Event schedule announced for Warrington's 2023 Pride

The local arts charity has revealed the ‘vibrant programme of events’ that will make up Warrington’s Pride celebration this year.

This is part of a wider Warrington Pride party in the town centre promoting the dignity, equality and increased visibility of the LGBTQ+ community.

This year’s Pride is as important as ever, with the death of trans girl Brianna Ghey early this year having rocked the town.

As such, the events promoting the visibility and equality of the LGBTQ+ community are sure to be emotional affairs.

The Culture Warrington Pride events will run between June 23 and June 29, with this including family-friendly creative workshops, performances throughout the week, and an interactive exhibition.

Culture Warrington’s first Pride event will be the physical theatre and contemporary dance performance ‘Barely Visible’ on Friday, June 23.

Barely Visible (Image: Culture Warrington)

It will take place at Pyramid’s Studio Theatre in Palmyra Square and will explore identity, objectification and what it is to be gay.

Then on Saturday, June 24, between 10am and 4pm, creatives will lead free drop-in workshops for children, young people and their families at Castlefield Gallery New Art Spaces in Sankey Street.

The sessions will enable children and their families to express themselves creatively in an open and relaxed setting and there is no need to book.

This event will also see Culture Warrington team up with Warrington Youth Zone to create an interactive exhibition exploring relationships, gender and identity, which can be viewed until Sunday, June 25.

The programme concludes with a Queer Scratch Night at Pyramid on Thursday, June 29.

A scratch night is a platform that gives artists and performers of all disciplines the opportunity to share and test out work in the early stages for audience feedback, peer review and further development.

Building on the success of the previous scratch nights at Pyramid, this adaptation of the usual platform will provide an opportunity exclusively for north west based LGBTQ+ creatives to tell their stories.

Leah Biddle, cultural manager at Culture Warrington, said: “We are really looking forward to creating these opportunities and platforms for artists and engaging with the community and our young people while enriching the wider Pride programme.

“Our work with Warrington Youth Zone will see us further engage with young people using arts and creativity to enable self-expression.

“I am particularly looking forward to Rowena Gander’s Barely Visible. This highly physical show has toured nationally, and I am delighted to bring Rowena’s incredible work to Warrington.

“Our audiences can expect to see a lot more contemporary performances presented within the town very soon.”

Isabelle Rudge, from Warrington Youth Zone, added: “The young people at Warrington Youth Zone are very excited to have the opportunity for their artwork to be showcased in an exhibition in the town centre.

“We have several creative projects running leading up to the exhibition, exploring the theme ‘Express yourself through art’.

"Young people will be involved in every step of the way, from their initial ideas to installing the artwork and seeing their projects come to life.”

The Pride events at Pyramid Arts Centre will also be the first Culture Warrington shows to feature a new ‘pay what you decide’ pricing policy.