\n\t\t\tWhy and how we could use some of the main stage “down time”, in between entertainments, to build community connections.\n\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tAt some point an idea came to me, and I thought I’d write it up here: partly in case I get to do it, in which case this might help to explain… and partly in case I don’t<\/em> get to do it, and someone else wants to run with the idea :-)\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tAt most gigs – Pride stages included – there’s usually some changeover time in between performers before the next act is ready to start. At Prides, often there’ll be an MC doing some talking to fill in the gap.\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tA main stage “more than filler” item I remember was at Leicester Pride one time in the run-up to an election: they invited the local Parliamentary candidates up on stage, and each made a little speech. I really liked having that woven into Pride, not least because it must have encouraged the candidates to think about their LGBT potential-constituents.\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tOn the other hand, sometimes I’ve heard something from the main stage that I actively dis<\/em>like:\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\tDodgy jokes, e.g. sexist.2<\/a><\/sup>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/li>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\tMaking unfriendly-ish fun of someone in the audience.3<\/a><\/sup>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/li>\n “Are there any lesbians here?” \n\t\t\t\t\t\tSomething missing<\/em> perchance? ;-) 4<\/a><\/sup>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n \n\t\t\tBut mostly the in-between-acts content is neither<\/em> off-key nor<\/em> particularly interesting… just banter off the top of the MC’s head, or else recorded music like happens at lots of “ordinary” gigs.\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tAnd then I think to myself: this is not the only possible use for this valuable time!\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tHere’s a crowd of mostly-local, mostly-LGBT people. Around the area are lots of LGBT groups, which probably not all those people know about. Why not use the opportunity to catalyse some coming-together?\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tIn other words, I’m thinking we could fill the gaps between main stage acts by giving the crowd little bursts of information about local community groups and projects<\/strong>, similar to a kind of radio show.\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tIf someone from a group was up for being interviewed, there could be a tiny interview. Or someone could come up and just make an announcement themself about their group or project.\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tOr if no-one was available from the group, or they felt too shy to come up on stage, or if they had reasons not to be as publicly out as that… then the MC could just read out a little description, including some way to get in touch.\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tToo boring?<\/strong> For most people, probably not more so than the idle banter option. But especially interesting to the people who are hearing for the first time about a local group they might want to join. And heartening for people who don’t often see “people like them” reflected on the main stage.\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tToo complicated?<\/strong> Well, it does complicate things slightly on the day: you have to pick interludes the right size so as not to push the schedule late, and you have to allow for the fact that some parts of setting up (i.e. line checking \/ soundchecking) are on the noisy side for having announcements made over them.\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tWhat also needs management is letting people know they have<\/em> that opportunity. I’d envisage a combination of (a) planning beforehand via the web, and (b) on the day, occasional announcements explaining whom to find at the back of the stage if you want to use the opportunity.\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tIt’s been done already?<\/strong> – If it has, I’d love to hear how it went, & what worked & what didn’t work.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tThoughts \/ improvements? Feel free to tell me what I’ve missed :-)\n\t\t<\/p>\n 1<\/a>. Single Bass & activism<\/strong>: I don’t relate to those as two entirely separate things: SB has an activism strand to it, both in the song content and simply as queer\/bi visibility of a kind. But that’s another story for another day.\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 2<\/a>. Dodgy joke<\/strong>: An example from Pride is described in this article<\/a> from Emily Dievendorf:<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe first time I was called “greedy” it was by a drag queen at the Michigan Pride Festival. She wasn’t talking to me directly. She was calling out audience members in the unapologetic, hilarious, and crass way only a drag queen can, asking one attendee if she was a lesbian. The woman said, “No, I’m bi.” The drag queen responded, “Oh, you’re GREEEDY.” Everyone laughed, myself included. But I also left thinking, “So that’s how it is.”\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/a>Changeover time: “To Be Filled In”<\/h2>\n
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\nCrowd goes “Yeeeeaaaaaahhhh!”
\n“Are there any gay people here?”
\nEven more “Yeeeeaaaaaahhhh!”
\n“Are there any… straight people<\/em> here?”
\nA few people go “Yeeeeaaaaaahhhh!”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/a>The idea<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Possible objections<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Feedback?<\/h2>\n
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