Warwick Arts Centre Pride timetable in flux after society boycott

Warwick Arts Centre’s Pride Month calendar has become significantly sparser, with a number of events now cancelled in the wake of the recently announced Pride boycott.

The Arts Centre had originally confirmed a jam-packed schedule of events running from today (Saturday 31 May) to Thursday 12  June, but, following Warwick’s LGBTQUIA+ societies’ call for a boycott, the list has been updated to account for several cancellations.

Among the cancelled events are a campaign workshop, a drag performance workshop, a protest posters workshop, and the University’s annual Pride Parade.

In a joint Instagram post on 21 May, the LGBTQUIA+ societies said: “Warwick’s recent actions regarding their ‘draft’ changes to the Trans Inclusion Policy has shown how the University truly feels about protecting minority groups.

“[The University] cannot be allowed to burnish its reputation by hosting events for Pride Month while seeking to eliminate Trans students and staff from public spaces across campus.”

[Warwick Trans Action’s] ‘Pride is a Protest’ counter-event aims to “stand against the University’s […] hostility towards trans people”

The societies further affirmed that, “we will, where possible, be withdrawing from any planned collaborations with the University”.

The joint statement was signed by a number of LGBTQUIA+ societies, including Warwick Trans* Soc, Warwick Sapphic Society, (Q)ulture, and Warwick PLAN, as well as the Student’s Union’s Trans and LGBTQUIA+ Officers.

Warwick Trans Action announced on 28 May that LGBTQUIA+ societies will be hosting an alternative event in the Pride Parade’s original timeslot – Friday 6 June at 5:30pm on the Piazza.

The group’s ‘Pride is a Protest’ counter-event aims to “stand against the University’s […] hostility towards trans people”.

Some events are still scheduled to run, however, as well as a number of Pride events held solely by societies (not in collaboration with the University), such as Warwick Trans Action’s banner making event on 2 June at 5pm in R0.04.

Warwick Pride Society are also “start[ing] Pride month in style” with their LGBTQUIA+ club night ‘Euphoria’ in Copper Rooms 2 from 10pm-2am on Saturday 31 May. Tickets are £5 for members, £5.50 for non-members.

The updated Arts Centre schedule details the following student events which are still to go ahead.

Placard Making workshop

From 1:30-4pm on Wednesday 4 June, students can drop-in to the Arts Centre Gallery Foyer and join graphic designer Ellis Miles “to create and customise their own design to celebrate and/or uplift their own voices in a visual format”. Students can register interest on myAdvantage.

The Qulture Presents: A Woman Speaks – an expression of Queer Women of Colour

Inspired by the work of Audre Lorde, the Theatre Bar will host Warwick society The Qulture’s exhibition celebrating queer women of colour on Friday 6 June from 3-10pm. Tickets are free.

Mystery Film Screening

On Saturday 7 June at 7pm in the Arts Centre Cinema, students are invited to “a great night with a modern classic of queer cinema”. Tickets are £5 for this “cinematic journey into the unknown”.

Zine workshop

On Wednesday 11 June, from 1:30-4pm in the Gallery Foyer, Freyja Perkins is running a “calming, creative zine-making” session which will be “a personal space to reflect, play, and explore […] wellbeing”. This is a drop-in event, but students can register interest on myAdvantage.

Open Mic

Finally, on Thursday 12 June from 6-8pm, the Gallery Foyer will host an Open Mic session, “open to everyone”. Register interest on myAdvantage.