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Labour issues final call to voters ahead of local elections

Labour in Brighton and Hove has issued a call to voters to give them a majority in next week’s city council elections on Thursday, May 7.

Cllr Warren Morgan
Cllr Warren Morgan

Councillor Warren Morgan, Leader of the Labour and Co-operative Group, said: “In a week’s time, residents of Brighton and Hove choose who runs the city council for the next four years. They need to vote on local issues like housing, poverty, schools and jobs, on who can get the city’s streets clean again and turn around the abysmal refuse and recycling record of the Greens.

 
“Labour is in second place in almost all of the Green wards, as well as being the main competitor in Tory held seats. Another four years of confusion, division and deadlock on the council won’t help our city. I’m asking voters to elect a majority Labour council that will make the council work for you and your neighbourhood: a council that is guided by progressive, co-operative values, and one that will work for a brilliant, inclusive, visionary and modern city.”

The 10 Key Pledges Labour will fight the local elections on are:

1. Labour will make collecting refuse, increasing recycling and cleaning the streets a top council priority. The Leader and senior councillors will directly oversee work to improve the service.

2. Labour will commit to tackle the city’s housing crisis, aiming to build at least 500 council houses by 2019 and securing 40% affordable homes in new housing developments.

3. Labour will consult on introducing a register of landlords to protect tenants in the private rented sector, promote secure tenancies and tackle “rip-off” fees through a Tenant’s Charter.

4. Labour will build a new secondary school to meet the growing need for places across the city, and it will be run by the council under powers restored by a Labour Government while working to ensure all schools are accountable and offer excellent education.

5. Labour will aim to keep any increases in council tax and parking charges within inflation-level rises, with additional income invested in public services, road safety and transport infrastructure that the city needs and residents want.

6. Labour will establish a Fairness Commission to tackle the growing poverty and inequality in the city, independently chaired, reporting within a year and funded within existing budgets, to set out an action plan  for the Labour Administration and partner organisations to implement.

7. Labour will work to support a broad, sustainable and prosperous economy that benefits all parts of the city, with secure jobs paying the Living Wage and action to combat zero-hours contracts. There will be innovative proposals in the manifesto to help small and medium-sized businesses in the city.

8. Labour will ensure that major projects that are built in Brighton and Hove offer jobs, homes and new facilities for the city, are affordable, are rigorously scrutinised and are delivered on time with private investment not taxpayer debt.

9. Labour will seek to eliminate youth unemployment in the city within four years, with real apprenticeships and career opportunities for young people.

10. Labour will aim to keep public services local and democratically accountable, with power devolved to communities. Sustainability and Co-operative principles will run through the solutions they develop to meet the funding challenges they face.

New Trans* mental health and wellbeing courses

Clare Project

The Clare Project will be launching a series of new courses to promote the mental health and wellbeing of Trans* people in Brighton and Hove.

THE series will kick off on May 5 with Living Well as a Trans Man/ Trans Masculine Person in Brighton & Hove – a 10 week structured, peer facilitated course concentrating on mental health and wellbeing strategies for trans masculine people.

The Clare Project is a self supporting group based in Brighton and Hove open to anyone wishing to explore issues around gender identity.

Their main activity is a weekly DROP-IN every Tuesday, which aims to provide a safe and confidential place for people to meet with others to share their life experiences, and find information, support and companionship. A facilitator and a psychotherapist are at the drop-in each Tuesday.

Whilst the group is mainly attended by transgender, transsexual and gender dysphoric people, they aim to be all-inclusive as they recognise the complexities surrounding the issue of gender identity. They have no religious affiliation.

If you are interested in attending, email:

For more information about the Clare Project, click here:

London LGBT arts festival seeks applications from artists, filmmakers and performers

Gaywise FESTival (GFEST) has announced the 2015 call for entries from Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex (LGBTQI) artists.

GayWISE Festival
GayWISE Festival

THE London based event invites expression of interest in three main categories: film (shorts and features), visual arts and performance.

Niranjan Kamatkar, director of GFEST, said: “This year we will work with venues that will actively promote the profile of LGBTQI artists. The festival has been offering an excellent platform for LGBT films and artworks over the last 8 years now. GFEST 2015 presents an ideal opportunity for sponsors to show their commitment to LGBT equality and diversity.”

GFEST has been supported in the past by a number of prestigious London venues including the National Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the UK Parliament – where the festival has been launched for the last three years.

The festival is internationally recognised as a high profile event by media and fellow festivals, and provides a unique opportunity for young talent to showcase their work alongside established names and to network with industry professionals.

Last year GFEST presented new commissioned works by three visual artists and two performers. The organisers hope to present further new commissioned works at GFEST 2015.

GFEST is organised by arts charity Wise Thoughts. 

Visual artist and Wise Thoughts new trustee Dr Trevor Wood MBE, said: “I am delighted to be associated with this year’s GFEST, a unique festival showcasing outstanding work of artists from the LGBT community (that) has helped many new and aspiring artists with their careers. Taking part in GFEST can help promote your work within the mainstream arts industry in London and wider afield.”

To learn more or to make a submission, click here:       

Expressions of interest for all three categories must be submitted by 30 June 2015.

Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus welcomes new members

Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus will be holding a New Members’ Evening on Tuesday, May 5 2015, from 7:00pm at the Brighton Unitarian Church, New Road, Brighton.

Brighton Gay Men's Chorus
Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus

THE New Members’ Evening will be combined with a regular rehearsal, so if you’re interested to know what it’s like being in the Chorus and meet the existing members, this is the perfect opportunity for you!

James K who joined the Chorus in January 2015 said: “As a bit of an introvert I usually shy away from joining groups but I’m glad I got over this to join the Chorus as I have found everyone involved extremely friendly and welcoming. The experience has not only opened up a hobby that I thoroughly enjoy, but is personally helping to build my self-confidence”

Charlie Bedson, Membership Coordinator for the Chorus, added: “The Chorus has grown steadily over the last ten years and is currently going from strength to strength – performing at a high standard, pushing our creative boundaries and playing an important role in the local community.  We’re really happy to welcome new members in this very special year in our history”

Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus is a space where people can celebrate music, celebrate their sexuality, enjoy the fellowship of other like-minded people and contribute to the local communities it’s a part of.

The Chorus is a registered charity with three guiding principles, their “Three S’s”:
• Singing – the celebration of life and music through male voice harmonies;
• Socialising – using this activity to develop social bonds that help people to feel connected with a sometimes lonely world; and
• Support – to be there for each other – both collectively and individually – when the chips are down, and to be there for the communities in which the chorus operates, too.

This year, the Chorus is celebrating it’s 10th Anniversary which will culminate in a special concert performance in November. Their first major performance of this 10th Anniversary year is called Back To The Bond Age and will be taking place this Friday 1 and Saturday, May 2 at 7.30pm in St Bartholomew’s Church, Brighton. Tickets for the show are £12 (£10 conc).

For more information, click here:

Membership is open to anyone who self-identifies as a gay or gay-friendly man.

For more information, email Charlie:

 

PREVIEW: Brighton Fringe: Mark Daniels, Acute Britishness

Acute Britishness – stand-up comedy with Mark Daniels at Brighton Fringe Brighton Fringe from May 1-4.

mark_daniels_poster

ACUTE Britishness. It’s a serious syndrome.

Lovely cute but worrisome gay boy Mark Daniels suffers from a syndrome known as Acute Britishness. His self-deprecating, sarcastic wit questions why Brits just won’t complain, even about the country’s biggest problems: school textbooks, STD clinics, Craig David and Nigella Lawson. He teaches us what we could learn from the rest of the world in his own charming and disarming way.

md preview

Mark is a gay comedian who has been on the London circuit for two years and has already had a great deal of success, reaching the Golden Jester and Max Turner competition finals, plus the prestigious Edinburgh So You Think You’re Funny final. It’s the cute comic’s first time in Brighton with a show that debuted at the Kingston Comedy Festival. It all started when he wrote a list of 30 things to do before he was 30. One of which was to try out stand-up comedy.

He may well be well past 30 by now, we can’t tell, he looks so sweet and innocent, but go along and see how savage his observation and wit can be and let him make you laugh at yourself and the place you choose to live


To check out more about Mark, click here:

Event: Brighton Fringe: Mark Daniels, Acute Britishness

Where: The Hobgoblin, 31 York Pl, Brighton, The City of Brighton and Hove BN1 4GU

When and Time: Friday 1 at 9.45pm, Saturday 2 at 11pm, Sunday 3 at 3.30pm, Monday 4 at 4.45pm and 7.15pm

Tickets: £5 / Concessions £4

To buy tickets online, click here:  

Or telephone: 01273 91 72 72. Lines are open from 10am – 6pm, Monday – Friday, and 12 noon – 4pm on Saturday.

In Person: Brighton Fringe Box Office, 1 Stop Travel Shop, 26 North Street, Brighton, BN1 1EB.

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