Pride in Ageing

Since 2019 the Pride in Ageing programme at LGBT Foundation has been delivering a range of initiatives and opportunities for our LGBTQ+ communities who are over 50 and are living in Greater Manchester.

Watch the video here:

The Pride in Ageing Programme has been nominated for the Spirit of Manchester Award based on the fantastic work it has been doing with the Derek Jarman Pocket Park at Manchester Art Gallery.

Join us online for the Spirit of Manchester 2023 Awards!

The Spirit of Manchester 2023 Awards ceremony is taking place on Thursday 5 October. So even if you won’t be at the face to face event you can get involved and vote for the winners by joining in on the livestream on YouTube! 

You can watch live all the shortlisted films showing the brilliant work in Manchester’s voluntary, community and social enterprise sector and vote for who you would like to win an Award. The votes will be counted straight away and the Award presented by the Lord Mayor of Manchester.

We will be streaming live on YouTube at 7.00pm – so come and watch us online!

Collages and Teapots

Tying in with the International Day of Older Persons, which recognises and celebrates the positive contributions of older people in society, we spent an afternoon making collages:

Time for Tea

The work displayed in this exhibition was the result of an Arts for Good Health course celebrating LGBT+ history and inclusivity.

Participants involved in the project  used image, shape, colour and texture to design their own individual teapot, inspired by stories, memories and LGBT+ heroes, culture and history from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Each teapot exhibited tells its own unique story. As well as the amazing work the exhibition is also an example of the power of connecting through creativity and sharing our stories and memories with a good helping of sparkle and glitter.

Saints Sergius and Bacchus (martyred circa 303)

Saints Sergius and Bacchus are ancient Christian martyrs who were tortured to death in Syria because they refused to attend sacrifices in honour of Jupiter.

Recent attention to early Greek manuscripts has also revealed that they were openly gay men and that they were lovers. These manuscripts are found in various libraries and indicate an earlier Christian attitude toward homosexuality.

After their arrest, the two saints were paraded through city streets in women’s clothing, treatment that was meant to humiliate them as officers in the Roman army. They were then separated and each was tortured. Bacchus died first and appeared that night to Sergius, who was beginning to lose heart. According to the early manuscripts, Bacchus told Sergius to preserve, that the delights of heaven were greater than any suffering, and that part of their reward would be to be re-united in heaven as lovers.

The feast of these saints is 7 October. The inscription at the bottom of the icon is their names in Arabic. The saints are particularly popular throughout the Mediterranean lands, in Latin America, and among the Slavs. For nearly a thousand years they were the official patrons of the Byzantine armies, and Arab nomads continue to revere them as their special patron saints.

LGBT+ Elders Advancing Project Interim Report Highlights Needs of LGBT+ Older Adults Worldwide

Around the world, LGBT+ older adults experience rampant human rights violations based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity and the stigma of ageism. 

While the specifics of LGBT+ ageing vary from country to country and region to region, older members of the LGBT+ community commonly face widespread discrimination in care, services, and housing and are at acute risk for severe social isolation and economic insecurity.

Created in partnership with SAGE (US), OutRight International (US), Mitini (Nepal), EnGendeRights (the Philippines), CIPAC (Costa Rica) and Aspidh (El Salvador) the LGBTI Elders Advancing Initiative (LEAP) is a cross-regional initiative designed to strengthen the human rights protections of LGBT+ older adults and build a more robust and well-connected global LGBT+ ageing movement.

The initiative is informed by three main objectives:

• Build awareness of LGBT+ older adults and their needs through country-based data collection, documentation and dissemination of information to targeted audiences.
• Improve the ability of LGBT+ organisations to work in support of LGBT+ older adults and position LGBT+ older adults as self-advocates.
• Support discrimination protections and health equity for LGBT+ older adults through national policy reform agendas.

“Our LGBTQ+ elders have shared that being part of this initiative has encouraged them to build more social support networks and start speaking openly about their shared experiences of ageing,” said representatives from CIPAC. “Not only are our older adults growing in their ability to advocate for their own needs, but they are also building friendship, solidarity, and trust among their peers. For a population that faces extreme isolation and loneliness, this kinship has been lifesaving.”

Download the interim report summary here.

Get ready for a hair-raising experience like no other as the infamous Sweeney Todd comes to the stage at the Waterside Theatre! This gripping and darkly humorous musical, directed by a renowned team, promises to captivate audiences from start to finish.

Step into the shadowy streets of 19th-century London, where the vengeful Sweeney Todd, a once-respected barber, seeks retribution for the wrongs done to him and his family. With his trusty razor in hand, he embarks on a chilling spree of slicing throats and baking the victims into meat pies, alongside his cunning accomplice, Mrs Lovett.

Prepare to be enthralled by the powerful performances, spine-tingling music, and evocative set designs that bring Victorian London to life. Stephen Sondheim’s haunting melodies, including classics like “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd” and “A Little Priest,” will send shivers down your spine and linger in your mind long after the curtains close.

This must-see production boasts a talented cast of seasoned actors, who will transport you into the twisted world of Sweeney Todd and his quest for justice. With its mix of macabre humour, suspenseful storytelling, and unforgettable tunes, this musical is a theatrical experience that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

Running from 17 to 21 October 2023. Book your tickets today and immerse yourself in the dark allure of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street!