Hull will be at the forefront of national events to mark 50 years since the start of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in the UK, when it hosts the biggest LGBT+ celebrations ever held in the region.
Hull 2017 is joining forces with Pride in Hull and the iconoclastic queer collective Duckie and a host of partners to create LGBT 50, which will take place from 22 – 29 July.
Pride in Hull will get things started in exuberant style, hosting the first ever UK Pride on the opening Saturday.
Pride in Hull spokesperson, Graham Jenkinson said:
“It’s brilliant that Hull is marking LGBT 50 with a week of events as part of the UK City of Culture celebrations. Pride in Hull is going to be absolutely spectacular this year and we’re delighted to announce Marc Almond as our first headliner. He’s an icon of music and we know he’ll put on a fantastic show that people will remember for years to come.”
“We also have the absolute honour of being named the first ever ‘UK Pride’, so we’ll have the eyes of the LGBT+ community across the country and beyond firmly focused on us. There will be something for everyone and we can promise nobody will leave disappointed!”
Martin Green, Director Hull 2017 said:
“2017 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the start of decriminalisation of homosexuality in the UK and Hull will be the epicentre of celebration and commemoration. It’s an opportunity to reflect on the progress that has been made, but also what still needs to be done, here in the UK and around the world. But it’s also a chance to dress up, wear a flower, get a bit sparkly and have a big old celebration.”
“We’re more than excited that Duckie are coming back to Hull, joining the energetic Pride in Hull team, Yorkshire Dance and our other partners to create something really special that is a lot of fun.”
The LGBT+ community in Hull is also being invited to get involved in Pride in Hull by sending in photographs for an exhibition which celebrates the theme for 2017, Through the Decades. The exhibition, A Moment in Time will look at life before the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1967 and highlight what has changed in the 50 years since.
Emma Wilkinson, founding trustee and curator for Pride In Hull, said:
“This exhibition isn’t about showcasing great photography, it’s about sharing honest snapshots of LGBT life in the city – moments that have made us laugh and moments that have made us cry – those moments that have made us who we are.”
The event will see a new route for the annual parade, which will finish in Queens Gardens and feature a celebration of 50 years of LGBT+ icons led by Duckie and made with the help of the LGBT community. It will be topped off with a headline performance by the legendary Marc Almond, who will be bringing his special brand of musical magic to what is expected to be the liveliest and most colourful Pride festivities the city has ever seen. Everyone is invited!
Hull’s LGBT 50 festivities will culminate on the second Saturday with a very special Duckie Summer Tea Party in Queen Victoria Square in the heart of the city.
Bringing café culture to the historic square, there will be dancing, surprise performances, tea and cake and much more for people of all ages to enjoy. More details will be revealed about how to be part of one of the highlights of the summer – a specially commissioned Yorkshire Dance production by choreographer Gary Clark involving a mix of professional dancers and participants from across Hull.
Throughout the week there will be exhibitions, socials, debates and more, offering an opportunity celebrate Hull’s LGBT+ community and heroes past and present, freedoms gained and to show solidarity with continuing struggles for LGBT equality in the UK and around the world. There will also be a celebration of LGBT+ film supported by the British Film Institute with Hull Independent Cinema.
Humber Street Gallery will host The House of Kings and Queens (27 July – 24 September), a specially commissioned exhibition of photography by Lee Price. Captured in Sierra Leone, where homosexuality remains illegal, Price’s powerful images offer a glimpse into The House where inhabitants can live without oppression, exposing what it means to be gay in Hull’s sister city Freetown. More details about Hull’s LGBT 50 programme will announced in due course.
