Festival goers who don’t want to miss out on this year’s main stage entertainment at Northern Pride can now buy their tickets in advance. This year’s event – taking place at Newcastle’s Town Moor over the weekend of 22-23 July -will continue in the format of recent years with two distinct areas – The Festival Arena and The Community Village. And due to spiralling costs and the continued after effects of the pandemic, this year will see a small charge introduced to enter The Festival Arena. Northern Pride has remained the only event of its kind in the region not to have a charge attached, and while access to The Community Village remains free, this year organisers have introduced a small cost to access The Festival Arena, to ensure it can maintain its usual high standards across the entire festival. In addition to the Main Stage - where the yet-to-be-revealed big name acts will perform -The Festival Arena will also feature the BeScene dance and cabaret zone, which will showcase performers from across Newcastle’s LGBTQIA+ scene. The Festival Arena will have bars and food stalls, along with the funfair and access to the Platinum Bar and Garden – sponsored by Bobby’s Newcastle – for those who have bought tickets for the new and improved VIP space. Tickets start from £6 for each day or £10 for a weekend pass. Northern Pride will be working with its charity and not-for profit partners to gift tickets to their service users, with festival attendees having a ‘Pay it Forward’ option on the ticketing platform which will allow Northern Pride to donate additional free tickets to those who may be unable to purchase them,. Northern Pride is also encouraging local businesses to take advantage of partner opportunities which will also help donate extra tickets for charities and not for-profit partners. “This is a great opportunity for an organisation or company who want to support Northern Pride in a small way to buy passes that can be distributed to people who may not have the funds,” said Ste Dunn, Director of Northern Pride. Ste added that there had been no option but to make a charge. “This hasn’t been an easy decision to make, but if we are to keep Northern Pride Festival at the level people expect, while maintaining a free to access community event, we have had to introduce a charge for the Festival Arena,” “Costs have increased massively and this is the only way we can provide such a fantastic event in the current climate.” Organisers have ensured that there are still free aspects to the event, which includes the return of the Community Village with its stand out feature, the Curious Arts stage. Following on from its success last year, the Community Village will also bring back the sports and active life zone and the LGBT Northern Social Group will return to support those who may be attending Pride for the first time. “We are committed to keeping the Community Village free,” said Ste. “This area is right at the heart of the Pride movement, creating a safe space for people to come together in grass roots activities and activism.” The Community Village will also see the return of the Family and Youth zone and the Health and Wellbeing area, which for the first time, will operate across the whole weekend. The Rainbow Village and its market stalls has previously only run on the first day of Pride, however this time it will be open on both Saturday and Sunday, following requests from attendees at last year’s event. “We are sure the LGBTQIA+ community will understand this decision and will support this year to ensure we really do have one of the best events to date,” said Ste. Tickets for over 12s are now on sale at www.northern-pride.com with the option to also upgrade and buy a Platinum Pass. Businesses can learn more about partner opportunities by heading to www.northern-pride.com/supporterguide

We've got two exciting voluntary roles to join our planning team for Pride 23! We're looking for someone who loves spreadsheets, and someone who loves storytelling! So step forward and join our team as either our Finance Manager or our Comms and Marketing Manager and help us deliver for our community. Nimerta, our Community Engagement Officer for Family and Youth (pictured in purple) said "volunteering for Northern Pride means giving back to my community and making sure as many people as possible can feel that joy of being their true authentic self" FINANCE MANAGER To provide financial management of the charity including dealing with banking processes, bookkeeping, reconciliation, cash flow, reporting, budget management, invoicing and purchase order processes and regular financial returns including but not limited to, VAT returns, end of year reports, Gift Aid returns. COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER To support the delivery of Northern Pride events, campaigns, and outreach work, by providing communication and marketing support throughout the planning and execution of all activities. To apply, send an email with a CV and covering letter to info@npride.org.uk. Alternatively, you can send a short video sharing why you should be considered. CLOSING DATE 13th March. For more information, head to www.northern-pride.com/getinvolved We're also on the lookout for some skills to bring to our team of event volunteers, from social media management to content writers and designers. Head online to apply!

Presented by Generator & Brighter Sound - Join I. JORDAN and a group of Northern Non-Binary & Trans noise-makers, rappers, composers, DJs and more performing new sounds created in just five days. Known for their palette of raw and emotive club music, I. JORDAN leads an intentional, dedicated residency for Trans and Non-Binary artists at Star and Shadow from 23-27 January. “Trans and queer spaces are powerful and transformative”, JORDAN says. “But there are not enough dedicated spaces that specifically allow artists to just create. We will be using the power of community to harness our creativity. I can’t wait to see what we make together.” SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Trans_Formation Open Decks at World Headquarters | Tuesday 24th January, 7pm – 10pm Underground club World HQ are opening their doors once a month to welcome the DJ’s of tomorrow with the opportunity to play on their two amazing sound systems. This month’s will be ring fenced for Female, Trans and Non-Binary people – providing a space space for DJs to gain experience on a professional club set up and on a club system, trial new ideas and learn from others. Trans_Formation Roiler Boom Open Decks at The Lubber Fiend | Wednesday 25th January, 5pm til late The North East’s community radio station Slacks Radio are hosting their monthly radio social Roiler Boom at The Lubber Fiend as part of our Trans_Formation residency. Open to the public, free entry, no sign up, one turntable and one tape deck. You don’t have to bring any music, just come down, chat to some Slack’s and Lubber friends and family and listen through our stunning funktion-one system. Walk ups welcome Trans_Formation Social at The Lubber Fiend | Thursday 26th January , 7pm doors An informal Q&A and mixer event for queer, trans and non binary creatives based in the North of England to broaden networks and nurture collaboration. Q&A will take place between I.JORDAN and TAAHLIAH One of dance music’s most exciting artists, London-based I. JORDAN is a true disciple of high-energy, high-emotion dance music. After holding down DJ residencies and promoting DIY parties across the UK for the best part of a decade, 2019 saw I. JORDAN take the plunge into releasing their own original music for the first time with an instant impact. TAAHLIAH has been confidently cementing her position amongst the main players of the electronic music landscape. She is also the first black trans artist to be nominated and win in two categories at the Scottish Alternative Music Awards Trans_Formation Residency Showcase at Star and Shadow | Friday 27th January , 7:30pm doors. Join I. JORDAN and a group of noise-makers, rappers, composers, DJs and more performing new sounds created in just five days. Known for their palette of raw and emotive club music, JORDAN leads an intentional, dedicated residency for Trans and Non-Binary artists at Star and Shadow from 23-27 January. “Trans and queer spaces are powerful and transformative”, JORDAN says. “But there are not enough dedicated spaces that specifically allow artists to just create. We will be using the power of community to harness our creativity. I can’t wait to see what we make together.” Join them at Star and Shadow as they perform their new tunes live for the first time. Trans_Formation Residency Showcase at TRANUARY Festival | Saturday 28th January TRANUARY is a new day-to-night festival by Trans for Trans, platforming the best in Trans talent from across the UK taking place at Soup, Manchester. 12 of the most exciting up-and-coming noise-makers, rappers, composers and DJs perform new sounds created on a 5-day residency led by I. JORDAN, an artist known for their palette of raw and emotive club music. Following a premiere performance in Newcastle, the group will perform live at TRANUARY between 8.30-9pm.

Companies across the North East and beyond wanting to increase their awareness and understanding of the LGBTQIA+ community can now sign up for a special training programme. Northern Pride has joined forces with award-winning cultural charity Curious Arts, to develop a scheme for both individuals and organisations, which centres around equality, diversity and inclusion. The aim is for companies which are “actively looking to create safe and welcoming working and customer environments” for LGBTQIA+ people to sign up and be given all the information they need to achieve that aim. The Proud Allies Training has been developed so it can be delivered both in person and online and will cover topics such as correct language and definitions, history of both Pride and the LGBTQIA+ community, the law and discrimination and working with allies. It will also look at specific areas including people of faith, children and young people and supporting LGBTQIA+ people in the workplace as well as trans and non binary inclusion policies. Ste Dunn, director of Northern Pride said feedback from those who had participated in the course so far had been very positive. “We have worked with Curious Arts to create a programme which is suitable for everyone, regardless of the size of a business and the number of employees,” he said. “It’s been particularly well received by companies which have a public facing role and for both HR and management teams. “It is also flexible enough so that we can address any particular areas that organisations would want including and that is particular relevant for them. “We believe this is something that is vital for anyone want to increase their understanding of the LGBTQIA+ community and how to engage with them.” Costs start from £900 plus VAT for 16 people but bespoke quotes can be created on application.

For the first time ever, LGBTQIA+ people have been included in the England and Wales: Census 2021. We've made history! We are now recorded in Census data for the first time since it started back in 1801. This data will be used by charities, and service providers to better support and understand our community. We've looked at our North East data: 🏳️‍🌈 Over 50k, 3.12% of people living in the LA7* identify as Gay, Lesbian, Bi, Pan, Asexual, Queer, and other. (UK 1.5m, 3.2%) 1.5m, 91.2% identified as straight/heterosexual (UK 43.4m, 89.4%) 95k, 5.7% in the LA7 didn't answer (UK 3.6m, 7.5%) 🏳️‍⚧️ Over 7k, 0.45% of people living in the LA7 said their gender was different from the sex registered at birth, including but not exclusive to Trans Man, Trans Woman, and Non Binary identities. (UK 262k, 0.5%) 1.5m, 95% said their gender was the same as their sex registered at birth (UK 45.7m, 93.5%) 76k, 4.75% in the LA7 didn't answer (UK 2.9m, 6.0%) The question was asked to the 'householder' and they answered on behalf of those living in that residence and was for those over the age of 16. This could mean that those whose gender identity or sexual orientation is not known or accepted by the person completing the census, or those under 16, may not be included in the results. We see you, and you are valid. The Census 2021 shows the importance of visibility and inclusion in our national story. We have always been here. Now we're #ProudToBeCounted. *LA7 - 7 Local Authorities that we support, Co Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, and Sunderland)

The committee and I would like to simply say, thank you, thank you to 2022. Since February 2020, it’s been an incredibly turbulent time for the team and for us as a charity. Navigating the pandemic, with highs and lows, delivering not one but two virtual prides, one bigger and more refined than the last and the launch of our new concept Ouseburn Family Pride, definitely outweigh the lows… but coming back to an in-person programme for 2022 got us all excited! What we didn't predict, was the amount of challenges we’d face as a non for profit and voluntary-led, events-based charity. Of course, our challenges were not necessarily unique to us, they were mirrored across not only the festival and events landscape, but of those from our wider UK Pride Organisers Network community. With supply and demand meaning we struggled with contractors fulfilling our requests and our costs increasing by over 30%. So why are we thankful for 2022? Well, we saw our community come together in force and with louder voices than ever! During our UK Pride weekend, sponsored by Barclays, we welcomed over 70,000 people to the Town Moor as we occupied more space thanks to our good friends at The Freemen of Newcastle. Our campaign to Remember, Resist and Rise Up truly came to life as we heard the sounds of over 25,000 voices calling for trans rights during our march which was led by and dedicated to the trans, non binary, and gender-diverse community, sponsored by NE1. We wanted to ensure we elevated and celebrated the LGBTQIA+ community throughout the event with over 90% of all performers, artists, creatives and campaigners who took to one of four stages, being from the community and from the North East. Something we’ll continue to champion, and applications for next year are already flooding in! We took the learns from our two incredibly successful virtual events and brought the festival to people's homes with our Live at Pride broadcasts, with thanks to our sponsor SmurfitKappa. We had a reach of over 275,000 and over 20,000 viewers engaging on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. A huge thank you to our media solutions partner, DW Media, and our hosts Journals of Dami and MXYM. As we took up more land, we were able to deliver more zones to the festival, with the introduction of a Sports Zone showcasing our amazing inclusive sports clubs from around the region. Our partnership with LGBT Northern Social Group grew with the introduction of their own community zone featuring our changing facilities to make it safer for people to travel to and from the event. With thanks to our Travel Partner, Nexus and Tyne and Wear Metro, we were able to enhance our accessibility offering with track matting making it easier for wheelchair uses to move around site, our raised platform and BSL interrupters returned, along with our high dependency unit and we introduced rentable ear protection for those that needed it. Our UK Pride campaign obtained global attention with a combined reach of over 442 million and 7.2 million views of our stories in the local and national press. Away from the festival, we saw some fantastic partnerships come to life, with the fundraising support of organisations like IKEA Gateshead, Amazon Gateshead, Home Bargains, Junk Yard Golf, Newcastle Thunder and many others. We were also able to sell over 8,000 pieces of merchandise, from badges to bags, to our regular lanyards, sponsored by NE1 and our wristbands, sponsored by Eldon Square; which saw wearers claim some fantastic discounts across the shopping centre. This doesn't include the merchandise sold through our partnership with Powder Butterfly and their collection (still onsite now!) All the monies raised were used to offset the cost of the festival to ensure it remains free for all to attend. Something we’re determined to work hard to maintain, even whilst we see costs raise and disposable income decrease. We know that as we head into 2023, we’ll continue to see challenges in delivering our events based activity but we are as always grateful to have the support of so many of our community, partners, supporters and sponsors. There are many ways in which you can help us keep our promise to Protect, Promote and Provide for the regions LGBTQIA+ community. You too can hold a fundraising event like those that did this year, you can buy merchandise with new products and new designs landing regularly. You can encourage your employer or company to sponsor a part of the festival, one of our satellite events or campaigns. Or even book our new Proud Allies training in partnership with our good friends Curious Arts. You could purchase a Platinum Pass and take advance of our new and improved Platinum experience with thanks to our returning sponsor, Bobbys Newcastle. You could also apply to take part in the festival, from performing to delivering workshops. You could run a market stall, and walk in the March. You could join our team as a volunteer or part of the organising group. The possibilities are endless! So it is fair to say, for an incredibly hard year, we have a lot to be grateful for! So as we say, thank you 2022, we get ready to welcome 2023. The political and social landscape is tough for our community right now and thats why we’re more determined than ever to ensure our events, campaigns and outreach work focuses on amplifying the voices of our community throughout the year, with our festival returning July 22nd to 23rd and our mission the same, to remember our past, resist oppression and rise up to challenge and fight for equal rights for all. I hope you’ll join us. Ste Dunn, Northern Pride Director and the Northern Pride Committee.

One of Newcastle’s favourite bars is giving its support to the region’s leading LGBTQIA+ festival. Work is now underway for Northern Pride, which is planned for the weekend of July 22 -23 2023. We have revealed how those who choose to buy a Platinum Pass will get an amazing experience, thanks to the support of Bobby’s Newcastle at Scotswood Road, which is sponsoring the Platinum Bar and Garden. Next year’s event will see the Town Moor site reconfigured, giving those with the Platinum Passes their own festival entrance, private marquee, large private scale bar a garden area with seating, and more luxurious toilets than in previous years. The area will be far bigger, to deal with the increased demand and ensuring that it is a comfortable space for everyone. “We were overwhelmed by the number of people who wanted Platinum Passes during our UK Pride 2022 event,” said Ste Dunn, director of Northern Pride. “So we have factored that in this year and have allocated more space including giving everyone with tickets access to the Platinum Pass Circle at the front of the main stage. “We are extremely grateful to have had Bobby’s come on board once again, as without their support and the support of our sponsors, we could not create an event on this scale.” Kirk Spencer of Bobby’s said the sponsorship was part of an on-going commitment to support the community. “We are involved in a whole host of different activities to support the local LGBTQIA+ community, including holding regular open mike nights, fundraising events, and we even support teams like Panthers FC and The Ravens rugby team,” he said. “We are delighted to be able to sponsor the Platinum Bar and Garden again and look forward to working with Northern Pride on the run up to the festival weekend.” Platinum Passes are now on sale for the event, although all the Early Bird passes are sold out. Prices start from £14 (plus fees) for a day pass and £20 (plus fees) for a weekend pass. Further information and booking is available at www.northern-pride.com A number of other sponsorship opportunities are available for the festival, which can be viewed at the website.

A new look to the festival site, a unique training opportunity and the delivery of the postponed Ouseburn Family Pride are among the plans for Northern Pride 2023. At a sponsors and supporters breakfast held today (Tuesday 29 November) Northern Pride director, Ste Dunn, outlined the exciting and ambitious plans for the year ahead. And although a new festival logo, designed by queer artist Russell Atkinson, will be introduced for 2023, the mission statement remains the same – Remember Resist Rise Up. Speaking at an event at Newcastle’s Crowne Plaza Hotel this morning, Ste revealed the main changes that will take place next year and highlighted the success of Northern Pride 2022 which was also UK Pride. This included around 25,000 people taking part in the Pride march and more than 70,000 people visiting the festival over the three-day weekend. Those unable to attend were able to watch Live at Pride via social media, which attracted more than 20,000 views. Ste thanked the volunteers and supporters who helped make the event a huge success – and then unveiled the proposals for 2023. The biggest change will be a “flip” of the Town Moor site with visitors having to pass through the Community Village, with its various zones and market stalls, before reaching the Festival Arena which will include the main stage. Wanting to stay true to the grass roots reasons for Pride, the aim will be to grow main stage activism and the number of speakers and will also require all performers to provide information so that BSL will be enabled throughout the weekend. The market stalls and health zone will now run over both days of Northern Pride rather than just the Saturday and, after seeing more than 30,000 website hits over the course of the festival weekend, the plan is to introduce a mobile app to provide festival attendees instant access to information. The Platinum Bar and Garden, sponsored by Bobby’s Newcastle, will be larger than previously to cater for the bigger demand and the aim will also be to bring back the LGBT Northern Social Group and Sports Zone. “We have a huge number of exciting plans some of which will be subject to us raising the necessary funding, and to help keep the festival free to attend” said Ste. “So it’s crucial for us to continue to get as many supporters on board to help us achieve this ambitious programme.” Plans already in place include a Proud Allies training programme in conjunction with Curious Arts, which will support businesses gain a greater understanding of the LGBTQIA+ community and their needs. Guests also heard from Izaak Gledhill from Curious Arts regarding the partnership with Queer Youth Music and how the young people will be helping with the programming of the event and performing on the main stage. Nimerta Virdee, Family and Youth Manager at Northern Pride also revealed that Ouseburn Family Pride, sponsored by Opencast– which had to be postponed because of the Queen’s death – will now take place on 28 May 2023. “All of these exciting plans will take place in the run-up and during Northern Pride 2023,” said Ste. “We have some really exciting and ambitious ideas and we are hoping that we will continue to get the support we need to turn these ideas into a reality.”

The Amazon fulfilment centre in Gateshead has donated £1,000 to an LGBTQIA+ charity in Newcastle. The donation from Amazon in Gateshead will go towards the operational costs needed to ensure that the Northern Pride Festival remains a free to enter event, and the largest free pride festival of its kind. The festival welcomes around 70,000 people over the course of the three day weekend, and this year saw over 25,000 people march through the city as the organisers held the title of UK Pride. To celebrate the donation, the team from Northern Pride visited the fulfilment centre in Gateshead for a tour of the building. Richard Thompson, General Manager at Amazon in Gateshead, said: “We are pleased to make this donation to the team at Northern Pride and everyone at Amazon in Gateshead enjoyed welcoming the charity to our site for a tour. We’re passionate supporters of the work done by Northern Pride across the North East in championing an inclusive and accepting community.” Jacob Clark, an employee from the team at Amazon in Gateshead, said: “Resources like the ones Northern Pride promotes are incredibly helpful for the LGBTQIA+ community. I appreciate the work the charity does promoting LGBTQIA+ culture and dispelling misinformation to help end discrimination.” Ste Dunn, Director at Northern Pride, said: “It was great to visit the fulfilment centre and meet some of the Amazon team members and thank them personally for the donation. With each donation from local businesses and the community, we are encouraged to continue spreading information and guidance to help build a more respectful environment for everyone.” The donation to Northern Pride was made as part of Amazon’s programme to support the communities in and around its operating locations across the UK. Amazon is providing disadvantaged students with online STEM courses as well as teaming up with charity partner Magic Breakfast and delivering more than six million healthy breakfasts to families in England.

The opportunity for North East-based performers to be part of Northern Pride 2023 has been unveiled by the event organisers. And now the hope is those involved in all types of the performing arts will sign up. This year’s event attracted around 70,000 people, with Northern Pride also hosting UK Pride, a title it won to deliver in 2020 but which was postponed because of the pandemic. Speaking at the North East Exchange, at Sunderland’s Fire Station today (Nov 14), Northern Pride director, Ste Dunn, revealed how there would be paid opportunities for the region’s creative community. North East Exchange is an initiative designed to help connect artists, creative, venue and festival programmers working in performance, and was a great opportunity to share how the festival was a departure from previous years, where the emphasis was more on celebrating the talent within the region’s LGBTQIA+ community and giving them a platform, rather than a programme of big name celebrities. And the success of that direction has led the team behind Northern Pride to start the search for individuals and groups to be involved in 2023. With Ste wanting to get people to sign up as early as possible. “We won the title of UK Pride in 2018 and were finally able to deliver it this year,” he said. “Our promise was to use that status to elevate and celebrate the North East’ LGBTQIA+ community and one of the ways we did that was to ensure our event programme was focussed on the regional community. “In fact, 90 percent of all the performers, creatives, artists, and activists, who appeared on the main stage were from the community and from the region as a whole.” Ste revealed that this move had been well received – giving organisers the confidence to continue in the same vein this time round. “We received some incredible feedback from those individuals and the attendees of the event,” he added. “Ensuring a wide range of styles of music and genres, dance performances, and multi-cultural experiences meant that everyone across the weekend was exposed to something new, an act or artist they’d never seen before.” Ste asked the attendees at the event to give their support to the festival and is now promoting the paid opportunities that are available. “We are hoping that people will get involved and apply to take part in what is one of the biggest events on the LGBTQIA+ calendar,” he said. “Once again, we will be delivering a festival over a massive 14-acre site on Newcastle Town Moor as well as our Pride March which gets bigger and bigger every year. “We can’t wait for people to sign up.” Northern Pride Festival 2023 will run over the weekend of 22-23 July. Watch the UK PRIDE 2022 highlights and be inspired to join us for Pride 2023

A Much Loved musical which opens in Newcastle tomorrow (Nov 15) will be taking to the stage with Pride, as it supports the city’s largest free festival. The multi-award winning Kinky Boots, opens for a short run at the Tyne Theatre and Opera House this week, bringing back to the region the smash hit show about a shoe factory which is saved from bankruptcy by a drag queen. And anyone who attends will also be able to support next year’s Northern Pride festival, after show producer, Starlight Theatre Productions, has partnered with the organisation. Throughout the run of the show, which was written by 80s pop icon, Cindy Lauper, attendees will be able to support Northern Pride, allowing the organisation to continue to carry out work throughout the year which culminates in the annual Pride weekend. Ste Dunn, Director of Northern Pride, expressed his gratitude to the company. “We are delighted to be supported by the team at Starlight Theatre Productions who are fundraising during their run of Kinky Boots,” he said. “Funds raised will be used to support our ongoing campaigns, outreach work and to help keep the Northern Pride festival free to attend. “We hope as many people as possible will go to see this incredible show which has been wowing audiences for almost a decade but as well as having the feel-good factor it also has an important message about being true to yourself."

Trans_Formation: Power in Community - an intentional, dedicated space for Trans and Non-Binary music makers led by I. JORDAN Leading music organisations Brighter Sound and Generator have teamed up with DJ and producer I. JORDAN to facilitate a creative space for Trans and Non-Binary music makers from across the North of England. Applications are now open for the project, which will take place over 6 days at the end of January 2023. The selected group will work with I. JORDAN, known for their palette of raw and emotive club music, alongside guest artists Ifeoluwa and TAAHLIAH. Throughout the week the chosen artists will collaborate to produce and perform brand new music at Star & Shadow, an inclusive venue in Newcastle. On day six, they’ll travel to Manchester for a final performance at TRANUARY - a new day to night festival by trans for trans, platforming the best in trans talent from across the UK. Priority will be given to people from or based in the North of England (North East, North West and Yorkshire regions) and the organisations are particularly keen to hear from marginalised intersectional communities including Black, South Asian and ethnically diverse people and people with lived experience of disability. This project is part of Brighter Sound’s mission to make music more accessible, equal and diverse, and follows the launch of All Things Equal - their Manifesto for Gender Equality in Music which was released on International Women’s Day in March 2022. I. JORDAN said, “This will be an opportunity to support, nurture and grow our creativity and create something unique in a space that is ours. Trans and queer spaces are powerful and transformative, but there are not enough dedicated spaces that specifically allow artists to just create. We will be using the power of community to harness our creativity. I can’t wait to see what we make together.” Brighter Sound’s Head of Programmes Kate Lowes said, “Throughout our 22-year history we’ve been pushing the boundaries of music projects, working in alternative spaces to support people who are underrepresented in music. Following 7 years of work at the forefront of gender equality this feels like an exciting and important next step in breaking down barriers and creating more space for people of marginalised genders. Our residencies create a space where artists can feel free to create work that might have previously been considered ‘unsafe’ or outside of social convention. We’re delighted to be collaborating with Generator and I. JORDAN to open up new conversations, and support personal growth and creative exploration.” Generator’s Head of Creative Development Helen Walkinshaw said, “Generator are thrilled to be partnering with I. JORDAN and Brighter Sound to deliver this much needed and eagerly anticipated programme. As a team, personal experience and passion has been poured into the planning and preparation of ‘Trans_Formation: Power in Community’ to shape a programme that is valuable, nurturing and relevant. It has been a joy working with I.JORDAN, their insight and knowledge is invaluable, and their enthusiasm is infectious. Having them steer the collaboration and lead the cohort will undoubtedly produce unparalleled results.” The deadline for interested artists to apply is 11pm on Monday 12 December, with more information available on Brighter Sound’s website. More Information Trans_Formation: Power in Community is presented by Brighter Sound and Generator, in partnership with TRANUARY. Supported by Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and PRS Foundation as a Talent Development Partner, supported by PPL. Brighter Sound Brighter Sound is a music development organisation based in Manchester. Working across the North and internationally, they produce pioneering residencies, commissions, training programmes and events to support, inspire and platform artists and music professionals at all career levels. Equalising opportunity is part of their DNA, and with every step they work towards a fairer and more sustainable music world. Brighter Sound are specialists in gender equality in music, and have been providing dedicated support to women and people of marginalised genders in the classroom, the boardroom, onstage and backstage since 2013. Generator Formed in 1991 and based in Byker, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Generator is the leading creative talent development agency and an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation. The organisation delivers a year-round programme of activity ranging from fully funded courses to one off workshops, seminars and networking events as well as a major music festival which over the years has provided a platform for chart-topping artists including Sam Fender, DuBlonde, Lanterns on the Lake and Nadine Shah. Headed by CEO Mick Ross, Generator’s core team are supported by its leadership board and youth advisory board as well as a number of freelancers and facilitators drawn from across the industry. Generator’s work is generously funded by North of Tyne Combined Authority, Arts Council England, PRS & PPL Foundation, Youth Music, Community Foundation and the European Union Regional Development Fund. Generator is signed up to the Keychange pledge ensuring access for all across its programmes and is a living wage employer. Tranuary CIC Tranuary is a North West based community events organisation, centred around a day-to-night festival in January, with a mission to celebrate and support the Trans and Nonbinary community of the UK. Run by and for the Trans community, TRANUARY creates radically inclusive spaces which actively promote the work of Trans artists, writers, DJs, activists and performance makers, while providing safe spaces for attendees to develop both creatively, personally, and as a community.