Homotopia is an international LGBTQ+ arts festival held annually in Liverpool, England. The festival takes place in late-October and throughout November every year and features a mixture of theatre, dance, film, photography, art, cabaret and debate at numerous venues across Liverpool.
Homotopia is the longest running annual LGBT arts and culture festival in the United Kingdom.
History
Homotopia was launched as a pilot project on 1 November 2004, in response to Liverpool's successful bid to become European Capital of Culture. The festival was commissioned by the Liverpool Culture Company's Creative Communities project, and started life as a ten-day programme of film, theatre, photography, art, comedy, storytelling and heritage designed to bring together an assortment of artists. Heavily supported by Liverpool City Council, the initiative was hailed as a sign of the city's 'growing maturity' in the run up to Capital of Culture and as an opportunity for the gay and lesbian community to play a vital part in the region's rich and diverse cultural life.
The first event was attended by some 2750 people, but by the following year its visitor numbers had doubled, partly due to the high calibre of guests who had featured including prominent gay rights activist Peter Tatchell.
By 2008, the festival had showcased the largest Tom of Finland art retrospective in the UK as well as the first ever North-West Grand Vogue Ball and visitor numbers had climbed to over 12,000. City leaders praised the celebration as a highlight of Liverpool's cultural calendar.
2009 marked a new chapter for Homotopia, when a youth visit to Poland helped to forge new international partnerships. The visit became instrumental in the development of the festival's international arts programme and burgeoning social justice work. The trip also inspired an anti-homophobia documentary and education pack, which was rolled out to 100 schools and youth centres across Liverpool, gaining notable support from out gay Hollywood actor Sir Ian McKellen.
Since 2010, in addition to offering its diverse Liverpool schedule, Homotopia's work has expanded internationally and attracted audiences at various functions in Turkey, Finland, Sweden and Russia.
In 2011, Homotopia was granted National Portfolio status by Arts Council England.
In 2018, Homotopia founder and long term Artistic Director, Gary Everett, parted ways with the organisation. Guest Curator, Cheryl Martin, led the programming of the 2018 festival.
After a period of uncertainty, the Board of Trustees appointed Char Binns as Festival Director in early 2020. Alex Ferguson was appointed as Producer to lead the organisation into a new era. The pair had previously managed the festival in a freelance capacity.
Structure and governance
Homotopia was founded in 2004 as an unincorporated association, with a small grant from Liverpool City Council. In 2012, in the same year it was included in the Arts Council England National Portfolio of organisations (NPO), it became a private limited company limited by guarantee, with charitable aims. Its main annual funders are Arts Council England and Liverpool City Council.
Past festivals
YearDatesThemeLocation of launch partyDescriptionSources202311 November until 22 DecemberGods and Monsters2022 1 November until 20 November Queer Joy Is A Protest Tate Liverpool Numerous events including: Cabaret by The Bitten Peach, Tea for T4T and Queer the City by Tabby Lamb and Andrew Bullock, This Charming Man by Sian Davies, Fashion Spies and Confetti by Will Jackson, Woman Hood by Ursula Graber, UTOPIAN by Symoné, Queer Punk is a Protest featuring Skinny Girl Diet, pink suits and Piss Kitti at Quarry. 'Where are all the lesbians' featuring Lynne Harwood, Mark Anthony, Chardine Taylor-Stone and Marcella Rick. 2021 28 October until 14 November Coming Out Numerous events including: Jade Anouka - Debut of 'HEART' play, performance workshop and online watch party of Her & Her; Queer, As In Funny featuring Rosie Jones; Peter Groom presents Dietrich: Live; One in, One out - Liverpool’s smallest Gay Bar at Everyman’s Street Café; Darren Pritchard Dance presents the Family Vogue Ball; The Return of The Jinkx & De La Holiday Show, Live!; Yours Sincerely by Will Jackson; Sian Davies and Rosie Wilby present Breakup Monologues; The Village Hall by Tabby Lamb; Final Baby Girl by Baby Lame; David Hoyle evening of performance and provocation; Virtual events included Pearl Necklace, Round the Horne inspired queer sketch revue for the TikTok generation in partnership with District & DESPITE THE MONKEY, on-demand series of LGBTQIA film shorts from around the globe. 2020 29 October until 15 November Show Your Working Over 20 events including: Fox Fisher: #Transtopia live screenprinting, Queer Bodies Workshop, Queer Arts North at Homotopia; My Genderation: Shorts, Screenings and Discussion; QueerCentric Music Night Concert; Eat Me: The Limited Edition; Chair Dancing Fitness Take 2, Mirror Mirror, A Lovely Word at Homotopia, Trans Creative at the Movies, Fox Fisher in conversation, Pride – Film With Pride, Collective Encounters: Queer Womxn in Action; Days Out, Drag Promenade, One Woman, TGPFEST – The Goddess Projects, Queer the City Art Crawl, Naomi Westerman's 'Woof Woof.' 2019 31 October until 10 November Resist! Resist! Hope Street Hotel Over 20 events including: An Evening with Travis Alabanza at Blackburne House, Keith Haring x Amy Lamé at Tate Liverpool, Sex Education by Harry Clayton-Wright, Nightclubbing by Rachael Young, Joan by Lucy J Skilbeck, Retro(per)spective by Split Britches, Strange Lands and How to Survive - Mandy Romero, The Gloop Show by Oozing Gloop, Stars by Mojisola Adebayo, Bona Pop - Created by DuoVision at The Gallery (Liverpool), Who Are We? - Xavier Velastín & Virág Pázmány. Commissioned by Homotopia, Pansy Boy - Paul Harfleet at St Helens Library, Queercentric Music Night (Collaboration with Liverpool Queer Collective), Queer Arts North at Homotopia (Collaboration with Curious Arts) 2018 2 November until 1 December I Will Survive Hinterlands Over 30 events including: John Waters: This Filthy World at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, The Ginger Snapped: Jinkx Monsoon & Major Scales, Burgerz by Travis Alabanza, Fat Blokes by Scottee, 2018: Where Are All The Lesbians? produced by Liverpool Queer Collective, Rent Party, Hip Hip I'm Gay, Mop The House: A Short Guide to Vogue, Wake Up Together: Ren Hang (UK Premiere) and Robin Hammond's Where Love Is Illegal at the Open Eye Gallery 2017 26 October until 25 November Liberation 50 Double Tree Hotel Over 50 events including: The Vaudevillians: Jinkx Monsoon & Major Scales, ICONS: Le Gateau Chocolat, Major exhibition at the Museum of Liverpool "Tales from the City" featuring a collection of tokens, clothes and ephemera charting LGBT+ history in Liverpool over the last 50 years; Coming Out: Sexuality, Gender and Identity at the Walker Art Gallery, Son of Liverpool: Gerry Potter, Medea, Written in Rage, Do You Mind If I Smoke? Memoirs of Fenella Fielding, You've Changed, Maggi Hambling: In Conversation; David Hoyle: Diamond, UK premier: Whitaker Malem Pop Artisans exhibition 2016 October until November Forbidden Foundation for Art and Creative Technology 19 events across Liverpool including: The Rise and Fall of The Hamburger Queen by Ashleigh Owen and Paul Burke, Pride & Prejudice at Walker Art Gallery, Zoe Lyons : Little Misfit at Unity Theatre, Scratch & See at Unity Theatre (Featuring Divina DeCampo), Transformation: One Man's Cross-Dressing Wardrobe at Walker Art Gallery, Andrew Fekete: Out of Time at Victoria Gallery and Museum, David Hoyle - In the Company of Friends at Unity Theatre, Penny Arcade - Longing Lasts Longer at Unity Theatre, Queer in the Gallery at Walker Art Gallery 2015 October until November Art = Life Camp and Furnace Over 50 events including: Zanele Muholi - VUKANI/RISE at Open Eye Gallery, If These Spasms Could Speak at Citdel Theatre, Alien Sex Club by John Walter at Camp & Furnace and The Bluecoat, The Bride of Frankenstein - Liverpool Small Cinema, Dior and I at FACT Liverpool, Dir. Frédéric Tcheng, Celebration of Life for World AIDS Day, The Butch Monologues at Unity Theatre, Kate O'Donnell - Big Girl's Blouse at Unity Theatre, Theseus Beefcake - Produced by Panic Lab at Unity Theatre, Portrait of Jason at FACT Liverpool (Dir. Shirley Clarke, 1967), Sarah Waters: In Conversation, Jean Abreu Dance Blood, Le Gateau Chocolat - World of Glass, Pay It No Mind: The Life and Times of Marsha P. Johnson (dir. Michael Kasino, 2012), Middle of the Road - Bourgeois & Maurice and David Hoyle at Unity Theatre, Mandy Romero - Scandinavia Has Been Good To Me, Duckie: Twenty First Century Music Hall at Citadel Theatre. Featuring Amy Lame and the Duckie crew, Jack Rooke - Come Ride with Me, Panti Bliss - High Heels in Low Places at Epstein Theatre 2014 23 October until 23 November Miracle of Miracles Hope Street Hotel Over 30 events including: The Gang: Photographs by Catherine Opie at Walker Art Gallery, April Ashley: Portrait of a Lady at Museum of Liverpool, John - DV8 Physical Theatre at Liverpool Playhouse, David's Place - David Hoyle, Rainbow Jews at Unity Theatre, My Scouse Voice - Fenella Fielding at Unity Theatre, Transmitting Andy Warhol - Tate Liverpool, Now + Then: Three Decades of HIV in Merseyside at Museum of Liverpool, Terence Davies: In Conversation at The Black-E, Scars on Sunday: A Honky Tonk Mass at Fredericks. Starring David Hoyle, Mojisola Adebayo - Retrospective at Unity Theatre, David Mills - Gimme Some Sugar at Unity Theatre, Debs Gatenby - Hi Anxiety at Lantern Theatre, Nick Phillips (drag artist)|Nick Phillips - Ecce Homo at Unity Theatre, Still Ill at Lantern Theatre. From Truant, Homotopia & Oldham Coliseum 2013 30 October until 25 November The Liverpool Dream Camp and Furnace 10-year anniversary events include: April Ashley: Portrait of a Lady at Museum of Liverpool, David Hockney: Early Reflections at Walker Art Gallery, Germ Free Adolescents at The Met Quarter, Boy George & Trademark: This Way Out at Camp and Furnace, Chelsea Hotel - at Unity Theatre, Sandi Toksvig: Funny Valentine at Philharmonic Hall, Dickie Beau - Lost in Trans at Unity Theatre, John Waters - This Filthy World at Philharmonic Hall, David Hoyle - In the Company of Friends at Unity Theatre, I Am Divine screening at FACT Liverpool (2012), Mis Les - Caz n Britney at Unity Theatre, House of Suarez at The Bluecoat, Ronald Wright In Conversation, The Piers From Here - Alvin Baltrop and Gordon Matta-Clark at Open Eye Gallery, Chew Disco (Chew Disco) - featuring Vaginal Davis, Shopping, and ILL at The Kazimier 2012 30 October until 25 November Traditional Family Values Camp and Furnace Over 20 events including: Duggie Fields: Welcome to My World at The Gallery, Mark Morrisroe at Open Eye Gallery. Part of Liverpool Biennial, Enrico David brought Madreperlage to Walker Art Gallery, Council House Movie Star, an immersive film and theatre experience at The Gallery, Camp and Furnace, Scottie Road the Musical - Caz n Britney at Unity Theatre, Uganda Pride - Rachel Adams at Unity Theatre, The Girl I Left Behind Me, produced by Opera North at Unity Theatre, Horsemat, A Beautiful Hell, Bitter Suite - Gary Clarke. Liverpool Hope University, Lavender Girls at Unity Theatre, Blackouts - Dixie Beau at Unity Theatre, Archetype - David Hoyle at Walker Art Gallery, I Remember and Teenage (2012), dir. Matt Wolf at FACT Liverpool, Epstein: The Man Who Made The Beatles - Andrew Sherlock at Epstein Theatre, Patrick Wolf - 10th Anniversary Acoustic World Tour at The Gallery, Call Me Kuchu (2012) dir. Katherine Fairfax-Wright, Malika Zouhali-Worrall at FACT Liverpool, Promoting Human Dignity (2012) from Homotopia TV, April Ashley exhibition at Museum of Liverpool 2011 1 November until 30 November Cruising for Art Hope Street Hotel Over 30 events including: