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This year’s Homotopia Festival is held from 1st – 20th November, and brings artists and performers to venues across Liverpool.
Now in its 19th year, the international festival is the UK’s longest-running LGBTQIA+ arts and cultural festival. With Liverpool hosting Eurovision in 2023, here’s ten reasons why Homotopia is the perfect warm up for the singing celebration.
Homotopia Festival’s theme in 2022 is Queer Joy as a Protest. With much of the media focus on the LGBTQIA+ community targeting crime, controversy and anger, the simple act of living out, proud, queer lives is a protest.
With over 30 events, Homotopia Festival takes place over three weeks and is held at venues across Liverpool including Tate Liverpool, Unity Theatre, Bluecoat, Melodic Distraction, The Quarry, Lovelocks Coffee Shop and more.
Since its first event in 2004, Homotopia’s launch party has always been one of Liverpool’s most in demand events. 2022’s launch takes place on Friday 4 November and already has a waiting list!
The festival has an artist-in-residence which, each year, allows a queer artist to explore their prioactice, navitage the festival theme and provides a spotlight on a unique talent. This year’s artist-in-residence is the award-winning Tabby Lamb, who brings a show of Trans Excellence to the Unity Theatre.
Young Homotopia is a strand of the festival’s work championing up and coming talent. 2022’s young icons bring a queer twist to Hansel & Gretel to the Unity Theatre stage.
Theatre has always been at the heart of Homotopia festival’s programme. In previous years the programme has included artists like Travis Alabanza, David Hoyle, Jinkx Monsoon, Le Gateau Chocolat and more.
Homotopia has always celebrated and championed Liverpool’s queer talent and the community’s history and cultural significance. The festival was the first to showcase the significance and cultural contribution of April Ashley MBE, one of the first transgender women in Britian, a Liverpool born icon who inspired countless artists. A major exhibition, in partnership with Homoptopia, at the Museum of Liverpool celebrated her life.
As well as taking place inside galleries, museums and music venues, Homotopia Festival also spreads into the public realm with Queer the City. This year, its walking tour explores the queer heart of Liverpool, the visible and the unknown, famous and infamous stories of LGBTQIA+ life in the city.
In 2022, Homotopia Festival hosts its first punk night. Queer Punk is a Protest features Skinny Girl Diet, pink suits and Piss Kitti.
QueerCore is an artistic development programme, developed and funded by Homotopia, which supports four artists from Liverpool city region. It gives the emerging artists 12 months of structured support, a bursary, mentorship and professional development opportunities. The four artists in 2022 are Kolade T Ladipo, Marcella Rick, Rhiannon May and Rosa Kusabbi.