CELEBRATING QUEER CULTURE

Reclaiming the Rainbow

A 6 stripe rainbow arch curves from bottom left to top right. A pink camera graphic sits on top with the words reclaiming the rainbow beneath. The Andro and Eve logo is shown in pink and white on the top right hand corner on a lavender background.

The last 18 months have been hard to say the least. Especially for marginalised groups of people including the LGBTQ+ community.

So this Pride Month we want to continue the work we’ve been doing to bring our community together, even if that is remotely for now.

You may have noticed during the pandemic here in the UK, the rainbow has been used as a symbol for the NHS. We are, like most people, eternally grateful for the sacrifices made by all staff working for the NHS during this time of ongoing crisis. It shouldn’t have been this way. However, we also know that the rainbow through the Pride flag has a wonderful history as a symbol of safety for the LGBTQ+ community*

a 6 stripe rainbow pride flag flies against a blue sky

Increasingly, Pride Month has been used for various corporations to show how ‘inclusive’ they are, while glossing over the inequality in their supply chains, unethical affiliations, or lack of support for the LGBTQ+ community. Does that modified rainbow logo show sustained engagement with and active support for the rights of all LGBTQ+ people year round?

Reclaiming the Rainbow Photo Challenge is a way to raise awareness of the Pride flag as a symbol of safety, build connections, and celebrate the strength of the South Yorkshire LGBTQ+ community through this difficult time.

Are you LGBTQ+ and living in South Yorkshire? Then get involved with our photo challenge!

To enter our photo challenge all you need to do is to take a photo on your phone or camera.

The photo should be

– Inspired by the phrase ‘Reclaiming the Rainbow’ and

– Show either yourself or another LGBTQ+ community member in a location in South Yorkshire.

You do not need to show your face / the model’s face in the picture, but it is important that some sort of human presence is shown, as we want to use this as a way to represent the folk that make up the LGBTQ+ community in South Yorkshire.

Please make sure when taking the photo that you have permission of anyone shown. We will use these photos on Andro and Eve’s social media and website, and may share them with the press.

We may, one day exhibit the entries in a real space, but we don’t know that for now.

Email the photo to hello@androandeve.com with the subject ‘Entry for Reclaiming the Rainbow’. Please also state where in South Yorkshire you are based.

One photo entry per person.

Entries close on midnight on Sunday 1st August.

The photo challenge entries will be judged by a panel South Yorkshire creatives, Nelly Naylor, Yuen Fong Ling, and Zoyander Street.

The winning entry will receive a bumper pack of goodies from local independents including:

– £30 gift voucher for Vulgar Vintage

– 2 x cinema tickets for Showroom Cinema

– Tea selection from Birdhouse Tea

– Vegan beer from Beer Central

– Vegan chocolate from Truffle Pig

Louche Mag Issue 2

– Self care pack from Artisan and Eco

– Andro and Eve goodies including a logo tote bag

A second prize – winner will receive bouquet of flowers from Moss and Clover and vegan chocolate from Truffle Pig Vegan. Two runners up will also be selected who will receive vegan and GF treats from Elly Joy.

So get entering! We’ll announce the winners in early August.

Have fun and good luck!

*We are aware that not all ‘LGBTQ friendly’ places are welcoming to our Black, Asian and Global Majority siblings, and those who are D/Deaf and disabled or transgender / gender diverse, and we are thankful to the individuals and organisations who have raised awareness of this issue and continue to campaign to make change.

We’re Hiring!

A turquoise tile has the words, we are hiring spelled out in scrabble tiles with a rainbow ribbon going across from top right corner to bottom left

We have recently been funded by the National Lottery Community Fund to produce another zine. Working with zine and textile artist Seleena Laverne Daye and poet Ella Otomewo, we will collect the stories and creative work of LGBTQ+ people from across the North of England for inclusion in a zine to be published in Autumn 2021.

We are looking to recruit a freelance Assistant Producer to work with us on this project and other projects in development.

We use the term ‘producer’ to mean someone who makes things happen. This role will assist with the work of programme production and marketing. It is intended that this role is offered as a way for those relatively new to the arts or events industry to gain valuable experience in producing. We are happy to discuss with candidates how and where we can best help you gain the experience needed for next the steps in your chosen career. 

As part of this contract we will also be offering the successful candidate three x 1 hour coaching sessions with an independent life coach to be used in whatever way feels useful for you at this point in your career.

If you are interested in supporting processes to make creative projects happen, have a good set of organisational skills, and experience in using social media to reach customers, audiences or communities, then this role could be for you!

Here’s a word from our current Assistant Producer, Emma Bentley Fox . . .

I found Andro & Eve at a point where securing a job in the arts (let alone a rewarding and challenging one) felt like a huge mountain that I’d never climb. I’m beyond grateful to Andro & Eve and Finn for giving me the opportunity to develop my skills as a producer and connect with amazing Queer artists, in a supportive and nurturing environment. I can’t recommend this role enough and I’m gutted to be leaving it, but also glad that someone else gets to share the experiences I’ve had and develop new queer talent in The North of England!”

As well as supporting a wide range of artists, our team have lived experiences that enable them to support inclusive practices. We particularly encourage applications from those currently under-represented within the UK arts sector, including those of Black, Asian or other global majority ethnicity, those who have faced socio – economic barriers, those who identify as LGBTQI+ and those who are disabled or neurodiverse.

FEE: £120 per day. 10 days work offered Jul – Nov 2021. Total fee £1200.

BENEFITS: Three x 1 hour life coaching sessions with an independent life coach

APPLICATION DEADLINE – MIDDAY MONDAY 28 JUNE

For Full Details on the role and how to apply, please download the job pack.

As part of your application we request that you complete our Equal Opportunities form. A link to this is in the Job Pack, but you can also complete this here.

New zine project launched!

A Black woman with a turquoise afro sits at a desk with her hand under her chin. She is wearing a white T shirt with craft equipment illustrations on it. Behind her is a turquoise painted wall with a picture covered noticeboard on it

We’re mega excited to launch a new community zine project, in collaboration with zine and textile artist Seleena Laverne Day, and poet Ella Otomewo.

After the success of our first zine, Centre, (launched in 2020), we wanted to continue to find creative ways to connect our community in these challenging times. This project has been made possible through funding from the National Lottery Community Fund.

The project will take submissions from LGBTQ+ people throughout the North of England and Midlands, with Seleena curating and designing a brand new zine, to be published in Autumn this year.

An A5 bright yellow zine sits on a purple surface. It has the words 'Centre Zine' in bold black lettering across it with a plum triangle placed on top.
Our first zine, Centre, published in October 2020

And even more excitingly, we’re pleased that we will be offering creative workshops in zine making and creative writing, both online and IN PERSON as part of this project!

Workshops are planned for members of the public to take part in this July. Special workshops for groups including Lesbian Asylum Support Sheffield, students in Further and Higher Education, and Older LGBTQ+ people are also planned. More details to be announced, but if you know of anyone that fits those categories, please do spread the word.

Its important to us that this zine reflects an even wider spectrum of LGBTQ+ voices, and that our community helps shape it at different stages.

So to kick off the project we want YOUR ideas for the theme of the zine. Seleena Laverne Daye has been busy generating ideas, so spare us 3 mins and head to our online form to pick out your fave idea!

The aim of this project is to connect all ages of LGBTQ+ people during this challenging time. We are very aware of the isolation younger and older people may have faced owing to the pandemic, and hope this project will provide social connection and positive experiences for our LGBTQ+ community.

Sign up to our newsletter through the link below to be the first to hear more about our upcoming workshops!

NEWS THATS WEIRD TO SHARE

The words 'An Update' are written in pink on a purple background

We’re sharing this update as we want to be as transparent as possible with our LGBTQIA+ community, artists and allies who have supported our work through this most challenging of years.

We had hoped by this time in the year, to have been able to announce more online drag king workshops. These were a great success last year so we applied for funding to support another online course. But we didn’t get the funding! We have applied for Arts Council funding to support our work, three times since December 2020 and each time been unsuccessful. Competition right now is unbelievably high. So many artists and companies need support.

a zoom video call shows over 20 people onscreen and they are all doing their makeup
Our online drag king workshops in 2020 were a big success

Accessibility and inclusivity are part of our core values. We need funding to make these workshops financially viable. We pay all our artists and staff fairly, and there are costs to making work accessible that we cannot cover through ticket sales alone.

We feel it’s important to be honest about the costs of working in the way we do, with care for our team and community centered. We want to be transparent about the work that goes on behind the scenes, and the challenges we face as a tiny arts organisation with one part time employee. It’s also important to us to be honest that failure is a huge part of any endeavor, and we’re proud we haven’t given up. We’re also proud of how we’ve adapted during the pandemic, that our Gender Awareness training is having an impact, and that we’re still here and growing our reach.

But its going to be a tough 6 months while we wait to see how the ‘reopening’ of UK society goes, and the vaccine takes effect. Unlike bigger companies or venues, we do not have the luxury of regular funding to take risks, or to return to live events with reduced capacities. We are funded only a project – by – project basis. We’re waiting on other funding decisions and will keep pursuing funding; we’re not giving up.

So we have something to ask. If you’ve got any funds to spare, please consider donating to Andro and Eve. Or buy something on our online shop. Your donation or sale really does make a difference and ensures that we will be able to return in a safe and inclusive way when the time is right, and in the meantime help us offer alternative spaces for connection for LGBTQ+ people during this challenging time. Trust us, we are making plans!

Christian Adore models our blue Reyt Queer Tee!

You can donate via the ‘SUPPORT US’ button above. You can also set up a regular donation there too. Or why not tell a friend or colleague about our Gender Awareness training to encourage their organisation to train their team? Links to some lovely merchandise, including tote bags, postcard packs, tees and pins via the online shop here! We greatly appreciate any support you can give.

Thank you to everyone who has continued to support us throughout the last year. Your support has been vital and deeply appreciated. Lets keep Yorkshire Reytqueer!

two events for May!

An east Asian drag king looks smoulderingly into the camera. He has short black quiff with a bleach blonde streak through it and shaved sides. He wears a white dinner jacket and ubuttoned white shirt with a shocking pink bow tie undone.

We’re delighted to share that this May, as part of Sheffield’s Festival of Debate, we are producing two online events.

The first is DRAG BEYOND THE BINARY, a panel discussion, chaired by Andro and Eve’s artistic director, Finn Warman, that aims to shine a light on the UK’s exciting drag scene, exploring how drag has helped expand many people’s understanding of gender. This will take place on Monday 10 May at 5.30 – 7pm.

The panel of UK drag artists including Wesley Dykes, Venus Dimilo and Sigi Moonlight (pictured above) will be reflecting on the ways drag has helped them explore their own sense of identity. With the rise and rise of drag queens in UK culture, this discussion and Q&A will also discuss this visibility, and provide space to reflect on drag beyond the binary and its importance for LGBTQ+ communities.

Wesley Dykes will be appearing on our ‘DRAG BEYOND THE BINARY’ panel event.

The second event, on 17 May at 7.30pm, is a Gender Exploration workshop. This workshop will provide a space for those questioning or wanting to explore their own gender. Andro and Eve’s Artistic Director Finn Warman will be joined by drag artist Christian Adore, to facilitate this creative and playful session.

The words 'Gender Exploration Workshop' are set against a purple and pink blended background.

Using conversations and creative exercises, this workshop will help participants reflect upon and be inspired by different ways to express gender in their own lives, rather than on stage. We’ll be getting participants to think beyond the binary and enjoy some gender fluidity! It is intended as a space for self reflection and connection for people of marginalised and diverse genders.*

We’re really pleased to be part of this renowned Sheffield festival that explores politics, economics and society. When you identify as LGBTQIA+, the personal is political, so its great to be platforming and making space for a diverse range of LGBTQ+ identities. Check out the full programme, happening throughout May, on their website here.

Further info and ticket links can be found on our events page. We hope to see you at one or both events!

Photo credit of Sigi Moonlight – Corinne Cumming

News on Live Events 2021

With the UK and devolved governments’ announcements over the last few weeks, we wanted to offer some information about how Andro and Eve plan to return to live events. We share some folks’ optimism but we also remain cautious. On the anniversary of the UK’s first lockdown, it also seemed like a good moment to provide some clarity for our community.

As a small arts organisation with community at our heart, we have consulted with our volunteers, partner venues and community, so that the board of Andro and Eve could make an informed decision about our offer over the coming months.

We can’t wait to host in person events with queer artists like Don One again

We know many of you cannot wait to burst into a venue again and enjoy some queer performance, while for others, the thought of this is anxiety inducing. Having heard from many members of the community, we know that you share our concerns about transmission of COVID-19 and want to ensure we continue to protect the most vulnerable members of our community. In returning to live events, we do not want to leave anyone behind.

Therefore for the foreseeable future, our offer will continue to be remote and online, and we will provide an online offer until well into the Autumn. We want to ensure those in our community with disabilities and long term health conditions, feel safe enough to attend in person. We have a responsibility to protect our staff, volunteers and artists. In this way we can provide meaningful opportunities for artists to connect safely with our community and share their creativity.

A bright yellow zine with the words Centre Zine, in bold, black lettering sits on top of a hot pink surface.
Centre zine platforms the voices of LGBTQ+ from across the North of England

We have applied to several different funders to support online activity, and we do not expect to return to in person events until Autumn 2021 at the earliest. We may be able to do something small in person in the summer, but at this point, we cannot be sure. We thank you for your ongoing understanding, patience and support.

We know this has been an extremely challenging year, and our thoughts are with the many people who have not received financial support, or who are struggling with poor health or grieving countless losses.

As an organisation known primarily for our live events pre – pandemic, we are grateful that we have survived this crisis this far, and cannot wait to see you all in person again. We’re also proud that we’ve been able to provide opportunities for LGBTQ+ artists and share queer culture with our community.

However, we have that bit further to go yet. If you can, we’d ask you to donate to support our work, to ensure we do survive and can continue to support the work of LGBTQ+ artists and our community. You can do this via the ‘Support Us’ button above this post, by buying some of our merchandise, or Centre zine.

To be the first to hear about upcoming events and all our news, sign up to our newsletter via the subscribe button below too. Thank you to everyone who has donated, shared or supported our work this last year. Without you, and the hard work of our small team, we’d not still be here, and that means the world.

Till soon

Team Andro and Eve x

Need Support? Links below. Remember you are not alone.

LGBT Foundation – support for all LGBT+ people and dedicated helpline.

Galop – Charity supporting LGBT+ people who have experienced hate crime, domestic abuse or sexual violence.

Switchboard – confidential helpline and support for LGBT+ people .

Rainbow Noir – peer support group for Black, Asian, and people of colour who identify as LGBTQIA.

Our Logo and some LGBTQ+ History!

A Black, female photographer takes a picture of a Black, femme lesbian wwearing and Andro and Eve logo T Shirt

CW – Holocaust, AIDS, Homophobia

This LGBT+ History Month we have been inspired reading about people and groups within the LGBTQ+ movement and wanted to share more about the design of the Andro and Eve logo and its links to LGBTQ+ History. Read on for an exploration of colour, symbology and LGBTQ+ representation in history!

Two women in early 20th century dress are seen kissing by a tree. One of them is wearing white and the other a pink dress.

We were inspired by this fascinating Twitter thread by @AlexPetrovnia that delved into the history of trans lives and the colour pink, and its associations. During WW1, propaganda led to boys being dressed in pink, and then 1920’s flappers wore pink to appear more masculine. It was not until the Nazi use of pink triangles to mark out homosexuals during the holocaust, that pink was associated with queerness, and then femininity. History loves a bit of revisionism, but we must not forget.

The image to the left showing two women kissing is from around 1916 -1918, when during WW1, women took over jobs traditionally done by men. Here in Sheffield, women became munitions workers at the local steel factories.

a pink triangle on a black background is over the words Silence = Death in bold white writing.

The pink triangle has been reclaimed over the years by many in the LGBTQ+ community as a symbol of resistance, most significantly with ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) formed in 1987, to raise awareness of and fight for the rights and healthcare for those with HIV / AIDS. They inverted the pink triangle and added the slogan Silence = Death.

The pink triangle is also used as a symbol of remembrance as with San Francisco Pride where, since 1996, a 200ft tall triangle is installed upon the Twin Peaks every year.

Latterly, the Rainbow Pride flag has been more commonly associated as symbol for the LGBTQ+ community, but triangles and pink triangles are is still often seen in queer imagery.

It is important to note that during the holocaust, homosexual women, along with sex workers, Romani, and the homeless, were given the ‘asocial’ badge of black triangle. The grouping of lesbians with others under this badge and widespread use of the pink triangle feeds into a common observation about the erasure of lesbian herstory. This collection of pin badges by the former manager of Gays the Word Bookshop in London, (Paud’s Pins) shows a huge range of LGBTQ+ symbols including plenty use of the triangle symbol, labrys and the lambda.

It is this LGBTQ+ History we drew upon when redesigning the Andro and Eve logo in 2017. You’ll notice that our recent run of logo tote bags uses a pink triangle, but most often our triangle is displayed in a lavender or violet colour. No coincidence!

A pale turquoise cotton tote bag has the andro and eve logo printed on it in pink with white lettering. The design is in the centre of the bag. The bag sits on a pink surface.

Violets have been associated with lesbians since 600BC, when the ancient Greek poet Sappho would often write about violets and other purple flowers. In 1930’s New York, lesbians would give posies of violets to women they were hoping to woo, a practice inspired by the play The Captive, which was closed down after 5 months on Broadway in 1927. In it, one female character sends bunches of violets to another character. (1) After this censorship, Parisian lesbians wore a violet on their lapel to show solidarity.

Violet was also one of the original colours in the Pride rainbow flag.

Similarlarly, lavender has been associated with queer life since the late 19th century with the art movement Aestheticism promoting beauty and ‘art for arts sake’, with fans of this movement labelled ‘effeminate’. Oscar Wilde frequently spoke about his ‘purple afternoons’ with rent boys. In the 1920’s, a ‘lavender streak’ was used in North American slang to mean ‘male on male’ love,(2) and later a ‘lavender marriage’ helped Hollywood actors hide their sexuality in line with morality clauses in contracts the 1920’s and 30’s. The lavender scare of the 1950’s saw American homosexual government employees fired as part of an anti communist campaign by the US government.

Lavender Menace activists, 1970. Photo by Diana Davies via New York Public Library

Perhaps even more well known, are the Lavender Menaces in the USA. North American author of ‘The Feminine Mystique’, Betty Frieden asserted that ‘lavender menaces’ would ruin the feminist movement’s second wave. In response Rita Mae Brown led the ‘Lavender Menace Zap’ at the 2nd Congress to Unite Women in 1970, where a group of lesbians infiltrated the conference, wearing lavender hand – dyed T Shirts with ‘Lavender Menace’ printed on them and handed out leaflets stating their cause. This moment would help catalyze lesbians as an important part of the women’s movement and help make it more intersectional. You can read more about these radical lesbians on the brilliant blog, Dressing Dykes.

The Andro and Eve logo is shown with a lavender triangle on a hot pink background

Lavender and purple have also often been associated with queer communities owing to the fact it is the colour you get when mixing traditional ‘masculine’ blue with ‘feminine’ pink. And so we come full circle with this blog, which was inspired by learning how pink came to be associated with boys, then girls!

We recognise the pain of so many LGBTQ+ people, and the erasure of women, trans and gender expansive people from our past. Andro and Eve, in name and logo, is both about reclaiming a hidden history and finding playfulness, joy and most importantly pride, in our lives and culture. We’re proud to carry on this spirit of making space and sharing marginalised LGBTQ+ stories.

Our Limited edition Logo tees are soon to be part of LGBTQ+ History too! If you fancy getting one, we’ve only got a limited amount left, so head on over to the shop to bag yours now!

4 people stand with sunglasses on wearing the grey marl Andro and Eve Logo Tee. Two of the people are Black women wearing blue jeans, one person is an Asian woman wearing a pink skirt, and another person is a transmasculine person wearing blue ripped jeans.

References

(1) From Sherrie Innes – National Women’s Studies Association Journal (referenced from JStor Daily).

(2) Most famously used in Carl Sandburg’s biography of Abraham Lincoln.

Further Reading

How Gay Culture Blossomed During the 1920’s. Sarah Pruitt.

New! Gender Awareness Training

A white androgynous person sits on a chair in a circle of people. They are speaking and being listened to.

Today marks the start of LGBT History Month. We are so thankful to members of LGBTQ+ community who have gone before, paving the way for our rights and increasing the visibility of, and acceptance of our community. We know there is so much still to be done, in the UK and around the world.

Here in the UK, over the last few years, a hostile environment has been created for trans, non binary and gender non conforming people. In 2020 we spent time developing a Gender Awareness Training session, aimed at staff teams in organisations, public services and businesses.

Our Gender Awareness Training is designed to pass on knowledge and best practice, enabling organisations to better serve and meet the needs of clients, customers and service users of all genders, particularly those who fall under the Transgender* umbrella.

Drawing upon our extensive experience in meeting the needs of the LGBTQIA community in creating safe and inclusive events, this 2 hour, online session can be tailored to your organisation’s needs. Interested? We currently have a special introductory offer for organisations able to book a session before 30 April 2021. Please get in touch or share this post if you think your organisation could benefit from our Gender Awareness Training. You can also find out more here.

.*Transgender is an umbrella term for people who do not identify or feel comfortable with what is typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth.

Quiz Time!

The words reyt queer quiz are surrounded by uellow and purple question marks on a turquoise background

Lockdown 3 is the sequel we never asked for, so to quell the disappointment and bring the queer joy, we’ve organised our very own lockdown quiz.

Marking the start of LGBT+ History Month, on Friday 5 February, our special online quiz will test your knowledge of queer culture and hopefully bring a giggle!

Whether you’re flying solo, in a bubble, or locked down with your chosen family, join us for a slice of silly, with a side order of LGBT+ theirstory in our interactive Reyt Queer Quiz. Add in plenty gorgeous prizes from local independent traders, and a sprinkle of fabulous queer performance from Christian Adore, and you’ve got a bit of Friday night magic.

Expect questions on LGBT Hers/ His /Theirstory and queer culture. With interactive elements to keep things the right shade of nonsensical.

Christian Adore will be making a special guest appearance on the 5 February!

You can form a team with pals, or play solo. Max 4 in a team to keep things fair! HOUSEHOLD TICKETS are available for 2 – 4 people in the same house *who will be sharing a screen*. Any questions, just get in touch!

The winning team will win a bundle of delights, including Birdhouse tea, Truffle Pig vegan chocolate, reading material from La Biblioteka, plus Andro and Eve goodies and much more. Prizes for runners up (including treats from Elly Joy) will also be given!

This is a special fundraiser event to support the work of Andro and Eve. We appreciate any extra contributions you can give on top of the price of your ticket.

This event is for ages 18+ only. Book your tickets here!

2020 In Review

a zoom video call shows over 20 people onscreen and they are all doing their makeup

2020. Wow. We did not see that coming. The start of the year seems like a hazy fog, where the idea of putting on a huge drag king cabaret for 350+ people is like some mad dream. But that’s what we were preparing for back then.

Despite all the nonsense, heartache and grieving this year has brought, here at Andro and Eve we have things to celebrate. And as relentless purveyors of queer joy, (because joy is resistance, to so many communities), we’re here to review the highs, and some challenges that 2020 has brought.

Silvana Imam, a slim, blonde haired rapper, kneels at the front of a stage rapping. She wears desert boots, shorts and white hoodie.
Swedish Rapper Silvana Imam

We started the year with a screening of music documentary, Silvana, at legendary music venue, Yellow Arch Studios in Sheffield. Collaborating with Sheffield Doc/Fest, was a first for us, with Melanie Ireldale the deputy director, introducing this celebration of the story of Swedish rapper Silvana Imam, her rise to fame and blossoming romance with Swedish pop star Beatrice Eli. Many in the audience fell hard for this lesbian power couple that evening.

5 drag kings are placed in a montage. There is Prinx Silver, a spanish, white king with a crown and moustache. Christian Adore, who has olive skin, long balck hair, and dinner jacket on, with a bare chest. To his right is Georgeous Michael, a George Michael lookalive wearing a silver jacket, and in the centre is Wesley Dykes. He is a Black king with purple hat and sharp suit on. Mo terboat is in the corner, playing a guitar with open mouth. Mo is a white bloke with hoodie on.
Clockwise from top left, Prinx Silver, Christian Adore, Georgeous Michael, Wesley Dykes, Mo Terboat.

In March, we had the 6th edition of The Kingdom Come planned at Abbeydale Picture House with a stellar line up of talent. Just a few days after we trained our amazing team of volunteers at the venue, the board of Andro and Eve discussed the situation, and made the unanimous decision to cancel our drag king cabaret, scheduled for the 21st.

Facing a significant financial loss, the next week was a blur, but our community came through, with 85% of those who had already booked tickets, donating their ticket, which bought us valuable time to plan for a very different year and apply for funding. Thank you to you if you were one of those kind people.

In May we found out we had been successful in securing Arts Council England Emergency Funding. And with that a bit of breathing space. Launching our drag king workshop course in June, we were bowled over for demand for places on the course, with 50+ people taking part in 3 sessions led by drag king Christian Adore in July. Have a peep at what that involved, and what our participants thought in the video below.

Developing talent is key to our work. Our 2020 programme included an online Cabaret College, which we produced in collaboration with LoUis CYfer. Over 8 weeks, 13 emerging drag and cabaret acts were given the opportunity to develop their own material with regular mentoring from LoUis, and 4 creative sessions. As one of the participants said

The whole experience was so safe and welcoming. I was VERY nervous and always felt supported and like I could ask for help

As well as developing talent we were also aware that digital delivery would limit the audience for our work, and wanted to use print to connect. So we commissioned graduate artist, and founder of Racezine Collective, Okocha Obasi to produce a brand new zine. Okocha was mentored by artist Seleena Laverne Daye, and worked closely with Assistant Producer, Emma Bentley – Fox.

The resulting zine, Centre, featured the voices of a whole range of Northern LGBTQ+ people, specially commissioned pieces by director and writer Rikki Beadle – Blair, activist and founder of the Black Trans Foundation, Azekel, as well as an interview with one of our friends from Lesbian Asylum Support Sheffield. The zine sold 50+ copies in its first month on sale, raising £105 for Yorkshire’s Racial Justice Network. 50% of all sales go towards RJN, and we still have copies on sale, so grab one before they’re all gone.

A bright yellow zine with the words Centre Zine, in bold, black lettering sits on top of a hot pink surface.

We launched Centre zine with a special online party, A Reyt Queer Night In. With a vogue workshop by Mother of House of Ghetto, Darren Pritchard, and a party makeup workshop by Christian Adore, the night was topped off with a brilliant set from Gal Pal’s DJ Xzan. The night certainly went down well with attendees..

The music was amazing, really good range covered. I liked being greeted on arrival, the friendly, multigenerational space and chance to put in requests

It sure beat our first attempt at an online party – a Netflix screening party of Clueless on March 28th! It was cute, but, not quite up to our usual standard..!

DJ Xzan at a Reyt Queer Night In

In November we launched a new range of merchandise including postcard sets, badges and tote bags in the Trans Pride Flag colours. Because trans rights matter and we’re here to celebrate trans lives. They look lovely on our newly redeveloped website.

Behind the scenes, we filed our first year accounts to Companies House (what a highlight!), and Artistic Director, Katherine developed a Gender Awareness Training session, aimed at staff in organisations and businesses of all sizes. Both Assistant Producer Emma, and Katherine, undertook anti racism training through Racial Justice Network, with Emma also taking part in Access and Audio Description training with Quiplash. This will inform the way we work in the months to come and is an important part of our mission to make our work accessible and inclusive to all. 

a slim, East Asian model with mid length black hair is wearing a purple jumper and holding a turquoise and pink andro and eve logo tote bag.
New Andro and Eve logo tote bags in the Trans Pride flag colours!

On that note, we’ve just launched a new Community Survey. We don‘t know what the future holds, but we want to make plans with our community as the focus. If you’ve been to one of our events or workshops before, or follow us online and have 5 -10 minutes to spare, please complete the survey here. You can win a bundle of Andro and Eve goodies too!

Another highlight for Andro and Eve in 2020 was being invited to join Queer Arts North – a network of queer arts and Northern performance venues, platforming and providing talent development opportunities for LGBTQ+ artists in the North of England. It was great to be part of an artist networking event as part of Homotopia Festival in November.

Artistic Director of Trans Creative, Kate ODonnell, and Artistic Director of Andro and Eve, Katherine Warman at Queer Arts North Artist Showcase in March 2020.

The events of 2020 made us even more determined to work towards equality for all, and support the Black lives matter movement. The fight for racial equality would be nowhere without Black feminists like Audre Lorde, Angela Davis and Olive Morris, and Black LGBT+ community pioneers including Marsha P Johnson, Storme DeLarverie and Miss Major. We continue to familiarise ourselves with our history, and participate in anti racism work. On that note, this year, we’ve platformed Stop the Scandal, a campaign to prevent the use of mobile fingerprint scanners, linked to the Home Office database, by the police. If you haven’t read it yet, check out the piece by the Stop the Scandal campaign here. 

At this point, please excuse some soppiness in expressing a wholehearted thanks to the two new members of the Andro and Eve board, Lola White and Ellie Wyer. Having only joined the board in February, they came through hard for Andro and Eve, and have supported the development of the organisation in this most difficult of years. A special mention must also go to Assistant Producer, Emma, who has gone the extra mile to help us produce and market all our creative projects and events in the last year.

We want to say a massive thank you to all the artists we worked with in 2020, for your dedication, creativity and hard work. Thank you also to the team of freelancers who help make our work look so bold and beautiful. And thanks so much to the volunteers who’ve helped out this year too.

Andro and Eve volunteers enjoying some pizza, post training, March 2020.

In a year filled with challenges, and so much division sowed between communities, COVID has shown how unequal UK society is. We know in a way, that Andro and Eve and our tiny team are some of the lucky ones, we’ve carried on, while other enterprises have simply not been given the same support, or opportunity. We believe everyone should have the opportunity to make art, and access to culture. So we’ve dug in and got through 2020, and in many ways grown. But we know there is so much work to be done, and it is only in collective effort that we stand to make an impact.

Thank you to everyone who has told a friend about us, bought a ticket, donated, shopped or shared what we do. Your support is the reason we’re still here.

With love and solidarity

Finn

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