December 2017 – Scene Magazine – From the heart of LGBTQ+ Life

PREVIEW: Hundred Watt Club – 80’s night!

Posted on 31/12/2017 by Contributor

Join Hundred Watt Club for a burlesque and cabaret celebration of the 80s: a decade of decadence, Dirty Dancing and very silly hair!

Slip into skin-tight lycra and head down to The Old Market, Hove on Friday, February 2, 2018. Expect blockbusting burlesque striptease, time travelling tunes, soft focus circus acts and ridiculous retro comedy…all this with a healthy serving of seductive power ballads, – you’ll be partying like it’s 1989!

Starring:
Flashing AND dancing double threat, burlesque artist: OOH LA LOU
Her highness of the tea caddy, comedienne: TINA TURNER TEA LADY
Rubix cube high score holder, circus royalty: STORM HOOPER
Hungry-eyed hula hooping champ: DAISY BLACK
Your host, sequin shoulder padded power ballad queen: CHASTITY BELT

This show is for strictly over 18s only, it contains partial nudity and adult themes. There’s no dress code but there’ll be a prize for the best 80s themed outfit!

Hundred Watt Club produces theatre shows, club nights and pop up shows featuring some of the best UK & international burlesque and cabaret artists.

Founded in 2008 by Lena Mae, a Surrey based burlesque dancer, the first event in an intimate theatre was a sell out and the show continues to go from strength to strength with events across the country!

For more information about Hundred Watt Club, click here:

Or email: info@lenamae.com

Event: Hundred Watt Club – 80’s Night!

Where: The Old Market, 11A Upper Market Street, Brighton, BN3 1AS

When: Friday, February 2

Time: 8pm (doors 7.15pm)

Cost: £15/£12 conc.

To book online, click here:

Or telephone box office: 01273 201 801. Unreserved seating

REVIEW: Let it snow – Actually Gay Men’s Chorus

Posted on 30/12/2017 by Carole Todd

The marvellous fact about the LGBT+ choirs in Brighton and Hove, is that they are all unique and bring special elements of their own to each of their concerts.

Some are community based, some are theatrical, others are mixed sex, gospel based, pop influenced or just simply people coming together to enjoy the physical and emotional joy of singing.

What Actually Gay Men’s Chorus at St Andrews Church on Friday, December 22 brought to the equation, was a fairly small group of dedicated men performing a simple but heartfelt concert programme that relied on its content and details for our enjoyment.

Dressed smartly in white tie and dress shirts with their musical director Samuel Cousins resplendent in tails, they delivered a mixture of Christmas songs and carols with an air of confidence and enjoyment.

There is for me, still a little way to go to relax and loosen up some of the members of the chorus, for them to feel in the words of the last song of Act 1…to be free to Let it go, but the improvements I have seen over the four or five years I have attended their concerts is vast.

I don’t think audiences realise how frightening it is to actually (excuse the pun) perform in front of friends, family and strangers after weeks or months of rehearsing with only themselves as the critics.

Gerry McCrudden made an excellent host, funny and informative with a great deal of Irish charm.

He was joined by the solid but sensitive accompaniment of Simon Gray on the piano.

A lovely addition to the evening was the programming of Harvey’s Brass Ensemble consisting of Neal Bland and Steve Morris on trumpets, Peter Cowlett on trombone and Phil Barber on tuba.

Special guest was the stunning soprano Karen Orchid who sang Panis Angelicus and Ave Maria faultlessly.

We, the audience, were invited to join in four of the Christmas carols and the mix of the other items ranged from classical to traditional without too many modern songs to break the evenings ‘traditional’ approach.

Particular chorus favourites were Bethlehem with an arrangment by Simon Gray and The Vaults of Heaven and Torches, both arranged by Jason Pimblett.

The soloists did themselves proud as usual and it was good to see some new faces taking the solo spots.

Another meaningful addition was the addition of two poems written and performed by probably the youngest members of the chorus, Jack Lynn and Chris Cage.

They were very moving and certainly had my companion in tears.

The charities being supported on the evening were Inclusion for All and The Sussex Beacon. To encourage us to dig deep, huge amounts of mince pies were served before, during and after the show.

Lastly, there was a very generous hamper complete with a £25 Waitrose voucher as the single raffle prize.

As it was my birthday, I was invited to draw the raffle and, to everyone’s delight, it was won by Patron and staunch supporter of both the choir and the Sussex Beacon, Mr David Raven AKA Maisie Trollette, a fitting end to a very successful evening of music making.

The next Actually Gay Men’s Chorus show, Ovation will be at St Andrews Church on Saturday, April, 21 at 7.30pm

For more information, click here:

Let it Snow with the Brighton and Hove Actually Gay Men’s Chorus was performed at St Andrew’s Chorus, Hove on Friday, December 22, 2017.

COMPETITION: Win a pair of tickets for Holiday on Ice at Brighton Centre

Posted on 29/12/201729/12/2017 by Contributor

Holiday on Ice returns to the Brighton Centre on Friday, January 5, with a brand new show, TIME, celebrating ‘the best and most memorable times of our lives’!

Holiday on Ice, has been running for over 73 years, and this new production, TIME, is directed and choreographed by David Liu, renowned for his innovative and exciting choreography,

TIME opens at The Brighton Centre on Friday, January 5 and runs until Sunday, January 14, 2018.

The show is described as a photo album filled with ‘snapshots’ of memories we all share in common – falling in love, a first kiss, dancing ‘til dawn, a memorable night on the town, a great vacation, a thrilling adventure, and everyone’s wish to slow down time as it goes by too fast!

Tickets for Holiday on Ice: TIME at The Brighton Centre are on sale now and are available from www.brightoncentre.co.uk or by contacting the box office on 0844 847 1538. Family and group discounts available.

To win a pair of tickets email your answer to the following question to info@gscene.com by Sunday, December 31 at 6pm.

How long has Holiday on Ice been running?

A – 25 years
B – 55 years
C – 73 years

Closing date for entries is Sunday, December 31 at noon. Entries received after this date will not be counted. Winners will be required to collect their tickets from box office on the night of the show. Any travel and accommodation will not be included in the prize.

Winners tickets are valid to see the Holiday on Ice show TIME at the Brighton Centre on Friday, January 5 only at 8pm. At least 1 adult must be present (parental guidance suitable for 10 years+). Tickets are non-exchangeable.

Sussex Beacon appoint new Executive Director

Posted on 24/12/2017 by Besi

Local HIV charity The Sussex Beacon recruits an Executive Director, Bill Puddicombe, to take the charity forward in 2018.

Mr Puddicombe has a wealth of experience in the voluntary sector and a track record of securing the future of small and medium-sized charities.

He will be joining The Sussex Beacon at the beginning of January.

Earlier this year, funding cuts put services at The Sussex Beacon at risk, but local support, grants secured from non-statutory funding bodies and an restructure of the organisation put the charity in a better financial position.

The Executive Director will be working with staff and Trustees in the year ahead to guide the charity through a period of transition to make it more financially robust.

Lynette Lowndes, Chair of Trustees at The Sussex Beacon, said: “Firstly, I want to thank our staff and volunteers for their professionalism over the last year, it’s been a difficult time but they have continued to offer first class services to our clients.

She continued: “We’re delighted to have recruited Bill. He has all the skills and experience to guide The Sussex Beacon as we develop and implement a new strategy. The outpouring of support we had when services were under threat shows how valued our services are. We now need to make the charity more financially stable, so we can continue to provide that vital support for people living with HIV.”

Mr Puddicombe, said: “The Sussex Beacon is an amazing charity, doing invaluable work locally. I am looking forward to joining the team and working with staff to guide the charity in the coming year.”

Mr Puddicombe has worked in the voluntary sector since 1980 and has held Chief Executive roles at organisations dealing with drug/alcohol dependency, homelessness and mental ill-health. He has helped to grow organisations and has worked to improve the financial outlook for charities under threat. He takes over from the previous Chief Executive, Simon Dowe, who was with the Sussex Beacon for five and a half years.

The Sussex Beacon provides specialist support and care for people living with HIV through both inpatient and outpatient services. It helps hundreds of people living with HIV in Sussex each year and was rated ‘outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission last September.

For further information about The Sussex Beacon view: www.sussexbeacon.org.uk

Eastbourne Rainbow’s Christmas Party

Posted on 23/12/201716/12/2017 by Besi

Over thirty members of Eastbourne Rainbow and friends attended the groups Christmas lunch at Butlers Restaurant in Eastbourne on Tuesday, December 5.

Not only was this a Christmas lunch, but a celebration of six successful years for Eastbourne Rainbow, an LGBT+ group for the 50+ Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender communities living in Eastbourne and the surrounding area, for socialising, making new friends, gaining support and obtaining information relative to the group.

For further information about Eastbourne Rainbow and to contact them, click here:

World AIDS Day concert raises over £3,000 for HIV charity

Posted on 22/12/201723/12/2017 by Graham Robson

World AIDS Day Charity Concert – Together We Stand raises over £3,000 for Lunch Positive, the weekly HIV lunch club.

The Church of St Mary the Virgin in Kemptown was, once again, the venue for the sell-out annual World AIDS Day concert which brings together LGBT+ music groups from Brighton and the surrounding area, for one of the premier events in the city’s LGBT+ community calendar.

The evening raised a total of £3,310.11 of which £465.63 came from the bucket collection alone.

Music groups participating included Resound Male Voices, Rebelles Female Voices, The Sweet Chilli Singers, The Rainbow Chorus, The Actually Gay Men’s Chorus, The Brighton Belles, Qukulele and Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus.

The evening was compered by Finola Brophy and Paul Charlton, ex-chairs of the Rainbow Chorus and Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus respectively.

Closing remarks were given by the Service Manager of Lunch Positive Gary Pargeter, who thanked the crew and performers who were all donating their time for free.

He said: “We are hugely grateful to everyone involved in staging this year’s World AIDS Day Concert, and for the tremendous support of everyone attending. That so many people come together as a community to support people with HIV is a poignant reflection that the care of people with HIV remains important. At a time when HIV stigma remains a very real issue, it is also such a powerful demonstration that empathy and acceptance also exist amongst so many.

The concert is always a wonderful event, moving, inspiring and cathartic. Lunch Positive continues to respond to the often complex challenges of HIV which many people still experience, and we would not be able to do this without the support that this annual World AIDS Day event provides. Thank you from all of us at Lunch Positive for helping us provide our service over the year ahead.”

The concert concluded with all the evening’s performers returning to the stage to join in an uplifting number specially composed for the evening by Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus, musical director, Marc Yarrow, entitled, Together we stand.

All proceeds from the concert £3,310.11 are going to Lunch Positive, the HIV lunch club who provide a healthy meal to positive people each Friday at Dorset Gardens Methodist Church in Kemptown.

Sports fundraiser at Bar Broadway tonight

Posted on 22/12/2017 by Gary Hart

Customers at Bar Broadway will be RUCKING around the Christmas tree this evening to raise money for Brighton & Hove Sea Serpents RFC.

Brighton & Hove’s Gay Rugby Club will be raising funds to provide more coaching and help encourage more LGBT+ people take up rugby in a safe, non-judgemental environment.

Your host for the evening will be Chris Hibbert one of the teams hunks, who will be leading the fun and games and Christmas carolling.

Special guest for the evening will be madame vice Kara van Park.

Get down to Bar Broadway at 8pm for an 8.30pm start and warm your chestnuts for the big day on Monday, singing O SCRUM all ye faithful and Deck the MAULS with boughs of holly!

Event: Fundraiser for Brighton & Hove Sea Serpents RFC

Where: Bar Broadway, Steine Street, Brighton

When: Friday, December 22

Time: 8pm for an 8.30pm start

BLAGSS Bowling Extravaganza

Posted on 22/12/201721/12/2017 by Graham Robson

The 13th Annual BLAGSS Bowling Extravaganza takes place at Bowlplex, Brighton Marina on February 28, 2018.

BLAGSS, the LGBT sports group, will take over the complete complex for the evening, providing, across the 26 lanes of the Bowlplex, competition for BLAGSS sports groups and community groups.

The event starts at 6.30pm allowing time for practice, with the competition proper starting at 7pm. Teams comprising of up to eight members will play two games at a cost of £68 per lane irrespective of how many players turn up to bowl on the night.

To enter your team, email helen@woodcock-downey.co.uk

The scoring system this year will be as follows – teams must register the names of participating players at the start of play, fictional names used for those who have not turned up will not be permitted.

Teams of 8 players – total score from 2 games

Teams of 7 players – total score from 2 games, divided by 7, then multiplied by 8

Teams of 6 players – total score from 2 games, divided by 6, then multiplied by 8

Teams of less than 6 players will not be able to score in the above manner as the average would favour a small team of strong players and therefore bias the result. Teams of less than 6 players can play but will not feature in the final results.

Mental Health worker moves on after eight years at MindOut

Posted on 22/12/201716/12/2017 by Besi

Si Campbell leaves MindOut, the mental health service after eight years in post.

The team at MindOut will be saying a very fond farewell to Si Campbell, who is leaving the charity after eight years.

Helen Jones Director of MindOut said: “Si has been a wonderfully compassionate, supportive, energetic and committed worker and has been instrumental in the recovery of hundreds if not thousands of LGBTQ people.

“He has set up and developed wellbeing courses and workshops, volunteer led services including Peer Mentoring and the online support service. Lately he has been managing our peer support group work service and facilitating the ground breaking suicide prevention group ‘Out of the Blue’.

“His contribution to the health of our communities is huge, we owe him an enormous debt of gratitude. We will miss him loads and wish him all happiness for the future.”

For more information about MindOut, click here:

Switchboard to open ‘The Rainbow Cafe’

Posted on 22/12/201716/12/2017 by Besi

Continuing their work with hard to reach and seldom heard of groups, Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard are to open an LGBT+ dementia café in early 2018.

With an £11,725 grant awarded by the Rainbow Fund, the Rainbow Café will be an exciting new initiative for LGBT+ people living with dementia or memory loss and their friends, families and carers.

This new project helps to show that LGBT Switchboard is more than just a helpline as the charity continues to diversify and aims to ensure that Switchboard is responsive, relevant and accessible for the present-day LGBT+ communities.

Switchboard’s CEO Daniel Cheesman, says: “Through the Rainbow Café, we aim to raise awareness of dementia within the LGBT+ communities and hope that both LGBT and non-LGBT services will have a better understanding of the specific and unique needs of LGBT people living with dementia. Our Older Person’s Project has highlighted the need for this service and we are thankful to the support that we have been given by the Rainbow Fund to get the service up and running”.

The Rainbow Café will be launched with an opening event on Thursday February 15 2018 at Brooke Mead (the new extra care housing accommodation to be opened by Brighton and Hove City Council) in Albion Street, Brighton from 11am to 2pm.

As part of this launch, the awarding winning play The Purple List: A Gay Dementia Venture, will be performed by Ian Baxter. This is a 35 minute one man performance exploring the highs and lows of the lives of the same sex couple, Sam and Derek’s who live with the reality of dementia. The performance will be followed by a Q&A session, a chance to hear about the Rainbow Café and a buffet lunch.

Daniel adds: “We welcome all to attend the launch event on February 15. Whether you are interested in attending the group, want to find out more or if you are interested in volunteering. The play is a powerful portrayal of the impact that dementia can have and in this scenario in a same sex relationship – I would encourage all to come and see it”.

To find about more about the Rainbow Café, whether you are interested in attending or volunteering or to book a place at the launch event email the Switchboard team at rainbow.cafe@switchboard.org.uk or call the Switchboard office on 01273 234009.

Call us now

Month: December 2017

PREVIEW: Hundred Watt Club – 80’s night!

Join Hundred Watt Club for a burlesque and cabaret celebration of the 80s: a decade of decadence, Dirty Dancing and very silly hair!

REVIEW: Let it snow – Actually Gay Men’s Chorus

The marvellous fact about the LGBT+ choirs in Brighton and Hove, is that they are all unique and bring special elements of their own to each of their concerts.

COMPETITION: Win a pair of tickets for Holiday on Ice at Brighton Centre

Holiday on Ice returns to the Brighton Centre on Friday, January 5, with a brand new show, TIME, celebrating ‘the best and most memorable times of our lives’!

Sussex Beacon appoint new Executive Director

Local HIV charity The Sussex Beacon recruits an Executive Director, Bill Puddicombe, to take the charity forward in 2018.

Eastbourne Rainbow’s Christmas Party

Over thirty members of Eastbourne Rainbow and friends attended the groups Christmas lunch at Butlers Restaurant in Eastbourne on Tuesday, December 5.

World AIDS Day concert raises over £3,000 for HIV charity

World AIDS Day Charity Concert – Together We Stand raises over £3,000 for Lunch Positive, the weekly HIV lunch club.

Sports fundraiser at Bar Broadway tonight

Customers at Bar Broadway will be RUCKING around the Christmas tree this evening to raise money for Brighton & Hove Sea Serpents RFC.

BLAGSS Bowling Extravaganza

The 13th Annual BLAGSS Bowling Extravaganza takes place at Bowlplex, Brighton Marina on February 28, 2018.

Mental Health worker moves on after eight years at MindOut

Si Campbell leaves MindOut, the mental health service after eight years in post.

Switchboard to open ‘The Rainbow Cafe’

Continuing their work with hard to reach and seldom heard of groups, Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard are to open an LGBT+ dementia café in early 2018.

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Call us now

Join Hundred Watt Club for a burlesque and cabaret celebration of the 80s: a decade of decadence, Dirty Dancing and very silly hair!

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The marvellous fact about the LGBT+ choirs in Brighton and Hove, is that they are all unique and bring special elements of their own to each of their concerts.

Share this:

Holiday on Ice returns to the Brighton Centre on Friday, January 5, with a brand new show, TIME, celebrating ‘the best and most memorable times of our lives’!

Share this:

Local HIV charity The Sussex Beacon recruits an Executive Director, Bill Puddicombe, to take the charity forward in 2018.

Share this:

Over thirty members of Eastbourne Rainbow and friends attended the groups Christmas lunch at Butlers Restaurant in Eastbourne on Tuesday, December 5.

Share this:

World AIDS Day Charity Concert – Together We Stand raises over £3,000 for Lunch Positive, the weekly HIV lunch club.

Share this:

Customers at Bar Broadway will be RUCKING around the Christmas tree this evening to raise money for Brighton & Hove Sea Serpents RFC.

Share this:

The 13th Annual BLAGSS Bowling Extravaganza takes place at Bowlplex, Brighton Marina on February 28, 2018.

Share this:

Si Campbell leaves MindOut, the mental health service after eight years in post.

Share this:

Continuing their work with hard to reach and seldom heard of groups, Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard are to open an LGBT+ dementia café in early 2018.

Share this:

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