A Liverpool festival is said to be the “perfect warm-up for Eurovision”.
Homotopia, which runs from Tuesday, November 1 until Sunday, November 20, brings LGBTQ+ artists and performers from around the UK to venues right here in the city. The festival provides a platform for artists in theatre, music, spoken word, film, performance and more and showcases art and culture through a queer lens.
Stories of trans visibility and allyship, queer history, punk identity and gender fluidity are set to be shared as this year the festival focuses on “unadulterated queer joy”.
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Now, in its 19th year, the international festival is the UK’s longest-running LGBTQIA+ arts and cultural festival and, with Liverpool hosting Eurovision in 2023, the organisers have shared reasons why they believe it is the perfect warm-up for the singing celebration.
Homotopia Festival’s theme in 2022 is Queer Joy as a Protest and with much of the media focus on the LGBTQIA+ community targeting crime, controversy and anger, the "simple act of living out, proud, queer lives is a protest". The festival takes place over three weeks with over 30 events. Venues which are hosting events include Liverpool including Tate Liverpool, Unity Theatre, Bluecoat, Melodic Distraction, The Quarry, Lovelocks Coffee Shop and more.
Since its first event in 2004, Homotopia’s launch party has always been one of Liverpool’s most in-demand events and this year's launch, which takes place on Friday, November 4, is said to already have a waiting list.
The festival has an artist-in-residence which, each year, allows a queer artist to explore their practice, navigate the festival theme and provide a spotlight on a unique talent. 2022's artist-in-residence is the award-winning Tabby Lamb, who brings a show of Trans Excellence to the Unity Theatre.
Theatre has always been at the heart of the festival’s programme. In previous years it has given a platform to the likes of Travis Alabanza, David Hoyle, and RuPaul's Drag Race's Jinkx Monsoon. This year is no different with Young Homotopia being a strand of the festival’s work championing up-and-coming talent. The group will bring a "queer twist" to Hansel and Gretel to the Unity Theatre stage.
Homotopia has always celebrated and championed Liverpool’s queer talent and the community’s history and cultural significance. The festival was the first to showcase the significance and cultural contribution of April Ashley MBE, a Liverpool-born trans icon. A major exhibition, in partnership with Homoptopia, at the Museum of Liverpool celebrated her life.
As well as taking place inside galleries, museums and music venues, Homotopia Festival also spreads into the public realm with Queer the City. This year, its walking tour explores the “queer heart of Liverpool, the visible and the unknown, and famous and infamous stories of LGBTQIA+ life in the city”.
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