Homotopia (festival)
homotopia international lgbtq art festival held annually liverpool england festival take place lateoctober throughout november every year feature mixture theatre dance film photography art cabaret debate numerous venue across liverpool homotopia longest running annual lgbt art culture festival united kingdom homotopia launched pilot project november response liverpool successful bid become european capital culture festival commissioned liverpool culture company creative community project started life tenday programme film theatre photography art comedy storytelling heritage designed bring together assortment artist heavily supported liverpool city council initiative hailed sign city growing maturity run capital culture opportunity gay lesbian community play vital part region rich diverse cultural life first event attended people following year visitor number doubled partly due high calibre guest featured including prominent gay right activist peter tatchell festival showcased largest tom finland art retrospective uk well first ever northwest grand vogue ball visitor number climbed city leader praised celebration highlight liverpool cultural calendar marked new chapter homotopia youth visit poland helped forge new international partnership visit became instrumental development festival international art programme burgeoning social justice work trip also inspired antihomophobia documentary education pack rolled school youth centre across liverpool gaining notable support gay hollywood actor sir ian mckellen since addition offering diverse liverpool schedule homotopias work expanded internationally attracted audience various function turkey finland sweden russia homotopia granted national portfolio status art council england homotopia founder long term artistic director gary everett parted way organisation guest curator cheryl martin led programming festival period uncertainty board trustee appointed char binns festival director early alex ferguson appointed producer lead organisation new era pair previously managed festival freelance capacity homotopia founded unincorporated association small grant liverpool city council year included art council england national portfolio organisation npo became private limited company limited guarantee charitable aim main annual funders art council england liverpool city council governed nine member board trustee volunteer time run festival oversee finance board member jess shannon chair daniel kilbride deputy chair darren begley joan burnett gillian clotworthy tabitha lamb sinéad nunes francesca peschier stephen welsh additional staff include alex ferguson executive director alice holland festival programmer olivia graham marketing development manager josiah worth creative partnership producer jess galliedaly marketing officer al matthew finance officer board member identify lgbtqia must good understanding challenge faced community share passion queer culture board meet every two three month liverpool city centre andor via zoom meeting board member required maintain minimum percent attendance meeting must willing attend key event launch performance advocate ambassador festival must serve maximum term year x term year year homotopia festival forged link group organisation around world international work includes following homotopia association finnish consulate developed new human right led project st petersburg art social change chronicled emergence gay right movement uk europe photograph testimony film homotopia brought tom finland exhibition kulturhuset stockholm june homotopia launched world first idaho collaboration liverpool leading company organisation institution support action homophobia transphobia homotopias tom finland exhibition formed part official programme turkus european capital culture year attracted record audience logomo space november tranny hotel held liverpool part europeanwide transgender art festival city one city europe hold event december homotopia produced series intervention debate research culminating pansy project istanbul turkey part european capital culture year hundred pansy planted symbolize ongoing international struggle lgbt right equality young people homotopias project triangle went auschwitz warsaw learn holocaust group young lgbtq people poland kph travelled liverpool learn merseyside police merseyside fire rescue service liverpool city council visit inspired training programme polish police official homotopia website homotopias queer tv station