Proggy Pride in Sunderland for the LGBTQIA community

A free Proggy Pride Party is taking place at Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens, giving members of the LGBTQIA community and their allies the opportunity to celebrate the heritage of the North East by using traditional proggy mat techniques to create a giant Pride -Flag help.

Organized by the Celebrate Different Collective, the event for young adults (ages 18 to 25) will take place at the museum on Wednesday, September 13th from 6 to 9 p.m. The session is free, but reservations are strongly recommended.

The Celebrate Different Collective are Sunderland Culture’s young arts leaders – a team of 12 young people who meet weekly to plan projects, co-produce and deliver their own cultural events and work with artists to learn new skills and support the programme To support Sunderland Culture.

From left: Jenna Dodds, Jack Whyte, Jennie Lambert and Emily Findlay. Jenna, Jack and Emily are from Celebrate Different Collective. Jennie is the museum’s learning manager (Image: SUNDERLAND CULTURE)

Flag making is led by textile artist Louise Underwood. She will teach the young adults how to make colorful rags into burlap and tell them about the history of this traditional craft that was so closely linked to working-class mining communities in the Northeast.

Young adults can also bring their used clothing to create a new wardrobe of upcycled fashion in the Swap Meet zone. Textile artist Rosie Thornton and fashion students from the University of Sunderland will be on hand to help customize the clothing.

Jennie Lambert, learning manager at Sunderland Museums, said: “Each young person receives a token for each item of clothing they bring in, which they can then exchange for another item of clothing.”

“They will also have the opportunity to create a protest poster with artist Mark Rogerson at the ‘Mini Print Station’, using traditional printing methods. There are delicious mocktails and themed snacks to enjoy.

“The group talked about how loud and sometimes overwhelming traditional Pride events can be. This event is designed to be fun, inclusive, accessible and sensory safe.”

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The Proggy Pride Party is part of New Wave, a series of innovative youth-led events produced for this year’s Heritage Open Days Festival.

New Wave is a Heritage Open Days project presented by the National Trust and supported by People’s Postcode Lottery players.

For more information about the Proggy Pride Party, visit sunderlandmuseum.org.uk