Sparks Bristol to host a month of 'Pride & Protest' events this June

Sparks Bristol is to host a month of 'Pride & Protest' events this June, celebrating the strides made within the LGBTQ+ community and recommitting to the work that lies ahead. The events aim to bring people together to stand proud, raise voices and spark change. 

Pride celebrates the vibrancy and diversity of our LGBTQ+ community, but it’s more than just a celebration - pride is our protest. It’s a powerful reminder of the ongoing struggle for equality and justice. In over 60 countries, being part of the community is still a punishable offence. As we celebrate diversity and inclusion, let’s not forget the members of our community who continue to fight for their rights. Pride is our protest.

The month of June will see Sparks Bristol filled with Pride & Protest events including craft workshops, drag bingo, Sofar Sounds and more.

Join A to Zie Prints on Sunday 2 June for an afternoon of collage and badge making, where you can make placards and signage ahead of Pride marches, and help to re-establish Pride as a protest. On Saturday 29 June, join PrideCAF for a look into the history of comics, zines and the LGBTQ+ community, followed by the chance to get crafty, creating your own comic or zine. 

Celebrate the powerful local LGBTQ+ voices in your community at Sofar Sounds Pride & Protest show on Saturday 8 June. For a limited number of people only, when you buy 2 tickets you can bring a friend for free, simply apply the promo code 'SPARKSXSOFAR0624' at the checkout to redeem this offer. And join Mariana Trench on Friday 21 June for a loud and proud game of drag bingo. Expect silly jokes, questionable anecdotes, sensational live singing and fabulous prizes! 

Image: Bristol Pride parade outside Sparks Bristol

Esteemed Drag Queens Mariana Trench and DIS will host an interactive workshop on the History of Drag on Saturday 15 June. Discover key figures in art and activism who transgressed the gender binaries to garner the global attention drag performance commands today. Mariana returns to Sparks on Friday 21 June for a loud and proud game of drag bingo. Expect fabulous prizes, sensational live singing, silly jokes and questionable anecdotes. 

On Saturday 8 June, Bristol Drug Project’s service for people who identify as LGBTQ+ (PRISM) will be hosting a stall with advice and information. They will have space for you to chat about drug and alcohol use and the opportunity to book in for one-to-one support. 

Owner of The Ethical Gift Shop, Sam McKay, who has been coordinating Sparks Pride & Protest said, “Our focus with these events is providing a space for community and wellbeing in the queer scene. Our strength is in shared knowledge, community care, and resistance to those who wish our voices to be silenced. We hope that through this program of events, we are able to facilitate these urgent conversations and action.”