Author: Homotopia

Announcing Homotopia Festival 2026: We Come Together!

Homotopia Festival 2026 is back: We Come Together

Homotopia Festival is back for 2026!

This autumn, the UK’s longest-running LGBTQIA+ arts and culture festival returns to Liverpool with a new theme and a simple invitation: We Come Together.
We come together to gather around a stage. To fill the dancefloor. To join a workshop. To sing with others. To discover a new artist. To celebrate Queer brilliance. To remember our histories and imagine new futures together.

Across October and November, Homotopia Festival 2026: We Come Together will bring artists, audiences and communities together across Liverpool for a celebration of Queer creativity in all its forms. Expect bold performance, visual art, film, music, comedy, club culture, workshops, conversation and plenty of collective joy.

For more than twenty years, Homotopia has championed courageous artists and created spaces for Queer stories to flourish. This year’s festival continues that tradition, bringing together those who have helped shape our culture with the emerging artists and young Queer voices carrying it forward.
And we’re starting with a celebration.

House of Suarez marks its 20th anniversary with a spectacular runway event, celebrating two decades of one of Liverpool’s most iconic Queer creative communities. From there, We Come Together unfolds into a programme spanning theatre, live art, comedy, club nights, film, workshops, conversations and much more.

Across the festival, audiences will encounter acclaimed artists alongside exciting new voices. There will be opportunities to make and create, to dance together at Queer club nights, to experience new performance, to discover film, to join conversations and workshops, and to make space for reflection and remembrance. This year, we celebrate the richness of Queer culture in all its forms. We celebrate artists making fearless new work. We celebrate communities preserving and sharing our histories. We celebrate young people finding their creative voices through Young Homotopia. And we celebrate the generations of people who have made Queer culture what it is today, while creating space for those who will shape what comes next.

Since 2004, Homotopia has supported artists from Liverpool City Region and around the world to tell stories that deserve to be seen. From nurturing emerging talent and commissioning groundbreaking public artworks to creating opportunities for LGBTQIA+ communities to connect through creativity, we have always believed that art changes lives. Homotopia Festival is where those threads come together.

It’s where established artists share space with emerging voices. Where local stories meet perspectives from further afield. Where our histories inspire what comes next. And where audiences don’t simply watch, but participate, question, celebrate, dance, make and create something new together.
Whether you’ve been coming to Homotopia for twenty years or 2026 will be your very first festival, there’s a place for you here.
And this is only the beginning.

Some words from our Executive Director, Jayne Compton:

“Marking my first year as Director of Homotopia, the 2026 programme ‘We Come Together’ showcases an incredible breadth of queer work including dance, performance, film, club nights, digital and visual art. Liverpool is a city of extraordinary spirit, creativity, and diversity. The festival brings together LGBTQIA+ artists and audiences for experiences that surprise, move, and inspire. Building on Homotopia’s artistic and activist legacies, ‘We come together’ is an invitation to experience transformative art, to remember our histories and imagine new futures.”

Some words from our Co-Chairs, John Shortell & Laura Hall on behalf of the Board of Trustees:

“This festival is both a gathering and an act of hope and resistance. It is a place to question, reflect, and connect. It is also a place to laugh, celebrate, and experience the joy that comes from community. At a time when visibility and belonging cannot be taken for granted, Homotopia champions the transformative power of creativity to challenge injustice, inspire understanding, and affirm the richness and diversity of LGBTQIA+ lives. Welcome to Homotopia Festival 2026. We are delighted to share this journey with you.”

Our full Homotopia Festival 2026 programme is coming soon. Are you ready? We can’t wait to give you all the details…

We Come Together.
October – November 2026.

Funded by Arts Council England and Liverpool City Council.

Applications Open for the Homotopia x Unity Scratch Night

Homotopia and Unity Theatre are delighted to launch an open call for the Homotopia x Unity Scratch Night, taking place as part of Homotopia Festival 2026: Come Together. We’re inviting LGBTQIA+ artists from across the Liverpool City Region to submit new performance work for an evening dedicated to bold ideas, creative experimentation and exciting new Queer voices.

Whether you’re developing a brand-new play, a rehearsed reading, a work in progress or a fully formed excerpt, the Scratch Night is an opportunity to share your work in front of a welcoming and supportive audience. We’re looking for pieces between 15 and 20 minutes in length that are daring, thought-provoking and unapologetically Queer.

The evening is designed to champion new work at every stage of development, creating space for artists to take creative risks, play with form and test ideas in a collaborative environment. As part of this year’s We Come Together festival theme, the Scratch Night celebrates the power of gathering as artists and audiences, encouraging conversation, experimentation and the development of new Queer storytelling.

Homotopia has a long history of supporting artists to develop ambitious new work, and this Scratch Night continues our commitment to nurturing emerging talent while providing opportunities for local creatives to connect with audiences and one another.

If you have an idea you’d like to share, we’d love to hear from you.

Submissions close on Friday 28 August 2026.

For information on how to apply, please sign up via the link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdRa-ar-cBzocm8QPG0B-W99svJtS9-2sq8fM3ZG-nmSbJSjg/viewform?usp=send_form

Young Homotopia Set to Take the Stage at Liverpool Pride 2026!

Our incredible Young Homotopia cohort are hard at work rehearsing for this year’s Liverpool Pride, and we couldn’t be more excited to see what they create.

Over the past few weeks, our talented group of LGBTQIA+ young creatives have been collaborating to devise a brand-new cabaret performance that celebrates the joy, resilience and power of Queer youth. Guided by the themes of joy and liberation, this year’s performance is a bold expression of identity, creativity and community, showcasing what can happen when young people are given the space to create together.

As part of Liverpool Pride 2026, Young Homotopia will perform twice during the city’s main Pride celebrations on Saturday 25 July, taking to the stage at 2pm and again at 3:30pm. Expect an uplifting, heartfelt and unapologetically Queer celebration that shines a spotlight on the voices, stories and talent of LGBTQIA+ young people from across the Liverpool City Region.

Young Homotopia is a free creative programme delivered by Homotopia in partnership with YPAS – GYRO, providing a welcoming, supportive and affirming space where LGBTQIA+ young people can explore identity, build confidence and develop their creativity through performance. Each year, participants work together to create original work that reflects their experiences, perspectives and imaginations, culminating in performances that champion the next generation of Queer artists.

We’re incredibly proud of everything this year’s cohort has achieved already, and we can’t wait to cheer them on as they take to the Pride stage.
If you’re joining Liverpool Pride this year, be sure to come along, show your support and celebrate the creativity and brilliance of Queer young people.

Young Homotopia Performances: Saturday 25 July
2:00pm & 3:30pm
Grab your Liverpool Pride tickets here: https://www.mandsbankarena.com/whats-on/liverpools-pride/

Good luck to our fantastic Young Homotopia cohort – we’ll be cheering you on every step of the way!

Young Homotopia 2026 – apply now!

Calling all Queer Creatives aged 16-25 in Liverpool!
Join Young Homotopia this summer for a powerful week of performance, collaboration, and queer joy. This year marks GYRO’s 50th birthday so it’s a big one and we can’t wait for you to be involved.
We’re building a bold, devised cabaret performance and we want you to help create it. Whether you’re a performer, writer, dancer, or just curious to try something new, this is your chance to be part of something brave, beautiful, and unapologetically queer. This year will centre around themes of joy and liberation as we take to the stage at Liverpool’s Pride to show the power of Queer Youth.
There will be not one, but TWO performances during the afternoon of Liverpool’s main Pride event on Saturday 25th July!
Rehearsals @ The Unity Theatre (1 Hope Pl, Liverpool L1 9BG):
•Monday 20th July, 11-4pm
•Tuesday 21st July, 10-4pm
•Wednesday 22nd July, 10-1pm
•Thursday 23rd July, 10-3.30pm
•Friday 24th July, 10-3.30pm]
•Saturday 25th July, morning – exact timings TBC @ LEX (Liverpool Exhibition Centre, King’s Dock, L3 4FP)
Performances:
•LEX (Liverpool Exhibition Centre)– Saturday 26th July afternoon between 1-4pm.
Young Homotopia is creative programme ran by Homotopia in partnership with YPAS – GYRO. It is free to join and provides opportunities for LGBTQIA+ teenagers and young adults to explore their identities through performance. Sessions are led by Homotopia’s Development Producer Ashleigh Owen and a number of visiting practitioners. For more information please visit: https://www.homotopia.net/young-homotopia/Calling all LGBTQIA+ performers aged 16-25, based in and around Merseyside!
If you want to take part in this summer’s Young Homotopia, then fill out this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScs21I3iIVvZ-y5BaQ89HNLYH5KCPhRR_j12fqqKG5Oysy2RQ/viewform
Deadline: Wednesday 15th July, 5 pm

Homotopia x Open Door Charity

We’re excited to be collaborating with Open Door Charity on a special limited-edition clothing collection celebrating queer creativity, community and joy.

As organisations rooted in Liverpool and committed to supporting LGBTQIA+ communities, this collaboration brings together Homotopia’s passion for queer art and activism with Open Door’s vital work providing free mental health support for young people and adults across the region.The collection began with a callout to LGBTQIA+ creatives aged 16-25, inviting young artists to respond to the theme of Queer Joy, exploring the people, places and experiences that help queer communities feel safe, connected and celebrated.

The winning design has now been transformed into this exclusive collection, with profits supporting both Homotopia and Open Door Charity’s ongoing programmes and community work. Every purchase directly contributes to creating spaces for queer expression, wellbeing and support across Liverpool and beyond. This year’s winner of our design competition is Ren Moore (He / They) a local illustrator and printmaker, with their wonderful interpretation of our theme ‘Queer Joy’. Ren’s work can be found on Instagram @basil_and_co_ and on their Linktree: http://www.linktr.ee/BasilandCo_

At a time when queer communities continue to face hostility and uncertainty, projects like this remind us of the importance of creativity, solidarity and collective care. We’re proud to platform emerging LGBTQIA+ talent while raising funds for two organisations committed to making meaningful change.

Shop the collection and support queer creativity, mental health and community-led action: https://open-door-charity.teemill.com/homotopia/

 

We’re Recruiting: Join Our Board

We’re looking for new members for the Homotopia Board

Help Homotopia build a sustainable future for queer art and activism! We are the UK’s longest-running LGBTQIA+ arts & culture festival, and a year-round creative force showcasing courageous art in Liverpool since 2004.

As we approach our 25th anniversary in 2029, we are at a critical turning point in our history: we are looking for board members who can support our mission today while building a sustainable foundation for the next 25 years!

As a Board Member, you’ll play a key role in overseeing the strategic direction, governance, and impact of Homotopia, advocating for our work and helping to ensure the organisation has a sustainable future.

We are currently seeking Trustees with experience in Legal, HR and people management; Finance; Fundraising (including trusts, foundation and commercial activity), and experience with ACE National Portfolio Organisations.

We are hosting an online zoom meeting for anyone interested in finding out more about the organisation and this role. There will be opportunities to ask questions about the application process, please RSVP via our eventbrite here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/homotopia-board-of-trustees-recruitment-info-session-tickets-1988939342113?aff=oddtdtcreator

To apply:

Please provide either –
• A written statement of no more than 1 page.
• A voice recording or video of no more than 3 minutes

that includes:

• Why you would like to be a Homotopia Trustee.
• Your lived experience, skills, work history and/or personal qualities that you
believe would make you a great trustee.
• The contact details for a referee.
Closing date: midnight, Sunday 31 May 2026

Submit completed applications to [email protected], using subject line Trustee Recruitment

Successful applicants will be invited to interview between Wednesday 3 June and Tuesday 9 June, with an invitation to observe our next board meting on Thursday 11 June.

Access and Further information:

If you require any further information about this recruitment process, need additional information about the role, or need additional access support to make an application, please get in touch. We are here to support you. If you would like to have an informal chat about the role please contact our board on [email protected]

For more information, visit: https://www.homotopia.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Trustees-Job-Pack-2026-1.pdf

Pride is a Trans Led Protest! Opens at Lost Art

We were so excited to welcome audiences to the opening night of Pride is a Trans Led Protest! at Lost Art, and what a special evening it was.

Bringing together artists, activists and audiences from across Liverpool and beyond, the night felt full of connection, care and shared purpose. Pride is a Trans Led Protest! centres trans voices, histories and futures, and it was powerful to see that reflected so clearly in the room from the very start.

The evening was kicked off with a brilliant live performance from T.S Idiot, bringing energy and warmth into the space. We heard from curators Connie Frankish and Gary Needham in conversation with Emeri Curd, who offered thoughtful and generous reflections on the exhibition’s origins, the realities of organising right now, and the importance of community-led action. We also chatted with Charlie Supastar, a northern fashion designer specialising in transwear fashion, alongside the incredible Mahito Junior.

This exhibition is a living document, holding moments of protest, visibility and joy, and continuing our commitment to platforming work that challenges injustice and uplifts underrepresented voices.

Isobel Stainsbury, Executive Director of Homotopia, said:

“It was so special to see the space filled with people coming together for this exhibition. At Homotopia, we believe in the power of queer-led culture to bring people together and to celebrate who we are. Pride is a Trans Led Protest! does all of that, it’s bold, it’s necessary, and it’s rooted in community. We’re incredibly proud to be sharing it.”

You can visit Pride is a Trans Led Protest! at Lost Art from now until 8 May, with more moments to come, including a closing event we’re excited to share more about soon…

Find out more and plan your visit:
https://www.homotopia.net/events/pride-is-a-trans-led-protest/

QueerCore 2026 cohort: welcome!

We’re so excited to introduce the artists joining our QueerCore 2026 cohort, a brilliant group of LGBTQIA+ creatives bringing bold ideas, fresh perspectives and seriously exciting work into the year ahead.

This year’s cohort spans painting, textiles, performance, animation and more, and we can’t wait to support and uplift their practices over the coming months.

Running from April to December 2026, QueerCore is Homotopia’s artist development programme designed to support LGBTQIA+ creatives to grow, experiment and take their ideas further.

We work closely alongside each artist to shape the programme around what they need, whether that’s developing a project, testing new ideas, or building confidence in their practice. Just as importantly, QueerCore is about community: connecting artists with each other, with past cohorts, and with the wider network of creatives, producers and spaces we work with across Liverpool and beyond.

QueerCore is more than a programme, it’s a springboard for ideas.

Meet the artists:

Harry Garner (He/Him)

A Liverpool-based painter originally from rural Leicestershire, Harry creates figurative works that sit somewhere between narrative and mystery. Drawing on historical references, his paintings invite viewers to step in and make their own meaning, never offering easy answers, but always sparking curiosity.

Kiya Major (She/They)

Kiya is a multidisciplinary artist working across rug-making, illustration, animation and events. Their bold, playful work explores humour, failure and the grotesque, often through large-scale textiles bursting with colour and character. Alongside their practice, they run workshops and create spaces for others to get involved, bringing a vibrant, community-driven energy to everything they do.

Stephanie Trujillo (She/Her)

Stephanie is a multi-media artist exploring identity, belonging and healing through her Peruvian-German heritage. Working across painting, collage, photography and performance, her practice is deeply rooted in community, spirituality and connection to nature. Her work is both personal and powerful, holding space for reflection and growth.

No Funny Business (She/Her & She/Her)

No Funny Business is a theatre and comedy collective by Rachel Barry and Cordelia Stevenson. Blending clowning, drag and character comedy, they create playful, subversive performances built around a live connection with their audience. With years of experience across fringe theatre, this new collaboration feels fresh, exciting and full of potential.

Some words from Ashleigh Owen, our Development Producer:

I’m genuinely buzzing to welcome our 2026 cohort to the programme. They are such an inspiring group of artists who are already bringing fresh energy, curiosity, and ambition to Homotopia HQ. It’s clear they’re going to do incredible things this year, and I’m so excited to support them as they grow, challenge themselves and produce meaningful work. Their art forms and projects are vastly different from one another, and I can’t wait to see the ideas, collaborations, and confidence that emerge over the course of the programme.

We’re so proud to support this cohort as they develop their work across 2026. and we can’t wait to share what comes next. Follow along as their journeys unfold.

Read more about our QueerCore 2026 cohort here: https://www.homotopia.net/queercore/

Pride is a Trans Led Protest! is  back and bolder than ever before

Homotopia are delighted to announce on International Trans Day of Visibility that Pride is a Trans Led Protest! is back and bolder than ever before, and it isn’t going anywhere. 

Pride is a Trans Led Protest! curates work from transgender rights activists, community groups, grassroots activism, and trans and queer artists based in Liverpool and beyond placing at the centre a commemoration of the city’s queerness and community. The exhibition is both a curation and a document, placing 2025 in a hyper-local and global context, including the weeks following the Supreme Court ruling, the different protests and moments of visibility, and the longer histories of trans activism that culminated in Liverpool Pride which, for the first time in its history, was a trans led march. 

As an organisation, we stand firm in our commitment to celebrate the full diversity of the LGBTQIA+ community, without compromise, exclusion, or erasure. Postponing the exhibition, and finding this new venue and duration to exhibit, allows us to ensure that it can be presented in its entirety, in the way it was originally envisioned by the artists, contributors and collaborators involved: authentically, unapologetically, and with respect for the voices and experiences of trans people. 

Some words from our Executive Director: 

“On International Trans Day of Visibility, we’re proud to showcase trans artists, activists and communities in bringing Pride is a Trans Led Protest! back, and ensuring it has the space it deserves to be seen in full. LGBTQIA+ rights have been hard won, and trans people have been leading that fight for our freedoms for decades. I’m delighted to see that story launched today and I’m excited for people to engage with trans work beyond TDOV.” 

Homotopia would like to thank those who have contributed to this exhibition during its past and present version. Special thanks to curators Connie Frankish and Gary Needham. 

Be sure to catch the exhibition from the 23rd of April to the 8th of May at Lost Art, the exhibition is free for all to access, please note the exhibition is operating different opening times, 9am-6pm weekdays, 10am-6pm Saturday, 11am-5pm Sunday. Join us at the exhibition opening event on the 23rd of April and make sure to keep an eye out for further activity surrounding the exhibition due to be announced soon. 

For more information, visit: https://www.homotopia.net/events/pride-is-a-trans-led-protest/

Graphic with a pink-to-blue gradient background announcing: "New Executive Director at Homotopia: Welcome Isobel!" Subtext reads: "With a career spanning LGBTQIA+ arts, international advocacy and large-scale public events, Isobel brings a bold and collaborative approach to cultural leadership." The Homotopia logo with the words "Art Activism" appears in the bottom right.

New Executive Director at Homotopia: Welcome Isobel!

Homotopia Appoints Isobel Stainsbury as New Executive Director

Homotopia, the UK’s longest‑running LGBTQIA+ arts festival, is delighted to announce the appointment of Isobel Stainsbury as its new Executive Director.
Isobel is a cultural leader, activist and champion of queer arts, working at the intersection of culture, community and human rights. Rooted in grassroots organising, her practice centres the power of queer‑led culture to challenge injustice, build connection and imagine new futures.

With a career spanning LGBTQIA+ arts, international advocacy and large‑scale public events, Isobel brings a bold and collaborative approach to cultural leadership. In her current role as Human Rights Coordinator at the European Pride Organisers Association (EPOA), she works with Pride movements and international institutions to resist attacks on LGBTQIA+ rights and strengthen global queer solidarity.

Isobel is widely recognised for bringing extraordinary people together to create vibrant, ambitious queer spaces. She has led bold teams and produced major events that prioritise accessibility, protect the most marginalised, and celebrate the full diversity of LGBTQIA+ communities.

As Executive Director of Homotopia, Isobel will champion daring queer artists and further grow the organisation’s reputation as a vital international platform for queer culture.

Isobel says:

“I’m thrilled to be joining Homotopia at such an important moment for queer culture. Art has always been a powerful space for our communities to imagine new futures, challenge injustice and celebrate who we are. I’m really excited to work with artists, audiences and partners to build on Homotopia’s incredible legacy and keep pushing queer culture forward from Liverpool.”

Laura Hall & John Shortell Co-Chairs of the Board of trustees says:

“We are absolutely delighted to welcome Isobel to Homotopia. Her vision, her integrity and her deep commitment to queer communities make her an exceptional leader for this next chapter. The Board was inspired by her bold thinking and her belief in the transformative power of queer arts. We’re confident that under her leadership, Homotopia will continue to grow as a fearless, joyful and internationally significant force for cultural change.”