Where nowt never happens.

What Is Pride?

Pride is a celebration and affirmation of identity and diversity. It's an expression of the right to live openly and authentically. While initially taking the form of marches and protests against discrimination and violence, Pride events have become a peaceful extension of acceptance and celebration. While Pride festivals highlight issues affecting LGBTQIA+ people, these events have become wider community celebrations, with people from many different backgrounds coming together to relish diversity in community, background, faith, family structure, and many other contexts.

pride bishop Auckland

Baccanalia produced the inaugural two-day Pride Bishop Auckland festival along with the students at Bishop Auckland College on Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd June 2024. The festival took place on the Bishop Auckland's college campus and welcomed the whole town to come along. It was a colourful celebration of identities and culture featuring performers and community groups showcasing a diverse range of expressions and causes. There were music and cabaret performances, comedy and drag acts, family activities, stalls offering food, information, and crafts as well as educational talks. Students had the opportunity to work in a professional setting alongside some of the country's best-known Pride and cabaret performers, including drag queen Ginger Johnson, the reigning winner of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, and award-winning comedian Stephen Bailey.

"Our vision for Pride - Bishop Auckland was to embody ‘Pride in identity’. It's about bringing together people from all walks of life, irrespective of background or family structure. While Pride shines a light on our LGBT+ friends, it extends that offer beyond to our shared pride: pride in our working-class identity, civic pride, community pride, local pride and pride in ourselves".