TE is celebrating PRIDE MONTH this June with a company-wide fundraising appeal for LGBTQ+ homelessness charity, akt.

akt (formerly the Albert Kennedy Trust) is a charity supporting LGBTQ+ young people aged 16-25 who are facing or experiencing homelessness or living in hostile environments.

Coming out, or being outed as LGBTQ+, can lead to young people being made homeless, and 24% of homeless young people identify as LGBTQ+.

The charity aims to find these young people safe homes, employment, education or training and to celebrate their identities to improve their life outcomes.

Every day throughout June, visitors to our UK venues including Trafalgar Theatre in London, The Chiswick Cinema, and our 12 regional venues – will be able to donate directly to akt by scanning the below QR code (displayed in venues) on their mobile phones.

You can also donate to TE’s akt Just Giving Page. 

The Chiswick Cinema is supporting the West London Queer Project (WLQP) and queer distributor Peccadillo with 5 screenings for Pride month plus the regular WLQP screenings. The films are Pride, Tangerine, Ammonite, The Bird Cage and Swan Song. The cinema will also have a Stonewall IPA for sale in the bar.

Trafalgar Releasing celebrates the life and work of legendary singer and LGBTQ+ icon George Michael on the big screen with George Michael Freedom Uncut, coming to cinemas worldwide on 22 June. The film will also feature as part of the “Pride in London X Science Museum Late” event on 29 June from 6:30pm.

And our outrageously fun production of The Rocky Horror Show, continues its World Tour throughout Pride month, with performances in Bristol, Southend, Stoke-on-Trent, Cambridge and Glasgow. Ready to thrill you with its frothy, fun and naughty moments!

Check out this amazing video from Riff Raff (aka Kristian Lavercombe) from The Rocky Horror Show talking about our campaign!

Theatres around the Group are also celebrating Pride Month.

Southend Theatres has a gazebo at the Chelmsford Pride weekend event on 25 June. The team will be promoting forthcoming productions at their stand and via three specific adverts showing on the main event screen over the weekend.

Paul Driscoll, Marketing Manager said: “This is the perfect event to promote our shows to the crowds, and we have worked with Essex Pride now for a number of years at their various events.”

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The Orchard Theatre Dartford is hosting the first ever Dartford Pride between 30 June and 2 July! The council has given the venue funding to host and run the event, in partnership with them and the Orchard team will be working with a number of external partners to deliver it.

Highlights for Dartford Pride 2022 include Into The Groove – The Ultimate Madonna Tribute in partnership with Entertainers with an after party at The Hufflers Arms, Drag Club Night in association with Glitterbomb, featuring Baga Chipz & Danny Beard and Camp Classics Disco with Tropicana Nights.

The Main Event takes place on an Outdoor stage on 2 July, and there will be stalls, food, bar, and face-painting. Featuring a DJ, drag hosts, a Lip-sync Battle, tribute acts and Headline acts including Keeley Smith from ITV’s Starstruck, BGT’s Twist & Pulse, Rupaul’s Drag Race UK’s River Medway and singer Gareth Gates.

In addition to Dartford Pride, The Orchard Theatre recently launched an LGBTQ+ Network Group. The goal of the group is to build a support network of members of the LGBTQ+ community and its allies and to allow the team to have input in changes and progress made in the building around inclusivity, equality and diversity.

For Pride, the Orchard team are hoping to engage online crochet groups to create flags, bunting and flowers to be displayed throughout the month and official events.

If you are a fellow crocheter within the TE family, and would like to join in and send something to the Orchard team, please contact:
Amy Edwards
[email protected]

The Orchard’s Wellness Team are having Pride as the focus for their monthly newsletter (Catch Up In The Corridor, Topic In The Toilet and Info in the Inbox) where we will be talking about the history of Pride, celebrating national HIV testing day (and sign posting how to get tested) as well as other fun and factual information.

Carol Newton from HR has been getting creative by knitting these fabulous Pride post box toppers!

And finally, Southend Cliffs Pavilion is proudly flying its pride flag throughout June.