Brighton & Hove has long had a vibrant and dynamic musical community from all across the city. The LGBTQ+ community contributes to this through its many groups and individual performers, from their own shows, participating in other shows and as soloist, from a chorus of 100 to drag queens, from churches, theatres to bars and restaurants.
At this very moment, Actually Gay Men’s Chorus, Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus and Rainbow Chorus are busy planning Brighton and Hove’s annual musical community event, the World AIDS Day concert, to raise money for local HIV charity, Lunch Positive. An annual event, the concert will bring together the choruses – with Qukulele, Resound and Rebelles – to present an evening of musical entertainment, hosted by Jon ‘Shoutyman’ Borthwick, for all to enjoy.
Working around their own busy rehearsals for Christmas, the team has been booking a compere, light and sound, and a signer, as well as making arrangements for front of house, bucket collections, ticket sales and marketing… in fact making a list and checking it a lot more than twice!
A recent United Nations report shows that there is a clear path to ending AIDS, highlighting that ending AIDS is a political and financial choice, and that, already, some communities are achieving extraordinary results.
But some are being held back by funding shortages, legal constraints, and crackdowns on civil society and on human rights, obstructing the progress of HIV prevention and treatment services.
The theme of the World AIDS Day 2023 is a call to action to enable and support communities in leading the efforts to end AIDS through being involved in planning, financing and supporting HIV services and safe spaces.
This concert shows the power of the musical community to support HIV services in Brighton by raising money for Lunch Positive.
Lunch Positive, a community led and locally based HIV charity, offers an HIV lunch club, weekly drop-in, befriending scheme and opportunities to socialise with other HIV+ people across Brighton and beyond, creating spaces where everyone feels comfortable, valued and included. In addition to also providing advice and information, wellbeing support, and an award winning volunteering programme, it’s a great way to make new friends and to find peer support at what can be difficult and challenging times living with HIV.
Set in the beautiful St Mary’s Church, Kemptown, the concert will start at 7.30pm on Friday, December 1, allowing those who wish to attend the Candlelight Vigil in New Steine Gardens plenty of time to get to the church at the top of St James’s Street.
All performers are giving their time free of charge, and all profit from the sale of tickets, as well as a bucket collection on the night or online giving, will be donated to Lunch Positive.
Please watch our Facebook page (Brighton & Hove’s World Aids Day Concert) and the various chorus pages for further details and links to ticket purchases.
For more info on Lunch Positive, CLICK HERE
Words by Ian Groves
Images courtesy of Nick Ford Photography
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