UWE Bristol Proud To Sponsor Bristol Pride
University of West of England (UWE) Bristol is sponsoring Bristol Pride 2014, a week-long celebration of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities across the South West, running from the 5 – 13 July.
The theme We Are: Proud is the chance for LGBT people, their friends, families and the whole of the South West to stand up and declare they are proud of who they are and their loved ones. The events of the week are an exciting and varied mix of film, sport, talks, theatre and performance that will foreground and showcase LGBT performers, groups and causes.
The Pride Film Festival is back at the Watershed and will screen the best in LGBT cinema, handpicked from the BFI Flare film festival held earlier this year. Films being shown include Lifting, G.B.F – Gay Best Friend and the acclaimed documentary Age of Consent.
New for this year is the Pride Dog Show which takes place on Sunday 6 July and is the culmination of the ‘Make Sunday Special’ event, which will see Small Street closed for a day of family activites and events.
UWE Bristol’s Equality and Diversity Champion, Professor Ron Ritchie, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Partnerships, Diversity and Civic Engagement, said, “UWE Bristol’s strong commitment to becoming an inclusive University must not be compromised in these challenging times. We believe that an inclusive University benefits all students and staff and we are proud of our diverse university community. I regard UWE Bristol’s sponsorship of Pride as one of the important ways in which we demonstrate our commitment to diversity and promote UWE Bristol as an inclusive, accessible and welcoming learning community.”
UWE Bristol’s strong commitment to LGBT equality has been reflected in its inclusion in the Stonewall Workplace Index, climbing ten places from last year’s ranking of 45th to 35th overall amongst the Stonewall Top 100 Employers. The University will also have a presence at the festival itself running a stall and providing volunteers.
Daryn Carter, organiser of Bristol Pride 2014, said, “We are very pleased to again have such overwhelming support for UWE Bristol, both in terms of financial support for Pride but also in helping raise awareness of our events and activities amongst students, staff and Bristol as a whole. UWE Bristol has been a great partner to Pride and has supported our activities since Pride returned to the city in 2010.
Bristol Pride 2014 culminates in Pride Day, a one day, free festival of cultural music and arts taking place in Castle Park on Saturday 12 July. The event starts at 12pm and runs into the evening with 90’s sensationa, Corona & a1 headlining on the main stage.
