Shout about it!

2013 marks the fourth incarnation of the Shout Festival in the city, a festival by and for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community that includes arts, sports and politics.

Launched in November 2009 with more than one hundred performances and events in venues throughout the city, the inaugural SHOUT Festival provided a showcase for LGBT talent, offered opportunities to engage and participate and profiled the city as a destination for gay visitors from across the UK.

http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/birmingham-columnists/agenda/2010/05/10/birmingham-pride-gay-culture-s-big-say-in-the-city-s-diversity-65233-26383031/

The festival provides, as the Birmingham Post editiorial suggested in 2010, another visible expression of the city's diversity and is something that we should indeed Shout about!

Having produced three Cultural Festivals, one dedicated Film Festival and supported a number of other projects and activities, SHOUT is delighted to be bringing a new Festival of Queer Arts & Culture to venues around the region.

Between 28th February and 10th March 2013, SHOUT is presenting a range of activities and events around the Festival Theme of Generations and Legacies including new productions, performances, exhibitions and the chance for Festival-goers to get involved.

http://shoutfestival.co.uk

Before the official launch on the 28 February there will be a talk on Birmingham's Queer History at the Barber Gallery on 26 February, http://shoutfestival.co.uk/Talks/Birmingham-Queer-History/160, exploring how LGBT people lived and fought for equality, referencing the Birmingham LGBT archives and Gay Birmingham Remembered Project, http://gaybirminghamremembered.co.uk.  February is LGBT history month and the talk comes at a topical time following the fight for gay marriage and locally, the LGBT history exposed by the New Street Station redevelopment's revealing of the former slipper toilets adjacent to the station, New Street Station Redevelopment Summer 2012 Update.

 The festival will also use the recently opened Birmingham LGBT centre, Rainbow of opportunities - Birmingham LGBT Centre.