Curious Arts

📢 New R&D Grant Opportunity for Trans, Nonbinary, and Gender Nonconforming Artists! Curious Arts, alongside Live Theatre (Newcastle), Tron Theatre Ltd (Glasgow) and Dr Rachel Hann at Northumbria University, is thrilled to announce two R&D Grants as part of the Trans Performance Now project. This initiative supports trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming artists based in the North East of England or Scotland to develop innovative performance ideas. Selected artists will receive comprehensive support, including a £10,000 grant, studio time, and mentorship from leading professionals and academics. This opportunity is designed to help artists bring their unique visions to life and pitch them to producers. Application Deadline: 12pm, 29 July 2024 Learn more and apply here: stagingtransness.com

📣 Calling all LGBTQIA+ artists and creatives in the Tees Valley! Ready to showcase your talent on Pride stages across the region? As part of Pride in Tees Valley, supported by Tees Valley Combined Authority, Curious Arts invites LGBTQIA+ Performance Artists based and/or working in Tees Valley to apply for our Pride Stages Commissions 2024! 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ We're looking for up to 2 artists to create a new performance idea (or develop an existing one) to be showcased at Pride events throughout 2024! Supported with commission fees, in-kind space, producer support and more. Find out more about the opportunity, including how to apply: https://shorturl.at/emn46 Deadline: 1st May 2024, 12pm (noon) #PrideInTeesValley #CuriousArts #TeesValleyCA #Pride #LGBTQIA #ArtistCommission - Presented in partnership with Darlington Hippodrome, Middlesbrough Town Hall, ARC Stockton Arts Centre and Northern Pride, with additional support from Borderlands CPP, North Star Housing and Tees Valley Community Foundation. - 📸 Benjamin Michael Smith

To round off our period of reflection, we’re inviting you to take some time to be Curious! 🌈💛 Here are some of the many ways to support and get involved in our work… 🎨 Champion LGBTQIA+ arts, artists and communities 🏳️🌈 Be a good ally 🎤 Come along to a Curious Arts event 🎟️ Buy a ticket for someone else 🌟 Collaborate on a project 🤝 Start a partnership conversation 🔺 Become a Queer Arts North Partner: https://lnkd.in/geVd-3Ry 📝 Book LGBTQIA+ awareness training for your organisation: https://lnkd.in/eWi43PGb 🎭 Co-commission an original work 🏳️⚧️ Co-programme LGBTQIA+ artists together 🌈 Book Wildflower or Mini Pride (or both!) ✨ Host a Curious Cabaret or Takeover 📢 Invite Curious Arts to speak at your conference or event ✏️ Invite Curious Arts to deliver a workshop 🗣️ Invite Curious Arts to be part of a panel 💫 Join our Community Champions panel 👍 Volunteer with us 💛 Follow Curious Arts on Social media 💌 Join our mailing list for email updates: https://tr.ee/vW4WDyNUvu 🖐️ Spread the word about our work 🎙️ Tell your local community/arts centre about Curious Arts 💰 Fund a Curious Arts project 🎉 Sponsor a Curious Arts event 🤗 Make a donation: ko-fi.com/curiousarts 🫂 Become a regular giver: https://lnkd.in/gwdZEXZZ 🛍️ Buy merch from our shop: ko-fi.com/curiousarts/shop If you would like to start a conversation with us, get in touch at hello@curiousarts.org.uk. You can also find out more about our work in our shiny new celebration report here: https://shorturl.at/mqJW3. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for Curious Arts… Let's champion and celebrate diversity, creativity, and inclusion together! 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ #CuriousArts #BeCurious - 📸 Michael McGuire / Sail Creative Image description: A group of people outside standing together in front of an inflatable church. Some of them are dressed up and hold bouquets. They all smile or have their mouths open excitedly. At the top left over the image is a red circular shape with text “Ways to be Curious”.

📣 Work with Curious Arts - Creative Producer (Maternity Cover) Opportunity! 🌟 We are seeking a talented Creative Producer to join our small team for a period of maternity cover. Are you passionate about championing LGBTQIA+ culture and communities? Do you have a talent for creative project management and producing impactful work? This could be the role for you! As our Creative Producer, you'll lead the planning, management, and delivery of our ambitious projects and programmes. From family arts events and artist development to pride activities, you’ll be part of our core collaborative team celebrating LGBTQIA+ culture across the North East and beyond 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ Find out more about the role: https://shorturl.at/bejm2 Part-time contract, 20 hours per week over 3 days. Closing date: Sunday 14th April 2024, 12 noon. #CuriousArts #CreativeProducer #ArtsJobs #LGBTQIA - 📸 Haydn Brown

The theme of today’s reflection is gratitude ✨ Over the past few weeks as we’ve looked back on Curious Arts’ journey, we’ve shared the highs, the lows and all the curveballs in-between to still be here proudly championing LGBTQIA+ culture and communities. Today we’re taking a moment to say a heartfelt thank you and acknowledge the brilliant people who’ve supported us along the way. Those whose generosity has enabled us to survive and thrive, who’ve celebrated with us on our most joyous days and those who’ve handed us a life-raft or advocated on our behalf (sometimes at a cost). Thank you so much to… 🌟 Our Curious team for your continued dedication, care and commitment. 🌟 Our Board of Trustees across the years for your support navigating a canoe which quickly grew into a cruise ship! 🌟 The Artists and Creatives who’ve joined us on the journey for your creativity, trust and willingness to be visible/share your art with the world. 🌟 The Freelancers who’ve jumped in to support, share knowledge and advice and contribute to meaningful projects. 🌟 Our Partner organisations, Queer Arts North partners and friends for continuing to be active in your allyship and commitment to LGBTQIA+ culture and communities.  🌟 Our Funders and Supporters for recognising the value of our work and its impact for LGBTQIA+ communities. 🌟 Our regular givers and donors for your unwavering kindness and generosity in trying financial times. 🌟 All LGBTQIA+ community members, young people and allies who’ve come along to a Curious event, participated in a project, attended awareness training, followed us online and shared your experiences.  🌟 LGBTQIA+ creative, community and support organisations across the country for your visibility, resilience and continuing to carve out space for LGBTQIA+ communities to be championed. 🌟 And of course, the LGBTQIA+ community as a whole, for living authentically and unapologetically. Thank you to each and every one of you who have chosen to be Curious these past seven years and into the future - it’s an absolute joy to have you with us. Find out more about the work they’ve all helped make happen in our celebration report linked here: https://shorturl.at/mqJW3 If you’ve not started your Curious journey just yet, what are you waiting for? Start a conversation about how we might work together by contacting: hello@curiousarts.org.uk - 📸 Michael McGuire / Sail Creative - BCorp 💫

📣 Work with Curious Arts - Creative Producer (Maternity Cover) Opportunity! 🌟 We are seeking a talented Creative Producer to join our small team for a period of maternity cover. Are you passionate about championing LGBTQIA+ culture and communities? Do you have a talent for creative project management and producing impactful work? This could be the role for you! As our Creative Producer, you'll lead the planning, management, and delivery of our ambitious projects and programmes. From family arts events and artist development to pride activities, you’ll be part of our core collaborative team celebrating LGBTQIA+ culture across the North East and beyond 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ Find out more about the role: https://shorturl.at/bejm2 Part-time contract, 20 hours per week over 3 days. Closing date: Sunday 14th April 2024, 12 noon. #CuriousArts #CreativeProducer #ArtsJobs #LGBTQIA - 📸 Haydn Brown

Work for a small/medium sized organisation or as a freelancer? Want to be active in your allyship and become more LGBTQIA+ Aware? 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ Increase your confidence in engaging with and supporting LGBTQIA+ people and communities with our Proud Allies LGBTQIA+ Awareness Training. Both within your organisation or work, and beyond. "This is an essential training for any company or anyone, who cares about awareness relating to matters of inclusion and equity." - Participant feedback Book your spot for our next Public Proud Allies LGBTQIA+ Awareness Training for Individuals… Wed 10 Apr, 1:30pm - 4:30pm. Online. Book your spot: https://lnkd.in/gg8RAAnE #CuriousArts #NorthernPride #ProudAllies #LGBTQIAAwareness #LGBTQIA #Training - Proud Allies Training - Developed by Curious Arts in partnership with Northern Pride.

TW - mentions hate and phobia As we continue to celebrate & reflect at team Curious, this week we’re acknowledging the challenges we’ve overcome to still be here championing LGBTQIA+ culture and communities today. We’re often told social media offers a rose-tinted view of the world but today we’ve chosen to be real. It’s a tough climate out there for LGBTQIA+ communities, our rights and freedoms are constantly up for debate. It’s challenging being LGBTQIA+, having multiple identities and being underrepresented. Its challenging being a creative in a cost of living crisis - as many of you know too well. The list of obstacles we’ve faced over the past seven years continues to grow from abuse, hate crime and phobia, competitive funding climates, unsuccessful applications and “misaligned values”, a global pandemic and economic uncertainty, changing legislation and minority stress to creative projects that for whatever reason just didn’t work at the time. We acknowledge that Curious’ achievements have sometimes come at a personal cost. Its due to the strength and resilience of our Curious family, artists, freelancers, young people, LGBTQIA+ community members, allies, partners and supporters that we’re all here continuing to celebrate and advocate for eachother. It’s tough out there and we’re so much stronger together. At Curious, we’re focused on being visible and proud despite the challenges thrown our way (and sometimes because of them!). Continuing to create projects and events which use the power of the arts to highlight the heritage, creativity and brilliance of our LGBTQIA+ communities; the challenges they face and the value, glory and wonder they bring to the world. Even if that world could do with embracing us all a little more warmly. From vibrant Pride events across the country and LGBTQIA+ youth groups to Proud Allies Training and family takeovers, we’re staying Curious, even on the darker days. We hope you will too 🌈 Find out more about our work in our celebration report linked here: https://shorturl.at/mqJW3 Helplines & support services: https://lnkd.in/gCBVnFsz (Newcastle) & https://lnkd.in/gKfjctan (Teesside) Find out more about how you/your org can increase awareness and understanding of intersectional LGBTQIA+ communities with our Proud Allies training: https://lnkd.in/ecjDbVDi Support our work, donate to our Ko-fi: https://lnkd.in/eA4PmqT5 📸 Festival14, Canary Wharf, Sean Pollock Photography & Sail Creative

📣 Trainers needed to help create inclusive, welcoming spaces for our LGBTQIA+ community! Curious Arts and Northern Pride are looking for people to join our team of trainers to support and deliver our “Proud Allies” LGBTQIA+ Awareness Training. 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ If you have a robust knowledge of LGBTQIA+ life, culture and experiences, and experience in training & workshop facilitation, then this could be the role for you! Find out more (including how to apply): https://shorturl.at/djEJ0 Deadline for applications: Weds 10th April, 12pm #LGBTQIAAwarenessTraining #ProudAllies #CuriousArts #NorthernPride #JobOpportunity

At team Curious, we’re taking some time over the next few weeks to do something we don’t do enough…celebrate and reflect ✨ Curious Arts has been on quite the journey since our beginnings in 2017. Starting life as Curious Festival and growing to become a leading LGBTQIA+ arts and youth charity, developing, championing and advocating for LGBTQIA+ culture across the North East and beyond. Working hard to actively live our values and ensure LGBTQIA+ creatives and communities are visible, represented and celebrated now and in the future. 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ There have been many moments of celebration along the way, and all are thanks to our dedicated team, board, artists, partners, supporters and community members for making them happen. From producing the biggest LGBTQIA+ arts festival in the UK in 2019 and delivering LGBTQIA+ awareness training to thousands of professionals nationally and internationally. To supporting hundreds of LGBTQIA+ artists to develop thought-provoking and much-needed works and our considerable fundraising efforts, directly benefitting LGBTQIA+ arts activity and the artists, young people and communities we work with. It’s been quite the adventure (with plenty of bumps along the way, but we’ll talk about those next time!), and there’s still so much progress to be made for our communities and the kinder and fairer future we aspire to. But today we’re doing what LGBTQIA+ people do best and that’s being Proud, of what’s been achieved and all the exhilarating moments still to come. If you’re a friend of Curious, or brand new to us, we invite you to find out more about our work in our shiny new celebration report linked here:  https://shorturl.at/mqJW3 As we celebrate together, we’d love you to share your Curious memories in the comments. Whether you said “I Do” in the Inflatable Church of Love, lived unapologetically at a Curious Ball or have witnessed the magic of Wildflower. Stay Curious! - 📸 Michael McGuire / Sail Creative - BCorp 💫 Image description: Performer Steve Wonder on stage at an outdoor Pride festival in front of a large crowd. Stevie is a wheelchair user and wears a red hat and green shirt. At the top right of the image is a yellow circle with text in it that reads “Celebrating 2017-2023”. - Arts Council England Community Foundation serving Tyne & Wear and Northumberland Gateshead Council ARC Stockton Arts Centre Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art Middlesbrough Council Consortium of LGBT+ Voluntary and Community Organisations Newcastle City Council Teesside University Dance City Northern Stage Newcastle Live Theatre The Glasshouse International Centre for Music Northumberland County Council Newcastle University