just explore your creative side.
April
30th – LGBT+ VS Mental Health. The New Forrester. 7pm. £3
30th – Drag Bingo. Easter Egg-travaganza 2. Rough Trade. 8pm. £2-5
MAY
4th – LGBTea. Faradays. 11am, free
4th – A Conversation with Paris Lees. National Justice Museum. 12 -5, free
4th – Conversations surrounding consent and club culture. Rough Trade. 12-5, free
18th- Writing Proud Creative Workshops. Waterstones 6pm. £3
18th – Maximillion’s Cabaret of Dreams. Spiegel Tent. 8pm. £12
19th – Feminists Don’t Wear Pink . Nottingham Playhouse. 6:30-8pm. £18
23rd – Drag Bingo. Rough Trade. 8pm. £2-£5
22nd - Writing Proud Creative Workshops. Waterstones 6pm. £3
25th – Art + Feminism Edit a Thon. Backlit Gallery. 11-4pm, free
29th - Writing Proud Creative Workshops. Waterstones 6pm. £3
31st – Meet & Speak Shared Words with LGBTQ Writers. Five Leaves Bookstore. 7-9pm. £
JUNE
1st- DirtyFilthySexy Lipsync Competition. Alberts.
2nd – The Rainbow Gala. Peggy’s Skylight. 8pm-12. £8
6th – Trinity The Tuck. Glee Club. 8-11pm £20
16th – The Gilded Merkin. Glee Club. 7-10pm. £15
25th – Drag Bingo. Rough Trade. 8pm. £2-5
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