Liverpool Pride unveils online events for the Young at Heart
Liverpool’s annual may have been postponed because of the pandemic but LCR Pride Foundation has now brought together a series of online events to keep the region’s LGBT_ community connected.
The organisation has revealed its theme for 2020/21 is Young at Heart and aims to highlight the benefits of keeping active and doing things you love on physical and mental wellbeing, along with work taking place in the region.
Online events will include virtual interviews with LGBT+ champions and allies working to improve the wellbeing of the community, digital panel discussions and Q&A sessions, and film and music events.
The programme begins this Wednesday with a chat with LCR Pride Foundation patron and Paralympian Claire Harvey.
The foundation’s Film with Pride initiative will also launch a season of free online screenings this Friday, May 22, starting with two short films, The Love Letter written by Jade Winters and directed by Nathan Hannawin, and Hey Google directed by actor Leon Lopez and dealing with issues surrounding isolation and loneliness. It was written, filmed and edited while under the current UK lockdown.
Film with Pride’s screenings of local, national and international LGBT+ films, which are shown monthly at Picturehouse at FACT, were cancelled in March following the Covid-19 outbreak and subsequent lockdown.
A still from Hey Google
Since then its team has been working closely with partners and LGBT+ directors, filmmakers and creators to compile the season of films and shorts to be screened for free online, with the support of UNISON North West LGBT+.
Links to watch the films will be shared from Film with Pride’s website and Facebook and Twitter profiles from 5pm on Friday and will be available to view until at least midnight.
LCR Pride Foundation co-founder and interim CEO, Andi Herring, said: “In the midst of a global pandemic, it’s never been more important to turn our attention to our own mental and physical health and that of those around us.
“Even before the coronavirus outbreak, more than half of LGBT+ people had experienced depression in the past year and one in seven LGBT+ people had avoided seeking healthcare for fear of discrimination from staff.
“Our 2020 campaign aims to not only challenge the internal and external prejudices around mental and physical health that our community faces, to also embrace self-care and care for others.
“We believe everyone has the right to enjoy a happy healthy and carefree life, regardless of age, ability or how they identify.”
For more information about events visit the website HERE