After two years away, award-winning LGBTQIA+ arts festival, Curious Festival, is back with events across the North East.
An annual celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual + culture, the festival boasts an inspiring line-up packed with events from Friday 1 July – Sunday 24 July 2022.
Showcasing everything from theatre, cabaret and creative workshops to music, film and performance, the festival offers something for everyone from ages three upwards. Whether you’re an arts lover, are looking for free, family fun or a quality night out with friends.
Promising a true celebration of the North East’s LGBTQIA+ culture, this year’s events highlight work by Trans and Non-binary artists, LGBTQIA+ artists of colour and work by young/emerging artists, in a time when visibility has never been more important.
Phil Douglas (he/him), Founder of Curious Festival, said: “Now more so than ever, visibility for Trans, Non-binary and Queer artists of colour is essential to increase understanding, respect and safety for under-represented communities. We’re delighted that Curious Festival is back to create queer positive spaces, platform exciting new work and enable us to be with communities across the North East again. The world is changing, get Curious and get involved!”
Founded in 2016, Curious Festival continues to grow with an ever-increasing list of cultural and community partners. Joining venues such as: ARC Stockton, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art and Sage Gateshead, 2022’s festival welcomes Queen’s Hall Arts Centre and LGBT+ Northern Social Group. The Festival is made possible through the support of Arts Council England, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Youth Music and Northern Pride/UK Pride 2022.
Events kick-off from the first weekend in July with Home with The Noir Narrative, a platform for Black LGBTQIA+ creatives and Curious Families Day, a day of free creative workshops at BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art. At ARC Stockton, protest poster making workshops provide the opportunity to share your hopes for change and be part of an exhibition shown at ARC throughout July.
Officially launching the festival on July 2, BALTIC is Curious invites you to experience an evening of film and performance. Featuring Mapping Gender, a powerful new work by dance artist Anders Duckworth and Queer Shorts, a thought-provoking series of short films by women and non-binary people of colour.
An evening of performances by young creatives from across the North East, Live Theatre is Curious: The Future is Queer will explore LGBTQIA+ life from the perspective of 11-25 year olds as part of Live Theatre’s Make Hope Possible Weekend.
If cabaret’s your thing, ARC is Curious welcomes back iconic host David Hoyle on July 7th with performances from the fierce RhyssPieces and hilarious Ashleigh Owen. Too good to only happen once, the celebratory evening of Curious cabaret will also land at Queen’s Hall, Hexham for the first time on Friday 8th July.
Community members, allies and professional vogue houses from across the North will take to the catwalk at the legendary Curious Vogue Ball at Dance City, Newcastle. Serve unique looks and vogue the night away at the fiercest party in the North East on July 9th.
After an unfortunate pandemic postponement Sage Gateshead is Curious on July 13th, with a double bill of performances by highly acclaimed musician Beccy Owen and Birmingham’s Queen of disco Fatt Butcher, with DJ sets by Curious favourite Gladys Duffy throughout the night.
Northern Stage becomes the hub for the festival’s performance events with Queer Change Showcase offering two-days of exciting new works by emerging LGBTQIA+ artists including Alex Billingham, Farrell Cox and Joy Cruickshank. Rounded off with Guardian top-pick for Edinburgh Fringe, Sound Cistem, Plaster Cast bring their radical dance party to Northern Stage on Saturday 16th.
Closing Curious Festival season in spectacular style, the Curious Arts stage will return to Northern Pride at Newcastle’s Town Moor on Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th July; packed with live performances from LGBTQIA+ artists from across the North East and beyond. For those taking part in the UK Pride March as part of Pride weekend don’t miss Curious Festival’s Protest Placard Making workshop in partnership with LGBT+ Northern Social Group.
Be Curious this July and celebrate LGBTQIA+ arts across the North East with Curious Festival.
For full event listings visit: www.curiousarts.org.uk/curious-festival