Caithness Pride season set to be a celebration of LGBT community in far north
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The host of a new Pride event taking place in Caithness hopes it will promote acceptance and celebration of the LGBTQ+ community in the far north.
Wick-born Craig Manson has curated the two-week season of events which will take place at Lyth Arts Centre with what organisers describe as an eclectic line-up of workshops, performances, gigs and films.
Taking place during the annual Pride month, typically held in June each year, it is believed to be the first of a kind event to be held in Caithness.
It will celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer pride, which highlights the movement for LGBTQ+ rights and celebrates LGBTQ+ culture. The event is set to be a fun-filled celebration open to all.
Craig, who now lives in Glasgow but is back visiting family and friends in the area regularly, said: "It's surreal to be curating a Pride season in Caithness and a testament to the great work Lyth Arts Centre do for the community.
"I've always known I was gay, but growing up in Wick in the 90s and 2000s, it wasn't spoken about in a positive way.
"Having a programme like this is a great way to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community here and show how much we've progressed.
"I think it's going to be fab! Not only as a way for people to see and experience some amazing LGBTQ+ work, but also as an opportunity to be together in celebration and acceptance at a time of increasing division."
Local artists including Kevin Crowe and Jamie Bacon will feature alongside some of Scotland’s most renowned queer performers. This includes the legendary Glasgow queer cabaret show Queer Theory and Aberdeen’s Mae Diansangu, a poet and spoken word artist who has performed at literary festivals across Scotland and appeared on BBC Scotland's Big Scottish Book Club and BBC Radio 4's Tongue and Talk.
The Pride season kicks off at the centre on Friday, June 9, with a launch event from 6pm-9pm.
Organisers point out that the number of Pride events across Scotland has increased markedly since the first major event held in Edinburgh in June 1995. Shetland celebrated its first major Pride event in 2022, with thousands attending the one-day event.
As part of the event, Lyth Arts Centre is urging businesses and organisations in Caithness to sign up to the Scottish LGBTI+ Rainbow Mark – a new initiative to create more welcoming places in Scotland.
Charlotte Mountford, director of Lyth Arts Centre, said: "LGBT+ people live in every part of Scotland and we are part of every community – so we knew Caithness deserved it’s own Pride celebration.
"We want to showcase Caithness as the open, inclusive and tolerant society we know it is. Everyone is welcome to the Pride season and we look forward to a fun-filled couple of weeks!"
Tickets and more information can be found at https://lytharts.org.uk/pride-month/
