Cumbria Pride have introduced their newest event 'Create with Pride' which has received funding by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Whilst the project is aimed at a specific age group, the launch event is open to the whole community. Cumbria Pride have activities planned for day, with speaker Jude Guaitamacchi, and music from singer Miss Pearl. A free screening of the film ‘Love, Simon’ will also be included as part of the day.
Jane-ann Clark, Chair of Cumbria Pride said: “Following the success of Make with Pride, our project for families with younger age children, we kept being asked by lots of people and organisations if we could do a project for older children.”
“There’s little out there for this age group to engage with when it comes to LGBT+. We do have LGBT+ youth clubs throughout Cumbria, but attendance often involves sharing their identity and separating from friends. Our project is something for both those who identify as LGBT+ and allies, so it removes the anxiety of disclosing their identity and friends can attend together.”
LGBT+ history is often ignored, leading to a lack of awareness in younger generations. 'Create with Pride' is designed to combat this by providing a safe space to learn about the communities history.
The project will be delivered through a series of workshops that will cover a range of topics related to LGBT+ history. Participants will learn about key events, figures, and milestones, from the Stonewall Riots to the fight for marriage equality.
They will have the opportunity to explore the diverse experiences of LGBT+ people, including those from underrepresented groups.
Karyn Wood, Project Co-ordinator of Cumbria Pride said: "Create with Pride is an exciting new project for Cumbria Pride,"
"We're thrilled to be able to offer young people the opportunity to learn about LGBT+ history and explore ways of sharing this information creatively. We believe that by engaging young people in this way, we can make a real difference in promoting understanding of the LGBT+ community."
By raising awareness, the project aims to create a more inclusive and accepting environment for everyone in the community.
A launch event has been planned for Sunday April 2 from 11am to 4pm at Harraby Community Campus. It is a free event.
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