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Wood Green Arts Charity Wise Thoughts Receives Waltham Forest LGBT History Month Commission

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Wood Green Arts Charity Wise Thoughts Receives Waltham Forest LGBT History Month commission.

London Borough of Waltham Forest is proud to announce that Wise Thoughts will be delivery an exciting programme of events for LGBT History Month 2017.
LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) History Month is celebrated annually each February in the UK and presents an opportunity for Waltham Forest to celebrate its rich diversity and for residents to gain greater awareness and understanding of the differences and commonalities shared amongst families, friends, colleagues and neighbours. The 2017 theme set by the national LGBT History Month campaign is Citizenship, PSHE and Law, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of male homosexuality in England and Wales (1967 Sexual Offences Act).
GFESTBytescoverWise Thoughts, an arts charity based in Wood Green, have made a name for themselves by organising GFEST- Gaywise FESTival, an annual cross arts festival taking place all over London every November. To help celebrate LGBT History Month in Waltham Forest, Wise Thoughts will present ‘#GFESTbytes’ – a series of film screenings, workshops and authors’ talks culminating in a cabaret extravaganza at Mirth, Marvel & Maud on 24th February.
Wise Thoughts’ artistic director Niranjan Kamatkar FRSA said, “We are excited to win this contract and continuing the partnership this year with LGBT History Month and Schools OUT, when we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of male homosexuality in England and Wales.”
Council Leader Chris Robbins said: “We’re hugely proud to be such a vibrant and diverse borough, and events like these are a wonderful way to bring residents with different backgrounds and beliefs together as one community.
“As well as giving people a chance to gain greater awareness and understanding of the LGBTQ community, it also showcases the valuable contribution it has made to society.”
The programme will be announced soon on Waltham Forest and Wise Thoughts websites providing details and booking links to each event.
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Programme notes to the Editor:
#GFESTbytes: GFEST Bytes in Waltham Forest – LGBT History Month celebrations with performances, films, music, dance and events:
Organised by arts charity Wise Thoughts producers of GFEST – Gaywise FESTival – London’s LGBTQI cross-arts annual November event in venues across the UK capital.
Mon 13 Feb – 6.30 to 7.30 pm Film cafe with Campbell X – North Chingford Library, The Green, Chingford E4 7EN Entry free, but booking via Eventbrite.
An advice session for young and upcoming LGBT filmmakers led by highly accomplished and experienced filmmaker Campbell X. Campbell X is known around the world for feature her film “Stud-life”. She has been a programmer for GFEST and London Gay & Lesbian Film Festival and Lux among several other bodies.
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Tues 14 Feb – 7 to 9 pm LGBTQ short films screening  from GFEST 2016 – Leytonstone Library, Church Lane, Leytonstone, E11 1HG £5 booking via Eventbrite.
Sensational selection from the best of 2016 LGBTQ short films made by well-known filmmakers: Screenings include Denise by Kenneth O’Toole, Open Plan by Daniel Murtha/ Adam Smith, Away with me by Oliver Mason, Dawn by Jake Graf, Rotten by Mehmet Selcuk Bilge and Masterful Hermit by Reg Noyes. Followed by filmmakers Q&A
Denise: An ageing drag queen sparkles her way through time, revisiting her glory days. The film delicately conjures feelings of nostalgia and reflection, through juxtaposed moments of her life and triumphs
Open Plan: Giles, Jamie and Kevin are viewing a one-bedroom flat and deciding whether to move in together. Their relationship is ‘atypical’, but not half as messy as their estate agent’s.
Away with Me: A spontaneous holiday romance in Nice turns sour when there is a clash of intentions and expectations between the two men. Trailer
Dawn: As dawn creeps across London, two lost outcasts meet in the darkness, more afraid of themselves than each other. As the sun rises they are forced to look at themselves and face the harsh reality is that it takes more than the eyes to see inside a soul. Trailer
Rotten: In Turkey, you have to ‘prove’ your sexual orientation in order to avoid military service. If you pose as feminine as they want, you can get a ‘mental disorder report’ which means you are ‘ROTTEN’.
Masterful Hermit: Christina attends her leaving party before flying off around the world. She is shocked to see Enid there who she hasn’t seen for over a year when they were on the verge of falling in love. They ditch the party together and Enid hopes that Christina won’t get on the plane.
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Wed 15 Feb – 7 to 9 pm “Delhi: Communities of Belonging” authors talk: Walthamstow Library, High Street, Walthamstow, E17 7JN Entry free, but booking via Eventbrite
London/Delhi based Photographers, artists and activists Sunil Gupta and Charan Singh will be talking to audiences about India’s emerging LGBTQ community depicted in a groundbreaking series of gorgeous, full-colour photographs.
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Fri 17 Feb – 7 to 9 pm Jonathan (2016) Feature film – Leytonstone Library, Church Lane, Leytonstone, E11 1HG £5 booking via Eventbrite.
Jonathan feature drama (Germany, English subtitles) dir: Piotr J. Lewandowski – Jonathan sacrifices himself to take care of Burghardt, his cancer-stricken father, and work on the family farm with his aunt Martha. Burghardt is incapable of emotional closeness so Jonathan’s questions about his mother’s death go unanswered. But when Burghardt’s long-lost friend Ron shows up, a long buried family secret puts the father-son relationship to the test.  An impressively mature – visually striking debut, The Hollywood Reporter.
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Sat 18 Feb – 1 to 3 pm Voguing workshop with Stefanos Dimoulas, Dance studio ,Leyton 6th Form College, Essex Road, Leyton, E10 6EQ Entry free, but booking via Eventbrite
Ever-energetic Stephanos to take you through unforgettable step-by-step experience of fun filled Voguing: A highly stylised modern house dance that has evolved from Harlem’s ballrooms, to gay venues and has been used by Madonna.
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Mon 20 Feb – 7 to 8 pm Authors reading ‘Boxful of ideas’ Paradise Press – Walthamstow Library, High Street, Walthamstow, E17 7JN Entry free, but booking via Eventbrite
LGBT publishing house Paradise Press authors John Dixon and Jeff Doorn, along with other writers and poets, will read from their works that reflects and links back to 50 years of partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in England and Wales.
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Tues 21 Feb – 7 to 9 pm Women filmmakers films screening from GFEST 2016 – Leytonstone Library, Church Lane, Leytonstone, E11 1HG £5 booking via Eventbrite. Brilliant films by Women filmmakers include Desires (English subtitles) by Clarissa Rebouças and Yannick Nolin, No Matter Who – A qui la faute (English subtitles) by Anne-Claire JAULIN and Gender Troubles The Butches a feature documentary by Lisa Plourde.
Desires: short film (France, Portugal, UK and Spain, English subtitles) dir: Clarissa Rebouças and Yannick Nolin – Charlotte has her first lesbian experience with Marie, the relationship seems to be getting serious but a conflict of desires starts when Marie discovers Charlotte’s a secret.
No Matter Who – A qui la faute : short film (France, English subtitles)  dir: Anne-Claire JAULIN – It is summertime and a troop of young girls are headed to scout camp. For Marie and Lise, it is a time for their first sparks of emotion, a time to learn about desire and how to confront a group and its prejudices.
Gender Troubles: feature documentary (USA) dir : Lisa Plourde – Butch lesbians examine and challenge society’s assumptions about what it means to be female and reveal how they have learned to cope and even thrive in a world that does not honour them. Trailer
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Fri 24 Feb – 7 to 9 pm LGBTQ music, dance, spoken word “Cabaret” evening – Mirth, 186 Hoe St, Walthamstow, E17 4QH £7 booking via Eventbrite.
A sensational array of talent from the diverse world of Cabaret; from the most popular Pink Singers, sharp witty Rosie Wilby, Bollywood Diva Kali Chandrasegaram to most talented Marcus Reeves, GFEST favourite solo pianist Denis Fernando will fire up the evening with loud and proud acts! Don’t miss this high-buzz performance evening, a fitting finale act of Waltham Forrest LGBT History Month 2017 celebrations.
Supported and commissioned by London borough of Waltham Forest as part of LGBT History Month 2017 (past event Waltham Forest Education Resource Kit) http://www.salonoutre.com/resources