With its home at Lighthouse, Poole Pride is a joyful celebration with a fun-filled family-friendly day of performances and activities followed by the very special Poole Pride After Party.
As part of the daytime programme, the Illustration Department of Arts University Bournemouth will be exhibiting works by LGBTQIA+ talent. Curated by Queer illustrator, Sarah Cliff, students will also be hosting a button badge-making workshop to celebrate the spirit of Pride.
“Historically, button badges have been used throughout Pride events as an affordable means for individuals to protest, demonstrate solidarity, or identify with various groups,” says Sarah.
“This year, individuals from the AUB Illustration Department have combined their creative skills with the vibrant and grainy qualities of the risograph printing process to present a selection of Pride badge designs for Poole Pride. In a world that continues to become more polarised, this tradition serves as a reminder that Pride is a space where diverse voices come together – both in celebration, and in protest.”
The exhibition will run throughout June.
“As a proud lesbian, participating in Poole Pride alongside these very talented students has been amazing. We explore how LGBTQIA+ identities can be expressed within rural settings and the natural environment, as well as in urban environments beyond a London-centric perspective.
“I really value how queer students in 2025 are seeking greater freedom and openness in expressing their identities, especially considering that in living memory communities have been
silenced by laws such as Section 28.
“While recognising that progress is not always linear, the aim was to create a show that provides space for this expression.”
Poole Pride gets underway on Saturday with CBeebies’ star and Lighthouse panto genius Chris Jarvis hosting his very special Family Disco Show from 1pm. The event is appropriate for young children and their families as part of a packed programme of daytime performances and activities that includes Destination Opera’s A Meditation on Queer Art Song, a Music Making Workshop hosted by Neil Valentine and Ed Lee from Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, a family-friendly cabaret, the Queer Ceilidh (Celtic folk dancing), children’s storytelling, Writing Out Loud’s showcase of queer spoken word, screenings of Iris Festival short films, face painting, free arts and crafts, and the stunning Wings of Love installation by Dorset-based sewist Matt Wilding.
General daytime entry to Poole Pride is free, but visitors are invited to ‘pay what you feel’. Individual entry to performances is first-come first-served at the door on the day – just turn up and show a daytime ticket.
The Poole Pride After Party in the Theatre from 7pm stars comedian Chloe Petts, the Pecs Drag Kings, and the return of the outrageous Come On Out Cabaret with a Silent Disco to end the night. Tickets are available now at Poole Pride 2025 After Party – Lighthouse.
In the run up to the big day, Lighthouse is also hosting the Poole Pride Film Festival with screenings of classic titles The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (15) and Portrait of a Lady on Fire (15) as well as the Best of Iris (15) compilation of films from the Iris Prize, Cardiff’s international LGBTQ+ short film competition.
On the day, Poole Pride’s daytime programme (accessed by a pay-what-you-feel ticket) includes afternoon screenings of Iris Prize: Heroes, Heartbeats and Shorelines (15) in the Cinema.
