CELEBRATING QUEER CULTURE

where will we pop up next?

A Black, androgynous person stands on the right hand side of small stage speaking on a microphone. They are wearing a black tee with the words 'Bad Lay Dee' in white letters and black jeans. Their hair is short and bleached. On the right hand side of the stage is a BSL interpreter who is gesturing. She has cropped bleach blonde hair and is white. She wears a black hoodie and blue jeans. Behind the stage is a patterned pink curtain with warm white lightbulb surrounding, and Theatre Deli painted in white letters.

Last week you may have seen the news that Theatre Deli Sheffield have been served notice to leave by their landlord. As Andro and Eve’s key partner organisation, this news also has a big impact on us. We wanted to provide some clarity on where we’re at. 

Theatre Deli’s business model is based on ‘meanwhile use’ of buildings, meaning they get to occupy buildings for cheaper rates than commercial lets, but usually with a 30 day notice period to vacate. That’s why they will be gone from their current building on Eyre street by the start of January. 

Although Theatre Deli plan to find new premises, this could take some time.

Use of Theatre Deli Sheffield formed part of our plans to come back to larger scale live events in 2022 (hello Reyt Queer Do!) so without use of their wonderful, accessible space, we are currently shifting those plans and seeing what alternatives there are. In the last 18 months we’ve loved delivering a whole range of online activity including workshops, panel events and craft socials, along with our zines, Joyful Noise and Centre, but we are also determined to be able to have a larger scale in person offer in the next year. 

Online drag king workshops. July 2020

Sheffield has a long standing problem with provision of accessible, centrally located venues for culture and community activity. If many of the organisations, artists and festivals lose access to Theatre Deli Sheffield owing to those issues, even for a period of 6 months, this has a huge impact on the cultural landscape of the city. 

Theatre Deli Sheffield has made its name by supporting emerging artists, platforming marginalised voices, and making space for communities not otherwise served in the city. We very much hope that new space is found for this treasured venue. 

A Reyt Queer Do, Theatre Deli Sheffield. 2019

For us, they’ve been champions of the work of Andro and Eve since 2017, becoming our partner venue in 2018. We are indebted to the support of the whole team at Deli for making Andro and Eve feel so welcome, and supported. Support that included free venue hire, space for meetings, reviewing funding applications and morale boosting when times got tough. 

We very much hope we can continue this partnership, and that Deli find a suitable venue to carve out space for many communities and artists in Sheffield. However, if there is one thing this pandemic has taught us, it is that we need to be flexible and adapt. So we’re currently reviewing other options for larger events in 2022 in order that we can return with a bang! This means extra work, so timescales will move. It means Andro & Eve needs more time to rejig funding applications. 

Sveto Slava, Reyt Queer Do. Nov 20219

So why are we sharing this? Because we need your support. We are not out of this pandemic. Our business model of producing events and creative opportunities is still precarious, and while we have managed to curate and produce a whole range of activity throughout the last 18 months, we don’t have the resources of a more established organisation. 

So if you can spare funds, we’re asking you to donate. You can do so via the button above. Or buy some of our queer merch! Those donations and sales will help cover our overheads (IT, insurance, licenses, wages, etc) while we apply for more funding to make 2022 a year packed full of joyful queer events. It takes a huge amount of energy to plan, prepare and submit those funding bids, but they are the most effective way to ensure we can return to live events and provide meaningful opportunities for artists and our wonderful community to celebrate queer culture. 

As always, any support given is gratefully received and makes a real and vital difference. Because of you, we’re still here, still queer, still making space. And we’re determined to continue. We hope you enjoy the photos of past events at Theatre Deli Sheffield below!

Big love

Finn 

A crowd of people cheer on a performer out of shot. They are in a warmly lit venue with umbrellas above their heads.
The crowd at Reyt Queer Do 5, at Theatre Deli Sheffield. November 2019
a Black androgynous rapper stands on a small stage holding a pint of beer while speaking into a mic. They have short bleached hair and wear black tee and jeans.A crowd of people seated and standing surrounds the small stage lit with warm lamps
Bad Lay Dee, Reyt Queer Do 5. Nov 2019

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