Your Guide To Northern Pride 2021 With Ste Dunn
Northern Pride is back and this brilliant festival is lighting up 24 July with a bold live-stream celebration that will showcase the very best of the North East’s LGBTQ+ community.
We caught up with Ste Dunn, Director of Northern Pride, to learn more about this year’s event, how the team have overcome the challenges of a brave new world, and how northern pride is shining a light on the North East’s lGBTQ+ community…
How will Northern Pride work this year?
This year we’ll be streaming Pride content so everyone can celebrate across the region. All our usual main stage action will be streamed live in our partner venues as well as directly
through our social media platform, Facebook and YouTube.
Can you give us the lowdown on where we can catch all of Saturday’s action in the city…
This year we’ve partnered with the team at Central Park, where you can reserve a table and watch the whole show from start to finish. We’ll also be live in many of the Newcastle LGBTQ+ scene bars, as well as other workplaces and office spaces across the region. You can even check us out on NE1’s Screen on the Green!
How are you getting around the obvious COVID-19 challenges that come with Northern Pride 2021?
With restrictions ever-changing and the pandemic having a real negative impact on our community, the usual Northern Pride festival simply couldn’t happen. That’s why we decided to stream the event across many venues - allowing our community to get together, celebrate their pride with their nearest and dearest, keeping everyone safe and supporting local businesses after a difficult 18 months. We’re also working on a number of small scale events which will be held later in the year. Stay tuned!
What can you tell us about the not-so obvious challenges Northern Pride 2021 has faced?
Our community have been disproportionately affected by the events of the last 18 months. Many LGBTQ+ people have been forced to isolate in hostile environments, around others who are unsupportive, transphobic and abusive. This has had a devastating impact on mental health and wellbeing for our community and our work will continue throughout the year to highlight this and provide the support needed.
Northern Pride 2021 has a stellar line-up that features big names such as Jodie Harsh and Gok Wan. How have they helped shape the celebrations and what’s it been like working with them?
It’s been great working with all of our artists, speakers and performers. Each one of them has brought something completely different to the table, which has meant the event will be a mixture of celebration and education. We're really looking forward to sharing it with you!
Northern Pride has always been the leading light when it comes to celebrating the North East’s LGBTQ+ community. Can you talk us through some of the local talent taking to the stage this year?
The event will also shine a spotlight on local performers, including dance and house duo Ibiza Soul, singer-songwriter Sophia Flanaghan and Afro-Latin percussion and brass duo, Ladies of Midnight Blue. Also taking to the virtual stage are indie rock band St Buryan, rapper Kay Greyson and singer-songwriter Michael T Ogilvie. Not-for-profit LGBTQ+ arts organisation, Curious Arts, are supporting the event with dance performances from Jesse Salamon and Toi Toi Guy, along with Love_Dance by Adam Russell Dance and spoken word pieces including Bridget Hamilton’s love poem to the North East, ‘Proud Geordie’. We've got all of that, plus lots of local drag artists also taking centre stage this year, including Drag Idol 2021 winner Frida Sapphic, her 2019 predecessor, Choriza May, and Penni T.
It’s brilliant news that Northern Pride has been confirmed for 22-24 July 2022. Can you give us a glimpse of what’s planned for next year’s event? We're already counting down the days...
We’re keeping all of that a secret for now. What I will say is, we’re hosting UK PRIDE, so think loud, think proud, think... we’re back in style!
Where will you be celebrating all things Northern Pride this year?
I'll be celebrating with the whole Northern Pride Team at Central Park!
Find more information on Northern Pride 2021 at northern-pride.com
Where will you be celebrating Northern Pride this year? Get in touch via our social channels. Twitter: @NewcastleNE1, Instagram: @NewcastleNE1, Facebook: @GetIntoNewcastle.
