Our board is made up of Non Executive Directors who are unpaid advisors who support the governance of Andro and Eve, contributing expertise to the organisation’s development, sustainability and reputation.
You might be sat reading this not sure what being a board member actually involves, so in today’s blog one of our board members Morel O’Sullivan shares their experience…
I’m Morel and I’ve been a director of Andro and Eve since 2021. I am a Yorkshire-based drag king (Ding Frisby) and producer. When I started, I had never been on a board before, so now I’m going to share the ins and outs of exactly what this has looked like for me.
Board Away Day Every year we have a full-day board meeting in Sheffield. This is a great opportunity to get into real detail about our vision and strategy as an organisation, with plenty of hot drinks and a shared lunch. Most board members are based in Sheffield, but I take the train over from Huddersfield. I always enjoy our away days, and we often catch up over a drink afterwards.
Andro & Eve board away day 2022
Board Meetings Board meetings take place one evening every three months, either online or in Sheffield. We receive an agenda and related documents to read in advance, then check in with each other, review the past three months and discuss upcoming opportunities. I usually leave board meetings with a few small tasks to take on.
Getting creative with the board away day creative visioning collage session in 2022!
Day to Day In between meetings, I set aside a few hours each month to work on these tasks; recently this has included looking over some new policy documents and assisting with recruitment processes. We often also need to respond to time-sensitive updates and questions via email or in our directors’ group chat. Generally, we’re always on the lookout for new ideas, contacts or ways of advocating for Andro and Eve!
Events and Opportunities Being a board member also comes with a range of new opportunities throughout the year. In past years, I have represented Andro and Eve at the Queer Arts North network meeting – a brilliant chance to meet producers from other queer arts organisations, followed by a group visit to a contemporary dance festival. I was also part of a test audience for new content for our Gender Awareness Training.
And of course, the highlight is getting together to attend Andro and Eve events and celebrate everyone’s work. I can only recommend getting involved, so click on our recent board recruitment call out to find out more about becoming a non-executive director and what skills we’re looking to add to the board.
We hope this blog has demystified the role of our board members, but if you have any other questions, our FAQ’s on the recruitment call out may help, or feel free to reach out.
The deadline to apply to join our board is being extended until 19 May 2025.
We are posting this today to raise awareness of the grave and harmful situation many trans and non-binary people in Sheffield and thousands across England find themselves in.
At Andro & Eve we are working hard behind the scenes to raise awareness of this issue with elected officials, but we wanted to take some time to raise awareness more widely and encourage allies to stand up for trans healthcare. Actions you can take can be found at the end of this post.
Transgender adults taking HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) are being forced to medically detransition by local GP practices, resulting in medical neglect of the transgender community.
This is not a new issue and has been ongoing for some time now. Adults who have been assessed and diagnosed through NHS pathways and have been receiving hormonal medication for years without issue, are now having their prescriptions stopped. Many GP practices are claiming this is an ‘additional service outside of their expertise’ and that GICs (Gender Identity Clinics) should prescribe. GICs, however, as a secondary care provider, have consistently stated that prescribing falls under the responsibility of a patient’s primary care provider i.e. GPs.
Two weeks ago in Sheffield, in a particularly shocking example, one GP practice wrote to all their transgender patients to say they would no longer be prescribing HRT. This is particularly outrageous, given that cisgender adults taking these hormones for hormone differences or menopause are not having these medications removed from them. It is a case of wilful transphobia and medical neglect of the transgender community.
This medical neglect is dangerous for trans people, and is likely to cause huge impacts on trans peoples’ mental and physical health ** It is unacceptable that transgender adults, who will have already endured unacceptably long waiting times to access gender affirming care, are then having this care stopped by GP’s. With increasing numbers of GP’s ceasing treatment, trans people in Sheffield and elsewhere are being left with nowhere to turn for their healthcare.
There are different reasons for the cessation of HRT prescriptions for trans people. These include guidance that was issued wrongly by the Royal College of GP’s (RCGP) in 2024 that was then updated, (read more about this via TransActual). Misinformation that HRT is dangerous, spread by those with transphobic agendas, is also having an impact and also the fact that many GP’s are currently working to rule, short of strike action. Much of these issues stem from a lack of action by the government to tackle the mounting issues in the NHS.
Whatever the reasons, stopping essential healthcare for trans people is unjust, discriminatory and yet another example of how political inaction leads to harms for the most marginalised.
At Andro & Eve we are working hard behind the scenes to advocate for those affected by these harmful and transphobic practices and will be writing to the local Integrated Care Board (ICB) who oversee NHS patient care for local populations.
How Can I Take Action?
If you are trans or non-binary and have been refused HRT by your GP, we would encourage you to complete TransActual’s survey. They are collating data in order to advocate on this issue. Trans Actual also have a useful guide ‘My GP is Refusing to Prescribe my HRT’ with steps to take in terms of complaints. Remember, the General Medical Counsel has stated that GP’s
“ must not refuse to provide a patient with medical services because the patient is proposing to undergo, is undergoing, or has undergone gender reassignment.”
– General Medical Council
We’d also encourage you to seek support, whether that be from friends or local services or groups. We include a list of local support groups in our regular newsletter and national helplines are listed below. Trans Unite also lists trans specific support.
If you are not trans but want to take action we would encourage you to write to your local MP. They need to be aware of this issue and the way it is causing distress and harm to those in their constituencies. Trans people should not be discriminated against in this way.
We have attached a template to write to your MP below. If you are in South Yorkshire and write to your MP, please let us know if you get a response and the outcome.
Samaritans are available to lend an ear 24/7 Call them on 116 223
Notes
** Trans people who have undergone surgeries rely on HRT (hormone replacement therapy) for normal hormone function. With access to HRT, transgender individuals can be at severe risk of decreased bone density, cardiovascular issues and metabolic issues.
Andro and Eve is looking to recruit new board members and a Chair of the Board. If you’re based in the North of England, have strong communication and interpersonal skills and are looking for a new challenge, this opportunity could be for you!
As a social enterprise, our organisation is strategically guided by a board of Directors. Non Executive Directors are unpaid advisors who support the governance of Andro and Eve, contributing expertise to the organisation’s development, sustainability and reputation.
We would like to work with people who share our values and have a strong set of skills and experiences. It is a unique opportunity to help support a dynamic South Yorkshire arts organisation and build connections with likeminded people.
Contract: Voluntary. Duration: 2 years minimum (1 year for those with no previous board experience). Commitment: 4 board meetings + 1 away day per year + 2 hrs per month Start Date: April onwards to be negotiated. Location: Mostly remote, occasional in person meetings in Sheffield. Renumeration: This is a volunteer role. Travel expenses can be reimbursed. Further info can be found in the recruitment pack.
You’ll be joining the board at an exciting time for Andro and Eve as we launch new client focused offers around our training, embark on new work around trans liberation, and implement a new fundraising strategy and business action plan.
We understand that you may want to get involved for a variety of reasons, and welcome applications from people from a range of sectors, backgrounds or experience levels. We are particularly interested in hearing from people who have knowledge or experience in one or more the following areas:
– HR / People Management / Policy – Financial Management or Planning – Business Development – Third Sector (charities, social enterprises) – Marketing / PR / Communications – Culture or heritage – leadership or project management
Previous trustee / board experience is not essential, more important is the willingness to use your skills and expertise to support the organisation’s development and resilience.
As well as supporting a diverse range of artists, our core team and board bring a range of perspectives to our organisation and we would encourage people who are currently underrepresented on boards to apply, including those who are Black, Asian or of the Global Majority, those who have faced socio-economic barriers, and those with disabilities. Andro and Eve are committed to further building representation across our team in respect of protected characteristics.
Although we believe strongly in being led by and for the community we serve, board members do not need to be LGBTQ+ identified and we welcome different perspectives and life experiences.
Directors should be able to commit themselves to the role for a minimum period of 2 years. We have a 1 year commitment in place for those who are keen to offer support but are not sure if board membership is right for them.
Benefits: –
– 2 x Complimentary tickets per year to Andro & Eve events – Travel expenses within the North of England will be covered – Refreshments provided for in person meetings / away days – Gender Awareness Training will be given as part of this role
This role is offered on an expenses only basis, with the understanding that you are giving your time to grow and develop the work of Andro and Eve. Where additional duties are requested or where a director would not be able to participate in board business owing to loss of income, fees can be paid to non-executive directors.
To apply: Please download our Director Recruitment Pack below to read more about the role and how to apply.
If you have any questions or wish to request an informal conversation about the role with our Artistic Director, Finn Warman, details of how to do so are also in the pack.
Application Deadline: 9am Monday 19 May Interview date: Flexible Start Date: April – June to be negotiated
When applying for the role we also ask you to complete our online Equal Opportunities form. A link for this is also in the recruitment pack.
Can the role be worked only remotely? For the most part, yes, however we do need you to be able to attend occasional in person events and meetings in Sheffield therefore you need to be able to travel to Sheffield.
What is a Director and why does Andro and Eve have them?
As a social enterprise, our organisation is strategically guided by a board of Directors. Non Executive Directors are unpaid advisors who support the governance of Andro and Eve, contributing expertise to the organisation’s development, sustainability and reputation. We are a social enterprise rather than a charity, so our board members are called ‘Directors’.
I’m not in the North of England, can I apply?
We define the North of England to include the East and West Midlands, but we do need board members to be a commutable distance from Sheffield as we do not have finances to accommodate long distance travel.
When do board meetings take place?
Currently, board meetings take place online late afternoon or early evenings Monday – Wednesday. This may change depending on the availability of new board members.
How much time do I need to commit?
As a board member you will be expected to attend quarterly board meetings as well as additional meetings as required to the demands of the company. An extra 1-2 hours per month is a realistic guide to cover time to reply to emails, check any urgent communications, and sign off key decisions / documents.
I only have one reference, is this an issue? We ask for references in order that we can check that the experience you have outlined in your application has been gained in a previous role. As stated in the recruitment pack, this does not need to be a paid role, or even an employment. They could be anyone who knows you in a professional or volunteer capacity. But they should be able to speak about the skills you have related to this role.
If you have a question that is not answered above, please feel free to download the recruitment pack and get in touch.
Christmas may be a distant memory, but we’re here to re-live our final event of 2024, and its celebration of queer Northern talent!
Hosted by drag and cabaret star Rhys Pieces, this Camp as Christmas edition of our queer cabaret was designed as a festive party, at what can be a difficult time of year for those of us in the LGBTQ+ community.
Lorelei L’Armour, A Reyt Queer Do 8 (2024). Credit – Em Obeng
With a confectionary inspired theme, both the line up of artists and our community brought plenty of sweet delight to Sidney and Matilda on 14 December. Our ‘more is more’ approach to decor also helped transform the venue into what could perhaps be best described as interior design by the Sugar Plum Fairy!
AMereKat, A Reyt Queer Do 8 (2024). Credit – Em Obeng
We had plenty of representation from South and West Yorkshire, with acts from Leeds, Huddersfield, Barnsley, Doncaster and of course Sheffield. Drag king Raymond Petty showed off his pipes and a very festive costume, musician AMereKat got the crowd singing along to their gothic comedy songs and burlesque artist Loxie Tocin shared an eccentric and educational act complete with some giant props!
Unknown Amazon, A Reyt Queer Do 8 (2024). Credit – Em Obeng
We were treated to two performances from drag king Unknown Amazon, who showed her incredible 70’s disco moves in the first, and gave us a thoughtful deconstruction of gender stereotypes in the second. Lorelei L’Amour brought all the glamour and drama in her burlesque act and Hot Pot made their drag debut with a completely original and amazing act that left many a bit emosh.
Loxie Tocin, A Reyt Queer Do 8 (2024). Credit – Em Obeng
Rhys Pieces hosted the event with flair and plenty of fun, performing acts that elicited smiles, whoops and gasps in equal measure. A DJ set by Victoria Peaches rounded off the event with dancing for those who didn’t want the night to end.
Hot Pot, A Reyt Queer Do 8 (2024). Credit – Em Obeng
A huge thanks to Rhys and all the artists who performed and brought such joy to this special event. We must also give a special mention to Becky, who as ever, provided BSL interpretation with her usual professionalism, despite the cheeky antics of Rhys!
Thanks to everyone who joined us for this special event, creating such a supportive atmosphere for our artists to share their work. Also huge thanks to the team at Sidney and Matilda and our team and volunteers for producing an event so many enjoyed.
It was so beautiful to be surrounded by people from my community and feel connected, especially at Christmas time (which can be hard if you don’t have a supportive family). I also loved the diversity of the line up, including Global Majority representation. I really appreciate Andro and Eve’s focus on accessibility too, e.g. allowing seats to be reserved and sharing lots of info before the event.
Audience member – A Reyt Queer Do
Keep doing what you’re doing! It is needed, now almost more than ever
Audience member – A Reyt Queer Do
With that and many other audience comments in mind, we are more committed than ever to creating joyous spaces for the LGBTQ+ community to come together and celebrate queer culture.
We’re currently fundraising for our 2025 programme, and with grant funding being increasingly competitive, a donation towards our work makes such a difference.
You can give a one off or ongoing donation via our website at the top of this page or Kofi. Even £5 a month makes a big difference.
Keen to attend a future event from us? Get subscribed to our newsletter now to make sure you’re first to get access to tickets!
Raymond Petty, A Reyt Queer Do 8 (2024). Credit – Em ObengA Reyt Queer Do 8 (2024). Credit – Em ObengA Reyt Queer Do Camp as Christmas (2024). Credit – Em ObengUnknown Amazon, A Reyt Queer Do 8 (2024). Credit – Em Obeng
Trying to round up a year in December while you are still in the thick of delivering activity, and therefore have had no time to reflect and review, is nearly impossible!
So this summary of what we got up to in 2024 is coming to you at the end of January since we’ve had time to digest data and reflect on our achievements. Our work becomes more complex with each passing year. to To help you and us make sense of the year we’re reviewing each strand of activity / theme rather than chronologically! So here we go…
The Kingdom Come was back with two editions in 2024.
Manly Mannington, The Kingdom Come (2024). Credit – Nelly Naylor
Our much loved drag king cabaret – the largest drag king cabaret outside of London – celebrated drag kings in all their glory. April saw us produce a Salty Seas edition hosted by Beau Jangles and in October we recreated an Enchanted Forest at Crookes Social Club with Manly Mannington on host duties. Both these events saw crowds of around 300 people coming out to celebrate drag kings and things, enjoy some vegan cake and dress in themed outfits should they fancy it. These audience quotes give a flavour of the response;
The drag kings are hilarious and very talented. The atmosphere is friendly and inviting. All the staff are helpful. And, most of all, you can be yourself with no fear of judgement!
It’s the best event in Sheffield right now!
We persevered
Both Kingdom Come events were fundraisers for Andro & Eve. Like many small arts organisations we face increasing challenges in securing grant funding, so producing events at a scale that means we can create the high quality offer we’re known for, pay all our collaborators fairly, and raise funds to use as match funding / cover operating costs is vital. We want to be transparent about this because we believe firmly that labour should be fairly compensated, and too many of those who have gone before us have burnt out trying to create spaces for LGBTQ+ people / marginalised folks without the resources they need to ensure sustainability.
2024 saw us enter the delivery phase of a project we started in 2023 collaborating with Right Up Our Street. This project was eventually named ‘Visible Rest’, but started as an exploration of the idea of ‘Pride’ with LGBTQ+ people of all ages in Doncaster. Throughout January and February, our artistic director, Finn Warman, facilitated creative writing workshops with different groups in Doncaster. Their contributions and others from LGBTQ+ people connected to Doncaster were collated into a zine.
This zine, called Reyt Proud, and designed by designer Jazyra Christou was launched in March 2024 and informed the next phase of the project with artist Lady Kitt. You can read more about Lady Kitt in our Meet the Artist blog from July.
Reyt Proud zine launch. Right Up Our Street – (2024)
In the summer Lady Kitt facilitated workshops for LGBTQ+ folks in Doncaster online and in person to find out what they find restful and restorative. Using ideas and response from these workshops Lady Kitt created an installation which was displayed at UK Pride in Doncaster in August 2024 – a free one day festival in Doncaster with 20,000 people in attendance.
Visible Rest detail, Lady Kitt for Right Up Our Street (2024). Credit – Emma Bentley Fox
We loved being back in Doncaster and meeting lots of new people and working with some familiar faces, which we hadn’t done since 2019 before the pandemic. We hope to build on this work in the future.
Other collaborations saw us working with Sensoria Festival to bring artist, composer and producer BISHI to Sheffield in October. A magical evening of music and live visuals was a real highlight of the year. We also finally got to meet the members of Pecs in real life for their drag king festival, with our artistic director Finn speaking on a panel on Fostering Community in November.
Feeling Fabulous Workshops
Feeling Fabulous workshops with Ghetto Fabulous (2024). Credit – Ai Narapol
Speaking of workshops, our partnership with Ghetto Fabulous, established in 2022 when we produced A Reyt Queer Extravaganza together, continues to develop. In 2024, we collaborated again on more Feeling Fabulous queer dance workshops, with taster sessions in July and a workshop series in November / December. These workshops created a much needed space for LGBTQ+ people to feel good about moving, passing on skills in ‘vogue’ dance styles and helping folks build connections.
‘These were fantastic workshops, they made me feel more connected to LGBTQ + community, and this is such a niche dance that we can’t do anywhere else’
Feeling Fabulous workshop participant
Training
In 2024 we continued to deliver our Gender Awareness training to a broad range of organisations wanting to enhance their policies and practices to support trans inclusion and equity. This year saw us training over 160 people through our range of training offers from one hour introductory sessions to Gender Beyond the Binary as well as bespoke packages. Our 3 hour training session got a rebrand too – now called our Foundation session to reflect the fact it is about building strong foundations of knowledge and providing valuable insights and practical strategies for teams at different stages of learning. New training dates and a new offer for 2025 have just been announced!
New merch!
After a fair bit of consultation with community members and trusted friends we created a new T Shirt design giving a fresh update to our fave phrase – Reyt Queer! Launched via Everpress in December to reduce waste, the first batch of T Shirts shipped earlier this month. If you missed out on this campaign – you’ve got until 8 February to order your very own! Available in sizes XS – 3XL.
A Reyt Queer Do
Speaking of Reyt Queer, our eclectic cabaret and party, A Reyt Queer Do was back in 2024. This more intimate offering is about platforming fresh, queer Northern performance talent. With a Back to the 90’s edition in September hosted by South Yorkshire drag artist Bipolar Abdul and a Camp as Christmas edition in December hosted by Rhys Pieces, through this event we platformed 13 artists based in South Yorkshire or the North of England, and gave our community a reyt good night out! Or early evening out, as to be fair, the September edition was finished by 9.30pm, making it accessible for those who appreciate an early night! Or just have awkward public transport to deal with. Plus because these events were supported through public funding* we were able to provide BSL interpretation!
A Reyt Queer Do Camp as Christmas (2024). Credit – Em Obeng
Accessibility
Which leads us to something else we are proud to have facilitated in 2024. You may be aware we always collect data and feedback from those attending our events and through our annual community survey. We are passionate about responding to the needs of the community we serve, and as a small organisation, our strength is in having the flexibility to adapt and change in response to this feedback. Examples of this include our introduction this year of ‘Craft Tables’ at our events, helping people feel comfortable or connect with others in a low pressure way, or the way we continue to work on how we talk about and provide different access measures at our events.
Pure Gliss, The Kingdom Come (2024). Credit – Nelly Naylor
This has seen the proportion of participants and audiences who engaged with our work in 2024 who in surveys identify as D/deaf, disabled or with a long term health condition increase by 18% to 55% – up from 37% in 2022. Access and disability justice is key to our work, and although we can’t always have every access measure we’d like in place at our events owing to budget constraints, the fact that over half of our audiences and participants are D/deaf, disabled or have a long term health condition demonstrates that our efforts to put accessibility at the heart of our work is having an impact.
The Kingdom Come (2024). Credit – Nelly Naylor
And finally… Community!
We would not still be here (nearly nine years after the founding of Andro & Eve!) without the support of our community. And that includes those wonderful people who have shared their time to be part of our volunteer crew! With so many of you ‘paying it forward’ through Solidarity Tickets, donating funds, turning up at events, or telling a friend about our work, you’ve helped us reach over 900 audience members and participants in 2024 and ensured we continue to make a space to celebrate queer culture in South Yorkshire. Also – did you know, 60% of those who attended our events and workshops in 2024 had never attended an Andro & Eve event before?!
Team Andro & Eve Volunteer Crew 2024. Credit – Nelly Naylor
So we want to say the BIGGEST of thank yous for all your support. If you’ve appreciated what we do this year or in years gone past, a one off or ongoing donation makes a difference. You can donate quickly by hitting the donate button above or heading to kofi.com.
There are some spaces and gatherings that feel like hope, and like a different world is possible, Ando & Eve is one of those spaces.
Audience member, 2024
Help us keep making spaces to dream and be free! Your donation, however small, can help us to make space to celebrate queer culture, connect our community and help us light up the South Yorkshire scene with plenty more queer joy and hope.
If you want to be first to hear what we’ve got in store for 2025, subscribe to our newsletter – you’ll even get a roundup of queer friendly events in South Yorkshire each month. With social media feeling very uncertain right now this is a great way to stay connected without having to rely on platforms that are not invested in the rights of LGBTQ+ people.
Until soon! xx
* Both editions of A Reyt Queer Do and the Feeling Fabulous workshops were supported through the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and by South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.
Booking is now open for our first Gender Awareness training dates for 2025.
And this year we are launching a new training offer – From February we will be taking bookings for Training Days tailored to your organisation’s needs.
Our training sessions 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.
Our training offer includes;
> 1 hour Gender Awareness Online Introductory Session > 3 hour Gender Awareness Foundation > Gender Beyond the Binary > Gender Awareness training: Going Further
And new for 2025 – Training Days incorporating one or more of the sessions above and/ or a bespoke session tailored to your organisation.
If you’re looking to enhance your organisation’s trans inclusive policies and practices in the coming year, these online training sessions are a great way to kick start this work.
We’re also hosting a free live Q&A on 5 February. The Q&A Webinar will give you an overview of our Gender Awareness training and discuss our new Training Days.
Our Gender Awareness Foundation session is designed to build the foundations of knowledge – helping freelancers, businesses and organisations who want to support teams to build more equitable and inclusive policies and practices for trans and non-binary clients and customers.
Our Going Further Session is designed to deepen knowledge, share leading research and best practice, further increasing the confidence of participants to support trans, non-binary and gender minoritised people in professional and social situations.
Book now via Eventbrite. You can get 25% discount for the Going Further training if you’ve booked onto our Gender Awareness Training in 2024 or in February.
If you’re interested in booking some Gender Awareness Training solely for your organisation, you can find out more and contact us via our Gender Awareness Training page.
We’re queer, proud and Northern so it was time our Reyt Queer tee got a makeover!
We’ve just launched this new T Shirt over on Everpress. As an organisation committed to working to reduce impacts of the climate crisis, a pre order model for this type of merchandise is more sustainable. This lavender colour way was the favourite by far from a poll we ran in October!
All profits from sales of this T Shirt will support us to deliver creative workshops and events for the LGBTQ+ community in South Yorkshire.
As a social enterprise, we are faced with rising costs and funding is increasingly hard to secure. We’re raising funds for our work through this campaign, helping us keep our events and workshops affordable and accessible for our community.
Head to Everpress to order before 8 January. Your tee should ship roughly 2 weeks after this although a minimum amount of orders are needed to ensure this campaign is a success. Every order counts! Your support is so appreciated!
On 19 October we produced the ninth edition of our drag king cabaret, The Kingdom Come, transforming Crookes Social Club into an enchanted forest for a night of mischief and magic.
This night showcases some of the UK’s most exciting drag acts, and they’re all drag kings, although those attending this evening’s event could be mistaken that the stage had been taken over by all sorts of creatures and beings!
Ding Frisby, The Kingdom Come (2024). Credit – Nelly Naylor
Yorkshire-based Ding Frisby took to the stage as a mushroom, with a very witty act finding the connections between the world of mycelium and polyamory, while Pure Gliss’ first act was also mushroom inspired, with a beautiful costume. Pure Gliss wowed us with their siren song with their second act too.
Manly Mannington, The Kingdom Come (2024). Credit – Nelly Naylor
Our host Manly Mannington started the evening dressed as a giant blue flower, and ended up as a cyborg robot character, whose mesmerising movements had all eyes glued on him. Jamie Fuxx served up his smooth singing and seduction, with two acts that had their fair share of surprises.
Jamie Fuxx at The Kingdom Come (2024). Credit – Nelly Naylor
Dandy Darling brought his high octane acts, bursting forth on the stage as both a worm and praying mantis. All we could say was ‘wow!’
Dandy Darling, The Kingdom Come (2024). Credit – Nelly Naylor
We knew we could rely on Sigi Moonlight to supply us with some seriously surreal and fairly sexual acts, and he appeared both as a tin man and Adam, who of course you’d meet down in the forest. He was said to have a bit of bother with a snake who attended with one of the audience members, but nothing of enough concern to warrant the casting of any spells.
Sigi Moonlight, The Kingdom Come (2024). Credit – Nelly Naylor
Good job too, as many in our community had arrived dressed as magical beings, and who knows what they were keeping under their mushroom hats. It was great to see so many embracing the theme!
Our Community Information stall was back (read more about that here in this blog) with added crafts, so some took the opportunity to model some creepy crawlies from the modelling clay we provided. As usual the vegan cake from Little Town Pantry was gone before the first act was done!
Audience costumes at The Kingdom Come (2024). Credit – Nelly Naylor
Thanks to all who took part in the raffle, helping us raise vital funds for our Pay it Forward ticket fund, enabling us to continue to provide discounted and free tickets to those who need them at future events. A huge thanks also to the Andro & Eve team, tech team and volunteer crew who helped everything run smoothly on the night.
This event was a fundraiser for Andro & Eve, and we were relieved to meet our fundraising target of £1000 – which we will use as match funding to support future programmes of creative activity for our community in South Yorkshire.
Ding Frisby, The Kingdom Come (2024). Credit – Nelly Naylor
The Kingdom Come will return in 2025, so to be first to find out the date of the next event, and get access to the ticket pre sale, make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter. It also contains lots of useful resources for support for LGBTQ+ folks and a roundup of queer friendly events in South Yorkshire. Ideal!
For now enjoy these extra snaps from The Kingdom Come, Enchanted Forest edition by Nelly Naylor.
Pure Gliss, The Kingdom Come (2024). Credit – Nelly NaylorThe Kingdom Come (2024). Credit – Nelly NaylorThe Kingdom Come (2024). Credit – Nelly NaylorSigi Moonlight, The Kingdom Come (2024). Credit – Nelly NaylorThe Kingdom Come (2024). Credit – Nelly NaylorThe Kingdom Come (2024). Credit – Nelly NaylorThe Kingdom Come (2024). Credit – Nelly Naylor
We are looking for a DJ for the next A Reyt Queer Do on Saturday 14 December!
If you are a queer DJ based in the North of England and want to perform in front of a friendly crowd in Sheffield then this might be the opportunity for you!
A Reyt Queer Do will be hosted by burlesque and drag artist Rhys Pieces and is about platforming emerging queer performance talent. Our crowd is a mix of ages from 18 – 55+ so if you like to play an eclectic mix of genres and music from across the decades we’d love to hear from you.
We’re particularly keen to platform folks traditionally less well represented in the music industry and those based in Yorkshire. You don’t have to have lots of experience, but we do need you to be comfortable and confident in playing at least a 60 minute set to a room of people, and be able to foster a fun dancefloor for the LGBTQ+ community.
We can offer a £200 fee and up to £60 cover transport or accommodation costs in Sheffield.
We just need you to be available from 10pm – 12.15am on the day of the event and to play a 90 min – 2 hour set.
> Your name + social media handle > A link to a DJ mix by you > Tell us what DJ experience you have > Tell us why you’d like to DJ for the Andro & Eve community.
Deadline to apply: Midnight Thursday 28 November.
We look forward to hearing from you!
If we don’t select you for this opportunity, we are still keen to build our contacts with DJ’s in the Yorkshire region so we’d encourage you to apply so we can contact you about future opportunities.
We’re offering open mic slots for fresh queer acts at A Reyt Queer Do 8 on Saturday 14 December.
This queer cabaret event is themed around ‘Camp as Christmas’ and is at Sidney and Matilda in Sheffield city centre.
A Reyt Queer Do will be hosted by drag and cabaret artist Rhys Pieces and is about platforming emerging Northern LGBTQ+ performance talent. Whether you’re a new act, or you have new work you want to test out in front of a friendly live audience, we’d love to hear from you.
Drag, comedy, clowning, queerlesque, song, anything goes, as long as it works in front of a live audience. In return for you performing one 3 – 8 minute act we’ll provide;
– Up to £70 to reimburse any expenses – Food and drink at the venue – Photos of your act shot by a professional photographer
We just need you to be available from 4.30pm on the day of the event.
To help you get a sense of what to expect, this blog about our most recent edition of A Reyt Queer Do is a useful read.
It doesn’t matter if the film of you performing is not in front of an audience, we just need to get a sense of your performance style so we can programme a mix of acts.
Deadline to apply: 9am Monday 25 November. Priority for slots will go to those based in South Yorkshire.
Please note – This event will be BSL interpreted, so if your application is successful we will expect you to provide any lyrics / script in advance of the event for our BSL interpreter to learn. More information on the access provisions in the venue can be found here.
We expect to have more people apply to perform than we have time and budget to give a platform, so we won’t be able to offer everyone a slot, but we are always keen to hear from fresh talent for upcoming events. We are unable to give feedback to unsuccessful submissions, but we may keep your details on file for future bookings.
We look forward to hearing from you! If you have any questions that aren’t answered below please drop us a line to hello@androandeve.com
FAQ’s
I am not based in the North of England, can I apply?
We will not consider applications from acts based in locations other than Yorkshire or the North of England. (We consider Northern talent to be inclusive of the East and West Midlands).
Do you only platform drag king acts?
No! A Reyt Queer Do is for all kinds of live performance acts to share their work. The Kingdom Come is our platform solely for drag kings and we tend to focus on platforming more established acts there.
I can’t perform on the 14 December but want to apply, should I?
Thanks for your interest, please hold off for now! We are a part time team, so we’d appreciate you helping us manage capacity by applying for a future opportunity. Please subscribe to our newsletter to be first to hear about the open mic slots for future events.
I don’t have a video of my performance. Can I apply?
We cannot accept applications without a video. This is to ensure we understand what your performance style is and whether it will work with the venue restrictions, and around our other programmed acts. If you don’t have a video, feel free to record yourself performing to camera. Video quality does not matter, we just want to see your act!
I am a wheelchair user, what is stage access like?
Unfortunately, Sidney and Matilda does not have step free access to their stage so we cannot accommodate a wheelchair onstage. We are very limited with accessible live venue options in Sheffield, and are looking into alternative performance venue options for future events.
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Your donation will be used to help us continue to support queer artists and culture. You can also donate through ko‑fi.com/androandeve
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