by Garry Paton

When I was asked to direct a play working with homeless and marginalised people encompassing film projects that would outreach to hard-to-engage groups, I jumped at the chance. It would be a great challenge to pull the show together but I knew it would be of benefit to the groups that we worked with.

The story of Deep Within is the result of months of workshopping ideas with the participants of charity, Acting on Impulse. The stories and issues are very real and we’ve shaped them into one complete narrative. The films - shot by Finite Productions - add another element of story from outreach projects we ran at an agency supporting young homeless people and a hostel for people with alcohol addiction.

During the rehearsals, I met Georgina, a trans woman, who has experience of homelessness. The character she plays, Frankie, befriends the main character in the play and through their bond we find out how hard it is for a trans person – being judged in everyday life. Her frustrations at having to stay in a men’s homeless hostel and being laughed at, taunted and generally mistreated demonstrate a very real portrayal of just how difficult it is on our streets.

In characterising Frankie, Georgina and I have worked a lot on making sure that she is heard – that her reactions to the world around her are shown. I wanted to show her strength in standing up for what she believes in. I’m really proud of her performance not just because it shows great courage but because it’s delivered with conviction, truth and belief in herself. For me, standing up for what you believe in is what this story is about.

Deep Within is on this Saturday 26th May at 7:30pm at Z-arts (formerly Zion Arts Centre), 335 Stretford Road, Hulme, M15 5ZA. Tickets can be purchased here: or by calling 0161 226 1912

by Andrew Roberts

I’m sure every one of us has a music artist who we truly regard as our favourite one, even though we say many are. For me there’s a choice of two and sadly one of them has just passed away, Donna Summer.

Donna Summer’s story is similar to many singers of her time, raised close to the church and finding their voices through singing with the choir there. Donna went on to work in musical theatre and her move to Germany with a touring production led her to meeting the music producer Giorgio Moroder. It was with him that she made her greatest songs and in my opinion some of the best music you will hear.

It started with “Love to Love You Baby” in 1975, feeling the song wasn’t quite right at around four minutes, it was decided to extend it to close to 17 minutes. With this “extended mix” the 12” single was born. The song created much controversy due to its “graphic content” and was banned by many radio stations, but it was a big hit with the disco crowd.

In 1977, Donna and Giorgio revolutionised music again by making a synthesised disco record, “I Feel Love”. I’ve always upheld the belief that, now in a modern club, the song would not sound like it is over 30 years old and is possibly one of my favourite records ever.

Hits followed such as "Hot Stuff", "Bad Girls", "Last Dance" and her massive diva duet with Barbra Streisand "Enough is Enough". Donna worked with Stock Aitken & Waterman in the late 80s and continued to make music up until her death.

I could dissect every single Donna Summer song at length and pick at her private and public life. Yes, there are issues surrounding her comments made in the 80s but I don’t want to go into that, because I’d like to remember her music rather than her personality.

I’m truly saddened by her passing and rather than ramble on, I’ll just leave you with one of the undisputed Queen of Disco’s greatest songs.

The Sexuality Summer School has been held annually by the Centre for the Study of Sexuality and Culture (CSSC) at the University of Manchester since 2008, and welcomes postgraduate students from Manchester and beyond to discuss current debates within queer studies. Themes included in programmes over the past 5 years have included queering culture, performing queerness, feeling queer and queer temporalities. This year the conference turns towards the idea of Homophobia and Other Aversions, bringing together researchers from diverse fields to discuss and critique representations and understandings of gender, sexuality and queerness as they relate to aversion.

Accompanying the Summer School will be three public events, free and open to all with no booking required (all to take place at 5pm in the John Casken Lecture Theatre, Martin Harris Centre, Bridgeford Street, Manchester M13 9PL).

We are delighted to welcome academic Ann Cvetkovich, performance artist Lois Weaver (of Split Britches fame) and literary non-fiction writer Mary Cappello.

For more information please contact Clara Bradbury-Rance or visit the website.

Tuesday 22nd May: Ann Cvetkovich (Professor of Women's and Gender Studies, University of Texas):

"To Be Able to Stand Not Knowing": Depression, Creativity and Self-Aversion

Drawing from her forthcoming book, Depression: A Public Feeling, Cvetkovich will address the summer school theme by considering the prevalence of self-hatred within everyday life and creative practices that address it, as well as ongoing debates within queer theory about the politics of positive and negative affects.

Wednesday 23rd May: Lois Weaver (Professor of Contemporary Performance Practice, Queen Mary, University of London):

A Long Table on Senses of Aversion

A Long Table is a performance installation that uses the form of a dinner party as a structure for public debate to encourage informal conversation on serious subjects and to experiment with formats that inspire public engagement.

Thursday 24th May: Mary Cappello (Professor of English, University of Rhode Island):

Vice Viscera: The (Dis)gustatory Implications of Aversion

Mary Cappello recently won a Guggenheim Fellowship for her literary non-fiction, which explores forms of disruptive beauty, figuring memory in a postmodern age, bringing incompatible knowledges into the same space, and working at the borders of literary genres.

By Clara Bradbury-Rance

With only a few weeks to go before the launch of Manchester Pride 2012, I thought I’d have a look at what’s been going on so far.

The Parade theme has officially been announced as “Queer’d Science”. I was immediately propelled back to the 80s and the brilliant teen film “Weird Science”, but it wasn’t until I did a little more reading that it’s actually a nod to the science pioneer and constant presence in Sackville Park, Alan Turing. This year marks a century since he was born and the theme is brilliantly pitched to celebrate a true Manchester legend that faced prejudice because of his homosexuality despite him being one of the most important code breakers during war time. This year’s scientific theme will be really fun – I’m thinking mad scientists, labs, smoke, bubbling test tubes, Doc Emmett Brown, Frankenstein….you get the drift!!

The Lifestyle Expo area will also return during the Big Weekend. The Expo is a great part of the festival and gives exposure to groups about health, welfare, community groups, legal advice and sporting clubs amongst other things. It is well worth a visit!

If you want to be a part of the Parade or the Lifestyle Expo, then applications can be made in the “Get Involved” section on www.manchesterpride.com

Manchester Pride 2012 will officially be launched at the end of this month and general tickets will go on sale from 1st May. I think it is great news that prices for this year’s Big Weekend have been frozen too. If you can’t wait until then to buy your tickets and fancy splashing out on Platinum Passes, then these are now available to buy. Remember that numbers are limited for these tickets. They can be ordered via “Get Involved” section of the website which also has full details of what VIPs can expect.

Speaking of getting involved – if you fancy contributing to the blog, then you can drop Pride HQ a line here:

Finally there will be a call for volunteers in May. Last year was the first time I was a volunteer for Manchester Pride and honestly, it was brilliant. I met some great people and I had a different experience of the Big Weekend. Look out for more details coming soon on the Facebook page or on Twitter @ManchesterPride.

Andrew Roberts

Towards the back of last week, I pretty much had this week’s blog written (in my head). It was going to be all about the release of Madonna’s new album MDNA and I would go on and on about how wonderful it was and the direction she was taking and fall at her feet all over again. However, when it comes to pop royalty a lot can change over the course of a weekend and more importantly in a matter of hours on a regular Monday. 

On Sunday night it was the princess of pop, Kylie Minogue, which got me all flustered. She announced via Twitter that her “Anti Tour” would be hitting Manchester Academy and London Hammersmith Apollo in a matter of days, well a week in fact. The “Anti Tour” is exactly what it says in the title. Kylie had hinted after her enormous Aphrodite shows that she would like to go on the road with no production, play a couple of nights in selected tiny venues and her set would be made up of B-sides, album tracks, demos and songs that would never make it on to the set list of her usual mammoth glitter cannoned touring extravaganzas. Now, I thought this stripped back tour would come with a stripped back price – more fool me as the tickets were still £79. I initially recoiled at that price, but after some pondering, sweating at my bank balance and coercion from some friends I caved in and I can’t believe I’ll be seeing her in such a tiny venue.

So where does Madonna fit in to all this? Well, she too has announced a further UK date to her MDNA tour, yet this time it’s in an arena. When the tour was initially announced in February I was very excited but then I was disheartened when I saw that she would be playing Hyde Park in London. Not a venue I would like to see a concert by one of my favourite artists and after the fiasco that followed her Sticky and Sweet show at Wembley Stadium, I was immediately put off and added this to the other tour I missed out on: Confessions (I was gutted I missed that). So, Birmingham NIA has been added on 17th July and tickets will go on sale on Friday. The prices range from an acceptable £55 up to nearly £200. Will I get a ticket? After the usual performance of should I/shouldn’t I, I probably will and no doubt it’ll be amazing.

Oh and as far as her album goes there are plenty of reviews around. Some of them are more glowing than others. Personally I’m not yet convinced by it and I can’t make a proper judgement. On first few listens I could only review it with the sound of a disappointed sigh. Written by Andrew Roberts

For almost the last decade, Saturday evening reality/talent show TV has pretty much been stitched up by ITV and Simon Cowell. There was Pop Idol, X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent, all bigger, flashier and more high-panto-drama than the series before. The BBC tried to compete with them with Fame Academy, but it wasn’t very exciting and I’m keeping Strictly Come Dancing out of the equation as it’s brilliantly positioned for its audience. Anyway, back to Fame Academy the audience were a little reserved, probably middle aged and it was all very BBC “stiff upper lip”. However, this potentially is all about to change when BBC launch their version of the talent show The Voice.

The Voice is similar to other talent shows, yet different. The similarities are; auditions in front of 4 judges, knock out stages, public voting and a winner crowned at the end of it all winning £100,000 and a contract with Universal and hopefully an illustrious career in the music industry. Now here are the differences; the judges aren’t judges – they are “coaches/mentors”, there are no categories, it is solo artists only and the auditions are blind because it’s not about a sob story and the person having the “right look” it’s all about the voice.

The blind audition is this show’s USP; the mentors will sit with their back to the auditionee, listening out for who they want in their final group. If they like what they hear, they press a big button and their chair will turn around. If no-one turns around, then that person is out. It sounds simple, but if more than one mentor turns around, it is then up to the person auditioning to choose who they want as their mentor. There has already been a long audition process in front of the BBC bods and competitors have been whittled down to prime selection to face the mentors, so don’t expect to see the usual auditionees who think they’re better than they actually are.

So who are the mentors that these people will be facing? They are; Sir Tom Jones, Jessie J, Will.I.Am and Danny O’ Donoghue (the lead singer of The Script). Now, I’m a bit a miffed with the choice of Danny and I don’t think I was the only one. Will Young was in the running and was rejected in favour of Danny at the last moment (Will did tweet his disappointment and at the same time had a slight dig at the BBC in the process).

Once the mentor has their final choices, they will prepare them for the battle round, where 2 members of the group will be pitted against each other –with the same song- in a sing off. Their mentor will advance one person from each battle. Once the mentors have their selections (rumoured to be five people per mentor) they move to the live shows. In the final phase, the remaining contestants will compete against each other in live broadcasts. The public will decide who moves on. When one team member remains for each coach, the contestants will compete against each other in the grande finale.

Sounds exciting doesn’t it….anyway, see for yourself.

The Voice hosted by Holly Willoughby & Reggie Yates starts 24th March at 7pm on BBC1.

Written by Andrew Roberts

On Saturday 17th March a new Annie Lennox exhibition will open at The Lowry. The exhibition has been organised by the Victoria & Albert Museum, however it has been expanded to almost double the size of the original London show for its visit to the North.

At the heart of the exhibition is the installation originally devised for the V&A and designed around the concept of a ‘House’, providing a visual journey through different facets of Lennox’s creativity. Objects on show will include accessories and costumes, such as the Union Jack suit worn at the 1999 Brit Awards, and the sequinned evening dress worn in the “Little Bird” music video. There will be handwritten lyrics, music manuscripts, personal treasures and a selection of awards ranging from the GRAMMYs to an Oscar. Items from the political causes Lennox has championed such as the SING campaign for HIV/AIDS awareness will also be on display.

The exhibition will also feature numerous photographs, framed gold, silver and platinum discs showcasing the incredible sales achieved throughout her career as a solo artist and as a member of Eurythmics and The Tourists. There will also be video projections which have been arranged by Annie herself, various music videos and a selection of interviews which have been recorded at different points in her career and an original V&A film of Annie in conversation, examining her thoughts on song writing and the creative process.

For me, the most interesting part of this exhibition will be the “Cabinet of Curiosities”. This particular part has been curated by Annie and features personal items that she loves and has collected over the years. When items like this are displayed, I think that you get to know the person a little bit more - rather than just celebrity.

The exhibition runs until Sunday 17th June. Find out more.

Written by Andrew Roberts.

It’s that time of year again, when Contact Manchester delivers a heady mix of queer arts, for us L, G, B and T’s.

Celebrating some of the best UK and international talent, the annual festival Queer Contact runs from 06 Feb to 03 May 2012, with a programme that, as always, doesn’t fail to delight.

First up, Comedy Playground on 06 Feb at 19:30. You may have got caught up with their antics in Sackville Gardens or in the Main Arena during Pride; Harry and Lou bring their unique flavour of comedy to Contact, along with Pride stalwarts Jonathan Mayor and Rosie Wilby.

Our next pick is Short Cuts on 08 Feb at 20:00. A double-bill of new work-in-progress, These Dreams are Forever by Chris Hoyle (Newspaper Boy) takes a look at homophobia and football, whilst we are taken on a magical musical journey through Queer Manchester history with Hope Theatre Company in Village Voices.

The now infamous Mother’s Ruin delivers a Theatrical Spectacular on 10 Feb, from 20:00, with so many great acts including Jonny Woo, Dickie Beau and Myra Dubois.

Whilst over at Contact, don’t forget to take a look at the exhibitions by Lee Baxter, who exhibited during Manchester Pride 2011, with two exhibitions Apostles; 12 large-scale portraits that bring together a maverick group of opinionated artists and thinkers and Hip Replacement; a retrospective of graphic work, accompanying the aforementioned exhibition. Both are free to visit and run from 03 Feb to 03 May.

Prices vary, you can find the full programme of events over at Contact Manchester, or to find out more about LGBT History Month head over to their website.

Image of Dickie Beau, Mother's Ruin Theatrical Spectacular.

Young LGBT writers in Manchester are coming together to explore the ‘coming of age’ of Jonathan Harvey’s infamous play ‘Beautiful Thing’.

Harvey’s play is showing at the Royal Exchange between now and the start of December, and as a part of this an exciting new writing project has been set up by the theatre with support from Manchester Pride, the Lesbian and Gay Foundation and some high profile writers.

'I Can Dream Can't I’ invites young LGBT writers to come to a safe space to hone in on their skills and learn more about dramatic writing. Both solo and in pairs the writers are constructing monologues (and duologues) based around the fact the play is now eighteen. Following the showings of ‘Beautiful Thing’ on December 1 and December 2, some of the young writers’ work will be read out by actors from the play. In addition to this, pieces written specifically for the performances by Antony Cotton, Stella Duffy, Jackie Kay and Tom Wells will also be read out. These writers are all supporting the ‘I Can Dream Can’t I?’

This is another great example of the arts in Manchester coming together to encourage young people to work on their craft. As a play written about two young, working class men struggling in the real-world with their sexuality, it is a great opportunity to encourage the LGBT community to gain experience in their passion: writing. Eighteen years on, reflecting on how time has changed will be a fantastic way of seeing how our community (in Manchester and beyond) has progressed.

For more information on the show (which is running until December 3), see the Royal Exchange website.

Earlier Manchester Pride caught up with actor, comedienne and jazz artist Lea DeLaria, to talk about her upcoming show at The Royal Exchange, the audiences who come to her shows and how she feels about the title 'That F****** Dyke'. The interview may not be for the easily offended, but we loved it!

So Lea, how would you describe yourself to those who aren't familiar with your work?

If Sandra Bernhard, Zach Galifianakis and Gordan Ramsey had a 3 way which produced an off spring that baby would be my act.

You are an actor, jazz performer and also a comedienne. How did the combination of the two originate?

You forgot actor... When I first started almost 30 years ago. I was a full of rage bald and pierced, hard core butch dyke. In fact, for the first 2 years of my career, I was billed as the F*****' DYKE. My comedy was and is direct and in your face. No one was doing anything quite like it and most audiences could only take about 5 minutes of it before bursting into tears and crying "Mommy make it stop". My father was a Jazz pianist, a good one. I used to sing with him in the clubs of East St. Louis when I was a kid. I added a trio to my act and began weaving standards into the stand up. I found this lulled people into a sort of false sense of security before I started screaming DYKE at them again.

Do you find you have different audiences for your music than you do comedy? Is it easy to bring both together into one show?

There is always a different audience for each thing I do. I have to tell you this story. About two weeks ago I was flying back to NYC to film One Life To Live. One Life is America's longest running soap. I have been recurring on it for 10 years. I was flying coach, and when the first flight attendant, a large black woman with a decidedly southern country accent, approached me she sort of freaked out as she recognized me from the show. Yes that is my fan base on the soap - people with aluminum foil on the antenna of their 24 inch black and white T.V. She and I talked over a free drink, then another flight attendant walked by, this one a very gay man, immediately knelt down and said "Miss DeLaria, I have a much more comfortable seat for you". He pumped me up to Business Class where he and the other flaming queen flight attendant fought over who was going to get to serve me. Those two went on and on about my Broadway stuff and my CDs. The gay boys LOVE my music. After take off, an absolutely stunning slightly older woman stepped up. She bent over so that I could almost see down her blouse. "Lea?" she asked. "Yes" I replied". Are you comfortable here or would you prefer First Class "Really?... mmm... " Miss DeLaria are you comfortable secretly fingering Natalie Portman in the corner or would you like a room at the Ritz and a dildo... and yes I just used finger as a verb. Up I go to First Class leaving behind a wake of disappointed fags. Once comfortably relocated with champagne in hand the cougar shoves... I kid you not... a Playboy in my face and asks me to autograph it! Brilliant! She was the Purser and a lesbian and she went on and on about my stand up.  I learned a lesson from this. I had assumed that gay men ran the airline industry, but it must be dykes. And all this time I thought the only thing we were ever in charge of was marshaling Gay Pride Parade and Net Ball.

We read somewhere that you self-titled yourself as 'That F******* Dyke'. Is this reclaimation of a negative slur something you bring in to your performances?

No. I actually think Dykes are evil.

Have you played in Manchester before, and if so, how do you find the audience here?

I have done the Queer Up North Fest a few times and this is my second appearance at the Royal Exchange. How do I find the audience? Generally, I just show up at the theater and they are there.

What have you got lined up for the future?

I am working on this show THE LAST BUTCH STANDING looking for a run off broadway. I am in the Studio in the Spring recording my next Jazz CD for Warner HOUSE OF DAVID delaria+bowie=jazz. It is jazz covers of David Bowie tunes, which should be out about this time next year. I have been cast in Californication. AND I have written a jazz show for kids WELCOME TO JAZZLAND - Boom Boom's Bow. It stars myself and my trio.That I will be touring through out England next year, not certain when yet its being worked on... Yes,I am doing show for kids.

Tell us more about your upcoming date at the Royal Exchange and how we can get down there and see you perform

The Last Butch Standing. The chronicles of an olds school butch in a post Ellen Modern Society . This is a return to what it is I do. In your face queer comedy and sweet Jazz... and I have no idea how to get to The Royal Exchange. I don't live in Manchester.

To purchase tickets for Lea's show, The Last Butch Standing, see The Royal Exchange's website. The show takes place on November 22.