07/09/2019 – Scene Magazine – From the heart of LGBTQ+ Life

Formerly the Older People’s Festival, now renamed The Ageing Well Festival, returns with over one hundred events in over fifty venues across the city.

PRODUCED by Impact Initiatives the two week festival for people aged 50+ will run from September 30 – October 13.

The Festival includes tours and talks, music and arts events, opportunities to try new physical activities alongside fashion and feel good sessions and the chance to learn new skills and meet like-minded people.

Venues will include Theatre Royal, Duke of York’s cinema, the Hop 50+, Larches Café, Amex Stadium, Fabrica Gallery, Rampion Wind Farm, Brighton Table Tennis Club, and Hangleton’s St Richard’s Community Centre.

The Deputy Mayor, Councillor Alan Robins officially launches the Festival at the Hop 50+ in Palmeira Square on Monday, September 30.

The Launch event will run from 10.30am – 3.30pm including singing, and by popular demand the return of the Brighton Beach Boys. Food and drinks will be available and all festival information including programmes will be on hand.

Impact Initiatives CEO Caroline Ridley said: “We have once again worked with some amazing people to bring the festival together. We have included some old favourites alongside new and exciting events especially for this year. The Festival which is based around the United Nations International Day of Older Persons is the only event like it in the UK and has grown from one or two events to a staple in Brighton and Hove’s festival calendar. We are incredibly proud of this year’s programme and are looking forward to the events.”

David Brindley from Brighton and Hove Council’s Public Health team added: “Brighton and Hove has around 85,800 people aged 50 + and this is increasing every year. We want the people of Brighton and Hove to age well and to add life to the years as well as years to life. We have always invested in the festival and have this year combined it with the wider Ageing Well service, and been able to confirm funding for the next three years. The Ageing Well service provides a range of support and activities across the City accessible through one phone number and email address. This makes it easier for people to find out what is on offer and to get the information they need to get involved.”

For more information and to pick up a programme contact Impact Initiatives on 01273 322940

Or to book on-line, click here:

The Coast Is Queer – a radical new festival featuring some of the best LGBT+ literature.

THE Spire in Kemptown plays host to a four-day festival of LGBT+ literature bringing together an impressive line-up of writers for a new venture presented by New Writing South and the Marlborough Theatre.

Sarah Crompton, general manger of New Writing South said: “Our ambition is to bring together the most vital LBGTQ+ voices to give them a platform to share their thoughts and ideas, and celebrate their own careers and lives.”

The 4-days of events will include writers, performers, academics, activists and readers for an extended weekend of events, workshops, panel discussions and performances to celebrate queer lives and writing.

Speakers will include Patrick Gale, Lesley Thomson, Juno Dawson, Jonathan Harvey, Kate Davies, Eley Williams, CN Lester, Sharan Dhaliwal, Emma Franklin and Dean Atta.

Eley Williams

The programme commences at 6.30pm on Thursday, September 12 with a session with Eley Williams, a writer whose debut prose collection Attrib. and other stories was awarded the Republic of Consciousness Prize and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize in 2018.

CN Lester, a classical and alternative singer/songwriter as well as LGBT+ and transgender rights activist presents Trans Like Me at 4.30pm on Friday, September 13.

Jonathan Harvey

Jonathan Harvey is best known as the creator of TV series Gimme Gimme, the stage play Beautiful Thing and he wrote the book for the Pet Shop Boys musical Closer to Heaven. He has written more than 200 episodes for Coronation Street while his solo show Musik, written with the Pet Shop Boys has just played at the Edinburgh Fringe and in London’s Leicester Square Theatre. Jonathan will be interviewed by David Sheppeard, Director of the Marlborough Theatre on Saturday, September 14 starting at 4pm.

For a full lineup of events and to purchase tickets online, click here: