CELEBRATING QUEER CULTURE

Gender Awareness Training – Launching our New Sessions! 

Finn, a slim white androgynous person with short hair is speaking in front of a screen with a session plan projected onto it

We’re pleased to announce the launch of new Gender Awareness Training sessions.

These sessions are available to book for business and organisations who want to support teams to meet the needs of clients, customers and service users of all genders, particularly those who fall under the Transgender umbrella. 

We’ve been delivering our Main Gender Awareness training session over the last two and a half years, to a whole range of organisations from sectors including health, education, youth services, local government, charities, culture and business. 

In this time, we’ve listened to participant and client feedback and revised the main session content several times in response to this feedback and the changing landscape here in the UK in relation to transgender rights. This has enabled us to keep meeting our clients where they are, and supporting teams to feel more confident in discussing transgender and non-binary rights and implementing equitable practices in the workplace.

We’ve also expanded our trainer team, taking on experienced and highly qualified professionals well used to supporting different groups’ learning and who have plenty of experience developing training content that supports equitable practices for marginalised communities.

Gender Awareness Training, new sessions available to book

In response to client feedback and the need to challenge dominant narratives about the lives and rights of trans people here in the UK, we have developed three new Gender Awareness Training sessions. These sessions will raise awareness of different issues affecting trans and non-binary people in the UK today and are pitched at different levels to support team members at different stages of learning and development. 

So what’s on offer? 

Firstly, for organisations looking for a shorter session for those new to the subject of transgender equality, our Online Intro Session is a great first step towards supporting teams to feel more confident when discussing gender and trans rights. This 1 hour session can be delivered for up to 30 people online. 

For those who have perhaps already had some workplace based LGBTQ+ Awareness Training, or feel confident in their knowledge, and are looking more specifically at developing teams’ awareness of the issues affecting trans / non-binary and gender expansive people, our Gender Beyond the Binary session can provide this more focused training. This session is available to book online or in person as a 2.5 hour session or online only as a 1 hour session. 

Finally, the Going Further Session is designed to deepen participants’ knowledge of gender, sex and the most pressing issues affecting trans and non-binary people, further increasing the confidence of participants to support trans, non-binary and gender minoritised people in professional and social situations. This 2.5 hour session is aimed at those who have already undertaken our Gender Awareness Training Main Session or who have already undertaken LGBTQ+ Awareness Training in the last two years. It can be delivered online or in person. 

If this sounds like just what your organisation is looking for, you can find out more details about the range of training we offer on our Gender Awareness Training page.  Our sessions can be delivered both in person and online and our tiered pricing helps organisations of different sizes access this important resource. 

For many trans people, 2023 has felt like an onslaught, in terms of the legislative threats to safety and dignity, ever increasing wait times to access gender affirming healthcare and the ongoing moral panic around trans lives supported by the press and media. 

We believe that providing access to knowledge, leading research and best practice researched and delivered by those with lived experience, along with space to discuss the practical implementation of policies and practices that can support trans and gender diverse people to live freely and authentically, is an important part of the fight for transgender liberation and gender equality. 

Start your organisation’s journey towards equitable practices and policies for trans and non binary people by finding out more about our Gender Awareness Training today.

The Kingdom Come: Pride is a Protest

Shardeazy Afrodesiak stands on stage with raised fist wearing black latex underwear in front of a crowd of people

Time for a roundup from our Pride month edition of our ever popular drag king cabaret, The Kingdom Come!

This special edition’s theme was chosen by our community and as usual featured kings, costumes and plenty vegan cake (this time provided by Sheffield based Little Town Pantry). This sold out event was also a fundraiser for Andro and Eve – vital for a small queer arts organisation navigating a very challenging situation when it comes to funding, the cost of living crisis and specific to Sheffield, use of accessible, well located venues. But thats another blog post….

Drag king Richard Energy sits on stage flanked by kings, Shardeazy Afrodesiak, Unknown Amazon, Toby Carvery, Wesley Dykes and Billy Butch
L-R, Billy Butch, Richard Energy, Unknown Amazon, Toby Carvery, Wesley Dykes, Shardeazy Afrodesiak. Credit -Nelly Naylor (2023).

And so to the night, hosted by the seriously suave and silly Richard Energy. His puppetry was on point, but the jokes and camaraderie he created were the things that made this so special and helped everyone feel so welcome. Yay!

Richard Energy a slim white king with sharp contour and short hair, lip syncs onstage with an actual sink with giant red lips.
Richard energy performs with his Lip Sink at The Kingdom Come. Credit – Nelly Naylor (2023)

We were treated to incredible performances by drag kings including Unknown Amazon, Billy Butch, Wesley Dykes, Shardeazy Afrodesiak, and Toby Carvery. These acts packed a punch, ensuring no one forgot the true meaning of Pride as a fight for our rights as LGBTQ+ people, while also being seriously entertained. A big thanks to all these acts for performing at The Kingdom Come.

Two white people sit next to each other on a red velvet banquet seating smiling. Behind them are handmade card placards that say ' Lavender Menace' 'ban conversion therapy'
The Kingdom Come 7. Credit – Nelly Naylor (2023)

The community showed up in style and with many a placard, helping transform Crookes Social Club into a haven of queer joy and power. A special thanks should to the venue for their support and our team who helped things run smoothly.

A crowd of people sit looking upwards at a stage in a hall lit by rainbow coloured lights
The Kingdom Come 7. Credit – Nelly Naylor (2023)

We want to say a massive thank you to everyone who bought a ticket, donated to our crowdfunder or played the raffle HARD (yes there was a queue to get tickets at one point). You helped us raise an amazing £1,076 which we were able to use as match funding for an Arts Council bid. If successful, this will help support a programme of work with accessible events and creative opportunities for everyone to participate in and celebrate queer culture.

Unknown Amazon, a Black woman dressed as a blue vein man reaches her hand out on stage
Unknown Amazon performs at The Kingdom Come. Credit – Nelly Naylor (2023)

In the meantime, enjoy the photos of The Kingdom Come; Pride is a Protest edition taken by Nelly Naylor. And don’t forget to sign up to our newsletter to be first to hear news from us x

Billy Butch, a white drag king with swept back dark hair, is dressed as a priest in black with a dog collar. He is kneeling on stage holding the bible
Billy Butch took us all to church. Credit: Nelly Naylor (2023)
Toby Carvery wearing a rainbow suit and chicken head, struts on stage
Toby Carvery at The Kingdom Come 7. Credit – Nelly Naylor (2023)
A Chinese man and white femme with blue hair stand with their arms around each other smiling in front of a pink glitter curtain
All smiles at The Kingdom Come 7! Credit: Nelly Naylor (2023)
A crowd of people cheers and claps in a big hall lit by warm lighting.
Round of applause for the drag kings! Credit – Nelly Naylor (2023)
Wesley Dykes, a Black West African drag king stands singing into a mic on stage lit by purple lighting.
Wesley Dykes at The Kingdom Come 7. Credit – Nelly Naylor (2023)
Two South East Asian people smile with open mouths up at the stage. The woman is wearing a headscarf
Credit – Nelly Naylor (2023)
Shardeazy Afrodesiak, a mixed race drag ting with strong beard and quiff smiles onstage wearing a gold and black blazer
Shardeazy Afrodesiak at The Kingdom Come 7. Credit – Nelly Naylor (2023)

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