Poole Pride, the third annual celebration of the town’s vibrant LGBTQ+ community, attracted record numbers with a full day of live performances, talks and workshops at Lighthouse.
One of the UK’s few building-based Pride events, Poole Pride saw more than 1,500 participants and visitors enjoy live music, cabaret, poetry and a silent disco, as well as art and craft sessions, storytelling and visit stalls hosted by organisations that champion and support the LGBTQ+ community and provide advice and information.
“There was such a genuine sense of community throughout the day,” says Jessica Tressell, who performs as charismatic drag king Oliver Clothezoff. “Everyone involved did an amazing job of showing up for local people and creating a space where they could simply be themselves.”
Lucy Muir from Poole-based alt folk band Sassenach, adds: “For me also a meaningful and memorable day. If you’d have told a young, vulnerable teenager in 1991/2 that one day they’d be performing at a local Pride and in a venue like Lighthouse I would not have believed it. An amazing opportunity – thank you.”
Other performers included Lighthouse regulars Lucid Cabaret, four times UK beatbox champion Grace Savage, folk singer Maddie Morris, and a performance workshop hosted by Diverse City. In the evening, comedian Suzi Ruffell performed her latest standup show, The Juggle.
(NC)