SUPPORTERS OF one of the UK’s largest free LGBT+ festivals will be able to take a walk through history at this year’s event.
Northern Pride Festival returns to Newcastle from 19 to 21 July, with the Festival Arena taking place at the Town Moor and Exhibition Park housing the Community Village.
And organisers have revealed that this year’s event will include the Stonewall Remembrance Garden, a new feature at the Community Village to celebrate key milestones in LGBT+ history.
Sponsored by EDF Energy, the space will complement the festival’s theme of 50 years since the Stonewall riots – which took place in 1969 at New York’s Stonewall Inn and served as a catalyst for the LGBT+ rights movement in the US and around the world.
As an extension of this, the garden will display images and information about prominent moments since then, such as the formation of the national LGBT+ charity, Stonewall, in 1989 and the legalisation of same-sex marriage in 2013.
And Northern Pride are inviting festival-goers to contribute to the exhibition by sending in their own images and experiences to info@npride.org.uk.
Ste Dunn, chair of Northern Pride, believes the Stonewall Remembrance Garden will be a great addition to this year’s event.
“While Pride is a lot of fun and a great way to celebrate how much the LGBT+ community has achieved, it is so important that we don’t forget why it started,” said Ste.
“We’re always looking for new ways to add to the festival experience and the garden is a great way for members of the LGBT+ community and our allies to learn more about the background behind Pride.
“We want the installation to be a real community effort and we hope that the public will help us achieve this by sending in their own stories about being LGBT+ over the last 50 years.”
Along with the Stonewall Remembrance Garden, the Community Village will be home to the Curious Arts Stage, Rainbow Village and a number of zones, including the Health and Wellbeing Zone and the Family and Youth Zone.
The nearby Town Moor will transform into the Festival Arena, with the platinum bar, fun fair and main stage featuring big name acts across the weekend including Fleur East, Saara Aalto and Liberty X.
The festival is free to attend but those looking to secure a prime viewing position and access to a dedicated bar and toilet area can upgrade to a Platinum Pass at www.northern-pride.com/box-office.
For more information about any of the events in the festival programme, visit Northern Pride’s website or search northernprideuk on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.