Newman’s Hannah Phillips produces the first LGBTQI+ family arts festival
Dr Hannah Phillips, Applied Writing BA Programme Lead at Newman University, has produced the first LGBTQI+ family arts festival at Midlands Arts Centres (MAC) on 26th September.
The No Outsiders Family Festival will run in partnership with Birmingham Pride and the MAC and is an inclusive, free, LGBTQI+ festival of creative chaos for 3-11 year old children as well as adults, and attendees are encouraged to dress up and come as whoever they would like to be.
Dr Phillips conceived the idea and also produced the No Outsiders Family Festival and wants the festival to be an inclusive arts festival which celebrates the diversity of identities and alternative families across Birmingham and is a festival where everyone is welcome.
Throughout the day there will be circus workshops with Rogueplay, a highly physical theatre-based company, as well as a semi-classical Bollywood dance taster for little ones and their grown-ups with Bollywood dance artist Jaivant Patel.
Audiences can join Open Theatre, who use non-verbal physical theatre to collaborate with young people with learning disabilities, for a workshop of music and movement. Head to the Hexagon Theatre to watch a film based on Action Transport Theatre’s hilarious stage show, Happily Ever After, a charming and humorous fairy tale with a twist, told completely without words and set to a delightful score by Patrick Dineen.
In the public spaces at MAC visitors can join in with free craft activities creating a SuperFamily portrait or Superhero mask and the No Outsiders comedy show by Britain’s Got Talent local, Barbara Nice followed by a family disco.
Two Newman University students Ellie Sproson (Applied Humanities) and Charlie Lennon (Drama) will be working on the festival as assistant producers.
For further information visit the MAC website.