The Coming Back Out Ball invites LGBTI Elders to join Social Dance Club

A year-long cultural engagement programme created for the LGBTI+ elder community in Scotland has launched which will culminate in a spectacular final event in Glasgow 2020!

Article Source: National Theatre of Scotland
Last Updated: 21 March 2019 16:29

The National Theatre of Scotland is delighted to be partnering with international participatory superstars, All the Queens Men, Scotland’s creative ageing organisation, Luminate, and Eden Court Theatre Inverness, to launch a year-long cultural engagement programme created for the LGBTI+ elder community in Scotland. The project is being produced in association with Glasgow City Council.

The Coming Back Out Ball has been pioneered in Australia by arts company All The Queens Men. Lewis Hetherington will collaborate with creative leads from the company on the project in Scotland to create a series of social events for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Gender Diverse, and Intersex individuals and groups to take part in, offering a chance to meet new folk and celebrate community.

The first engagement events will be The LGBTI+ Elders Social Dance Clubs, which will take place in Glasgow and Inverness in May 2019. The Dance Clubs will be fabulous, free events for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Gender Diverse, and Intersex elders and allies to get a taste of plans for the final The Coming Back Out Ball. These events will also provide a space for people to share stories, memories, hopes and passions, and of course, dance moves. No prior dance experience is required, just curiosity. The events will take place monthly until Spring 2020.

The Glasgow Dance Club events will be led by creative practitioners Emma Jayne Park, Fraser McLeod, and Chris Wilson, while the Inverness clubs will be led by Amy Watt and Lou Brodie.

Full details of the final social spectacular, the actual The Coming Back Out Ball will be announced next year. Taking place in Glasgow, it promises to be a night of cultural significance in which the broader community can sit alongside LGBTI elders to eat, drink, dance, reminisce and dream together into the future.
Two editions have been presented in Melbourne, Australia in 2017 and 2018. Australian and international editions are confirmed for 2019, 2020 and 2021. This is the first time that this radical community project has been delivered outside of Australia.

Established by Australian artists Tristan Meecham and Bec Reid, All The Queens Men champions social equality celebrating diverse communities through creative actions, contemporary arts and socially engaged frameworks. They create spectacular theatrical and participatory art experiences and their work is presented globally at arts festivals and cultural contexts.

In the UK elders have lived through times when being LGBTI could result in imprisonment, loss of employment and rejection by family or friends. For many, impending old age has meant some are going back into the closet, for fear of being deprived of companionship and quality care when they need it most.

The LGBTI+ Elders Social Dance Club
The LGBTI+ Elders Social Dance Club is a fabulous, free event for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Gender Diverse, and Intersex elders and allies, offering a chance to meet new people and celebrate community alongside refreshments, music, conversations and dancing.

Location: The Tron Bar, Glasgow
Date and time: 19 May 2019 from 2 to 4 pm

ALL EVENTS ARE FREE

LGTBI elders and groups can book in for these sessions, or register their interest in taking part in The Coming Back Out Ball social events in the following ways:

Online: nationaltheatrescotland.com/cbob
Email: thecomingbackoutball@nationaltheatrescotland.com
Phone: 0141 227 9013

Advance booking is not required. Interested parties are free to turn up at the session.

More social events will run throughout 2019, in locations to be announced.

Join the conversation: #comingbackoutball