Blackpool’s Grand highlights how PROUD it is this June for Blackpool Pride Month.

‘Be PROUD to support your local LGBTQIA+ community’ is the theatre’s message this June to celebrate Pride Month. Over its long history, Blackpool’s Grand Theatre has been connected to local LGBTQIA+ businesses and community groups across the Fylde.

The Friends of The Grand have, for many years, held their charity fundraisers at Funny Girls and other local LGBTQ+ venues and the world-famous Betty Legs Diamond and Blackpool’s Funny Girls have performed live at the theatre.

Following insightful sessions and feedback with the local groups, Blackpool’s Grand created the first Blackpool Bronze Arts Award with an LGBTQ+ theme running throughout.

The course, which began in April 2019, consists of students from the local LGBTQ+ community, working with artists to illustrate a publication for the youth community with LGBTQ+ themes. Written from the perspective of an LGBTQ+ young person, highlighting and addressing potential challenges they may encounter during their youth and beyond.

Blackpool’s Grand, along with visiting companies, is committed to offering diversity on its stages, including productions: Polari London’s award-winning LGBT literacy salon curated and hosted by author Paul Burston; Tuesday’s At Tesco’s, the thought-provoking journey exploring human perceptions of identity and acceptance; New Queers On The Block; Priscilla The Musical by local amateur group Blackpool Operatic Players; Romeo and Juliet by The RSC; and Metta Theatre’s In The Willows and most recently Thick & Tight: Tits & Teeth which mixes ballet and contemporary dance with drag, satire, mime and lip-syncing, Tits and Teeth is a variety show like no other. Tits & Teeth: A retrospective of a dazzling career. Presented by Queer Amusements, Blackpool Grand Theatre and Marlborough Productions.

Performed portraits of famous and infamous people will appear before you. Catch a hilarious double-headed Barbara Cartland and an imagined meeting between modernist composer John Cage and musical theatre legend Elaine Paige. They are joined by some all-time favourites; Rasputin, Grace Jones, Dame Margot Fonteyn and a Kathak-dancing Winston Churchill. Don’t know these amazing cultural figures? You soon will! See them at Blackpool Grand as part of their whirlwind tour.

Following a visit, who support the theatre’s LGBTQIA+ messages are Sir Ian McKellen CH CBE, who is an avid support of the LGBTQIA+ community and whose career spans genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction.  He visited the theatre to a sell-out audience for Pride Month and to celebrate his 80th Birthday. McKellen, has been openly gay since 1988, and continues to be a champion for LGBTQIA+ social movements worldwide. He was awarded Freedom of the City of London in October 2014.

Andrew Howard, Grand Theatre Marketing Manager said ‘Theatre has a power, we do now, and always have presented to an incredibly diverse audience. ‘Our stage presents productions that reflect real life, how people behave, and how people present themselves. ‘More than ever before, it is our responsibility with producers, to ensure that diversity is reflected on our stage.’

Here are TEN facts specific to Pride Month in the UK:

• First UK Pride March: The first official UK Pride march took place in London on July 1, 1972. This date was chosen to mark the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.
• London Pride: London hosts one of the largest and most well-known Pride events in the UK, attracting hundreds of thousands of participants and spectators each year.
• Manchester Pride: Another major Pride event in the UK, Manchester Pride, is one of the country’s longest-running pride festivals, celebrating diversity and inclusion with parades, concerts, and community events.
• Brighton Pride: Known as the UK’s largest Pride festival, Brighton Pride includes a parade, a festival in Preston Park, and numerous community events throughout the city.
• Legal Milestones: Pride Month in the UK often highlights significant legal milestones such as the decriminalization of homosexuality in 1967, the equal age of consent in 2001, and the legalization of same-sex marriage in England, Scotland, and Wales in 2014.
• Section 28 Repeal: A significant historical context for UK Pride is the repeal of Section 28 in 2003. This law had prohibited the “promotion” of homosexuality by local authorities and in schools.
• UK Black Pride: UK Black Pride is Europe’s largest celebration for LGBTQ+ people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Latin American, and Middle Eastern descent. It highlights the intersection of race and LGBTQ+ identity.
• Corporate Involvement: Many UK-based companies actively participate in Pride Month by supporting LGBTQ+ rights through sponsorships, employee networks, and inclusive workplace policies.
• Political Support: Pride events across the UK receive support from various political figures and parties, reflecting a broader acceptance and advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights within the political landscape.
• Health and Support Services: Pride Month in the UK also focuses on promoting health and support services for the LGBTQ+ community, including mental health support, HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention, and initiatives against hate crimes and discrimination.

Blackpool Pride event will take place for the first time on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 June 2024 on Princess Parade, Blackpool Promenade.

Follow Blackpool Pride Facebook.

Take a look what’s on at Blackpool Grand Theatre this season.