Today centred, London’s LGBTQ community development charity, launches two new projects: The four year project ‘Together – Equal – Different’, and a year long project with and for diverse Deaf LGBTQ people, called ‘Sign Up’.
These projects will continue centred’s work to build diverse, creative, inclusive and connected LGBTQ communities in London, ultimately improving the well being of LGBTQ people and their family and friends.
‘Together – Equal – Different’ will provide an accessible events programme, including large scale events and more intimate ones, themed around arts and culture, heritage, social education and the environment; learning opportunities about equality, diversity, and inclusion; and a collaborative action research project exploring the impact of aspirational, celebratory community activities and spaces on LGBTQ experience.
‘Sign up’ will provide a series of workshops culminating in a major Deaf LGBTQ arts event in May 2015, bringing together creative talent from across the diverse Deaf LGBTQ community. The event will be Deaf led, with friends and family welcome to be a part of the day too.
centred will recruit new volunteers, strengthen relationships with the diverse communities it works in and with, including Deaf communities and Black, Asian and ethnic minority LGBTQ communities, and exchange learning within other diverse communities of queer people, and their family and friends.
‘Together – Equal – Different’ is funded by The Big Lottery Fund’s Reaching Communities programme and ‘Sign up’ is funded by Awards for All.
Participants in centred’s previous work have been integral to the development of ‘Together – Equal – Different’ and ‘Sign up’ and to the achievement of new funding. The generosity of feedback and the co-creation of new ideas are what enable centred to continue its work. A participant in centred’s Second Generation project shared ‘being a part of diverse spaces, where difference is placed at the centre of everything, has been challenging but in a good way. I have a much different view of the community now’. This is the community that centred will help to grow.
