The Second National Festival of LGBT History – February 2016
Following the success of the First National Festival of LGBT History in Manchester earlier this year, plans are under-way to make the next festival in February 2016 even bigger and even better. And this time it will be truly nationwide.
As well as the academic conference being held again in Manchester, an additional four ‘hubs’ are being developed to celebrate the contribution of British LGB and T people throughout history. These will be in Shrewsbury,York, London and Bristol. Each hub will be liaising with a member of the Schools OUT UK steering committee to enable their popular event to remain in keeping with the ethos of LGBT History Month. The theme for History Month 2016 will be Religion, Belief and Philosophy.
Schools OUT’s Academic Director Jeff Evans is inviting individuals and groups to put forward their ideas for popular events showcasing the histories of LGBT groups, events and individuals in their local area. The formal announcement of the full programmes of events will be this autumn.
This year’s festival included talks and exhibitions relating to queer histories in the north of England and Manchester, including: “We were born in the 1980’s: History of the Joyce Layland Centre (Manchester)”, “Anne Lister: A Life”, “Press for Change & Trans History”, and “21 years and more: BiPhoria and Bisexuality in Manchester”.
The first National Festival of LGBT History this year attracted speakers of calibre: Stuart Milk, LGBT activist and nephew of assassinated pioneer Harvey Milk, veteran campaigner Peter Tatchell, Linda Bellos and history Professor Charles Upchurch, who flew in from Florida especially for the event. The highlight of the weekend was the three-part immersive theatre production A Very Victorian Scandal, which dramatised the events of Britain’s own Stonewall event, which happened in Hulme in 1880. The closing date for festival submissions is 30th June 2015.
We are also delighted to announce the call for papers for the ‘What is & How to Do LGBT History: Methods, Subjects and Approaches’ academic conference and we are expecting submissions as last year from round the world.
For more information contact Jeff Evans: academics@schools-out.org.uk
To submit presentations, the online form is here:http://lgbthistorymonth.org.uk/call-for-presentations/
