Blackpool Rainbow Project Dinner
What a night! 80 people gathered at the De Vere Herons’
Reach, Blackpool to share an evening of entertainment, memories
and fun.
After pre-dinner drinks guests were welcomed by Kath Talboys
who introduced “There is a Rainbow over Blackpool Tower”
and described its aims. Kath also called for Blackpool to
recognise the LGBT community and its effect on and contribution
to Blackpool and noted the community was not yet included
in Blackpool’s Master Plan; the Heritage Strategy or
the Tourism Strategy.
Throughout the evening there was a sense of positive energy
and chatter interrupted by friendly banter and some of the
dirtiest laughs imaginable. The friendly atmosphere and sense
of purpose was enriched by the special guest speakers Basil
Newby and Helen Finney who shared their experiences and hopes
for the LGBT community of Blackpool. Basil’s amusing,
anecdote studded, talk told how In The Pink and the internationally
famous Funny Girls had grown whilst Helen spoke passionately
about the importance of being true to yourself and being proud
of you place in the wider community despite outside pressures
to make you fit a heterosexual standard. She spoke of how
Blackpool seemed to be the right place to carry out the important
task of documenting a heritage which had been overlooked or
ignored for too long.
During the evening facilitators encouraged guests to participate
in a LGBT quiz which included archive photographs of Blackpool
and images of famous lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
visitors to the town. The guests were also asked to write
their memories of Blackpool onto coloured cards which later
they made into rainbow towers. Some of which balanced precariously
on top of glasses and trays whilst the winning tower was innovatively
held together with contraband tape! Twenty individuals took
away disposable cameras to record an aspect of their lives
(ordinary or extraordinary) and many more signed up for reminiscence
workshops and interviews to be held in the following months.
Clive Taylor brought the evening to a close by reminding
everyone that this was not the end but the beginning and the
project needed to continue to collect stories and memories
about Blackpool from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
communities and their heterosexual friends. Clive also asked
everyone not to forget that the voice of the LGBT community
in Blackpool had been mostly silent and this project could
go some way to rectify the situation: the project could also
assist the LGBT community to be more involved in decision
making about the future of Blackpool - but that would depend
on the input of the people present.
Finally, Clive thanked Drugline Lancashire who initiated and
now manage “There is a Rainbow over Blackpool Tower”;
Heritage Lottery, its funders and everyone who had contributed
and participated so far.
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