Superbia is a series of arts and culture events as part of the Manchester Pride Festival taking place from 24th – 28th August.
Superbia is designed to celebrate Manchester's extraordinary queer talent through a diverse range of media. An alternative way to celebrate Pride, many of the events are delivered in alcohol-free, accessible spaces across the city centre.
This year, the event has been curated by creative producer, Beau-Azra Scott, and has once again been cultivated with love, acceptance and inclusivity at its core.
“Superbia supports and platforms local queer artists, offering them vital paid work and a platform to showcase their projects and talents. We’re really excited to bring the events to life and celebrate the rich history, diversity and talent that Manchester has to offer.” - Mark Fletcher, CEO at Manchester PrideThe series of events opens with a Pride Special of Superbia Cinema at Ducie Street Warehouse on Wednesday 24th August showing a series of shorts from North West based queer film-makers, and events continue throughout the week, ending on Sunday 28th August with a Disabled, Queer & Hear; Drop-in Social & Show at Feel Good Club in Manchester’s Northern Quarter.
In producing the programme this year I hoped to create something that authentically celebrates, discusses and spotlights Manchester’s rich queer history and community, and most importantly: how we got to where we are now, how we move forward, together.
The ‘Manchester Is Queer’ exhibition, for example, invites artists to directly respond to Manchester’s Queer History and Untold Orchestra's exciting new show ACT UP is a creative ode to an incredibly monumental time in our community’s history.
To me, it felt important to create spaces of connection and community building, outside of just aspects of nightlife.
Positive representation is how we breed change: creating spaces for this is a main aim of this year’s programming. Particularly through immersive events for younger queer people such as Feel Good Fest and our Queer Kids Music Workshop.
I wanted to bring together the plethora of Queer homegrown talent we have within our vibrant city and give platforms to people to show all aspects of their authentic selves, and choose how they do so. Giving more creative autonomy to those under-represented upon stages and especially within board-rooms.
I am of the opinion that the vast majority of our musical and cultural landscape is born from the creative brains of intersectionally 'othered' people, therefore it is important that these people are celebrated for their tireless contributions to Manchester's legacy both behind the curtain as much as on the stage itself, as both their performative personas and their individual selves.
~ Beau-Azra Scott
Live music will accompany Cracking Good Food as we prep placards, style ourselves and pick playlists to protest and party at Saturday's Manchester Pride Parade. The night will move through four movements to help inspire ideas;
A - ARTISTRY//ANALYSE
S - SOCIALLY//STRATEGISE
M - MUSICALITY//MOISTURISE
R - RALLY//REVOLUTIONISE
This event will centre LGBTQI+ people of colour in the global majority & racially minoritized people, but we welcome our White friends and family as guests to our melanin and culturally rich space to celebrate with us in solidarity! Please note this event is a dry space, but under 14's are advised to attend with a guardian.
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Manchester Is Queer and we have invited artists to create and present work centred around re-telling stories of forgotten Queer Manchester history, in response to archived material and their own personal experiences.
We will be launching this exhibition with an ode to the historic Hulme Drag Balls with a 'come in your best' launch party, hosted by featured artist and Queer Manchester icon, Anna Phylactic.
LINEUP
SCHEDULE
Monday 22nd August - Launch party: 6pm - 10pm
This event is free to attend and does not require you to register or pre-book - just turn up!
___________________________________“As a Trans Woman, I understand the power that makeup can give us all. Whether you use it to alleviate dysphoria or to express yourself, I want to equip you with better tools to be able to execute a flawless look. I hope you’ll leave this class with a more comprehensive understanding of how we can enhance your features and bring out your femininity” - Patti
___________________________________The Untold Orchestra presents ACT UP! is a show devised as a collaborative project with The Untold Orchestra, Beau Azra and a cast of incredible Queer talent including; Cheddar Gorgeous, Shameer Rayes & Lavender Rodriguez. The show is a 40 minute musical ode to Act Up and an artistic delve into Queer Protests past and future.
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Feel Good Fest (All Ages)
Saturday 27th August, 12pm
Feel Good Club
No tickets required
Feel Good Fest is an all-day-explosion of queer joy. With talks, live music, queer art, mixers and more. Bringing together all corners of our wonderfully varied community, Feel Good Fest is an all-ages event designed to make you feel good.
Charlie Craggs will be kicking off the day with a special edition book signing of her award-winning book “To My Trans Sisters”. Pops Roberts (of Lovescene) and DJ Paulette will be discussing what it is to be Queer Women in Music after Darren Pritchard, the founder of Ghetto Fabulous, talks all things Black Queer Joy alongside some special guests. Zha Olu and Tyron Webster will be performing LIVE and we’ll find out what it is to be “Queers in Business”.
The day will also feature queer flash tattoos and culminate in a Superbia-special-edition of Miss Chief cabaret fronted by 7-foot-drag-supermodel Banksie alongside some other incredible performers. And it’s all FREE!
LINEUP
Too loud for the queers and too fruity for the punks? Come down for a day of workshops, jamming and performance from the cream of various scenes, learn, scream, rejoice!
'Aggressively Queer, radically tender – Fatty Acid is a queer arts and events collective in Manchester and Salford, and Partisan Collective’s in-house queer night.'
The Niallist is a music producer, writer and film-maker. Resident DJ at the legendary Manchester clubs Bollox and La Discotheque and the host of the monthly "Islington Mill Is Queer" podcast, he has recetnly received acclaim for his "Snog" portrait series.
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'Disabled, Queer, and Hear is a not-for-profit association focused on raising disability awareness and promoting inclusivity nationwide. We provide a platform for queer people with disabilities to show off their skills and talent in the public arena, giving them a chance to be seen, connect with other artists, and be a part of the community. Join us for a day of acceptance and awareness, with performances from Sugar Cube, George the Dragon, and House of Crip!'