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johannestevans · 5 months

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Where do I find the queer people?

Making friends and finding social & community spaces as an LGBTQ+ adult.

Originally published with Prism & Pen. Also on my Patreon.

Photo by Brett Sayles via Pexels.

A friend and I recently went to a Queer Open Mic night after I saw it advertised on the same afternoon. While we were on the way back, she asked about how I’d found it.

“I just feel like you always know loads of queer events that are on,” she said, “and I don’t know how to begin to find them.”

I sat down with her a few weeks later and showed her some of the ways I find events, regular or otherwise, and where I look for others — especially given that on social media in the past few days I’ve seen a few people talking about the difficulty of finding and meeting with new queer people when not online.

I thought it might be useful to put it together here.

It’s quite hard with the pressure on and elimination of many third spaces to go out and easily meet people, and given that most of us use a lot of online socials and dating apps, it can feel difficult to seek out and engage with in-person spaces without knowing exactly what the protocol or format of the event is going to be.

Especially given that many people are still more isolated than they were before the start of the Covid pandemic, and/or struggle with seeking out events for themselves having finished school or university or other more structured environments, there can be a lot of anxiety about attending events or meeting new people. But it’s worth it to remember that pretty much everyone else is in a similar spot, and there’s nothing weird or unusual about wanting to make friends or have social time with others.

I am based in the North of England and generally go between the UK and Ireland. So this guide might be less useful depending on where you are. Obviously, in countries with more repressive legislation on queer identity, community groups will by definition be far more underground. Even in areas where this isn’t the case, some of these suggestions might be more viable than others depending on how densely populated your area is, how accessible different venues and events are, and how active your local queer communities are. So, just take what’s good for you and leave the rest.

Finding Local Queer Community Groups

In your search engine, put in simple search terms — [queer] [group] in [my area].

If you can, narrow your search to websites updated in the last 6 months to 2 or 3 years — you’ll sometimes find a website from six or seven years ago where the events haven’t been running for half that when you were already excited about it.

Search your town, city, or county first, and then widen your search — I normally initially look for Bradford and Leeds respectively, but then might broaden my search to West Yorkshire or even North England depending on the time of year and if I’m more willing to travel for certain events, e.g. looking up summer events around Pride, or specific holiday events if you’re looking at Halloween, Christmas, New Year’s, etc.

Combine:

“Queer”, “LGBT” or “LGBTQ”, “Trans”, “Gay Men’s”, “Lesbian”, “Transgender”, “Transsexual”, “Gay Rights” or similar terms

With:

“Charity”, “Support Group”, “Social Space”, “Community Space”, “Meetup”, “Society”, and similar terms

Swap around the terms and find what language seems to be used in your area — remember that depending on the age group and demographic you’re looking at or for, there might be terms you prefer.

I personally search for a lot of gay men’s groups because the average age tends to be a lot older and focused more on the experiences and social spaces of men who love men rather than general queer spaces, which I find can be a bit too young and fast-paced for my speed.

In general, I find that there’s a loose separation between younger trans and queer social groups, which tend to be a mix of differing identities and ages but with a big emphasis on young adults in the 18–25 area, and then specific gay men’s or lesbians’ groups, which will have a wider swathe of ages and might be a little bit less online.

I understand the fear some people have of these spaces being more transphobic than younger spaces — that’s not personally been my experience, as transphobia and lateral bigotry might happen in any social space, but unfortunately, you just don’t know the specifics of an event or a group until you get there and actually meet and talk to the people.

Some charities or community groups that run a variety of spaces might have specific age or identity guidance on group titles — some might be particularly for younger or older people, be for trans people more than cis people, and some might focus on particular sub-communities, such as BIPOC queer groups or specific religious or ethnic meetups, disabled queer groups, etc.

You also might find meetups that are centred around certain hobbies, professions, or interests — boardgames or Magic the Gathering, Doctor Who or fantasy novels, medical professionals or blacksmiths, etc, depending on how big the area you’re in is and how populous it is.

If you are already a member of an institution or society, whether that’s your school or university, your union, some workplaces, your temple or other religious institution, etc, you might find that there are already events running for you!

Finding Queer Events Online

There are almost certainly queer events on, and they’re probably advertised, but where do you find them?

What’s annoying about the Internet as it exists, corporate online spaces and otherwise, is that most events will be posted in one or two spaces out of hundreds. The good ones will sometimes be hard to find because there’s a bunch of shitty advertising in the way, and because individuals and small charity or community advertisers don’t necessarily know about things like search engine optimisation or how to make a good, searchable post. There will be really cool events that are advertised online, but just aren’t tagged or easy to find.

This means that it’s worth looking often but keeping it casual — glancing through the top page for events that might be coming up or meet some keywords, but if most of what you see is ads, just leave it and move on. Digging through for the good events in busy areas that are also ad-heavy can take ages and might not even turn up much.

If you find socials for local community groups or charities, even if they don’t run events themselves, they might regularly share other local events or cool ones, so it can be worth following them!

Ditto for other queer people in your community — follow local artists, performers, academics, creators, public speakers, craftspeople, or any local community leaders or public figures, and see if they share and boost local events.

They might boost special interest events that are of interest to you if you follow people who share certain communities or interests. If, for example, you have an interest in lolita fashion and follow queer lolita dressers in your area or in areas you can travel to, they might post events that are of interest to them and maybe to you — whether that means specific lolita events, other clothing and fashion events like gothic or steampunk markets and shows, or even anime cons or renaissance faires or whatever.

Obviously searching on social media can help — looking for keywords like “queer event” or “LGBT social” on one site or other can be especially good if it’s a site where you can localise your search results, such as Facebook or Instagram.

With that said, Facebook and Instagram are increasingly difficult sites to use given how much they’re overwhelmed by sponsored and corporate posts as well as spam and bot posts. So, it’s generally worth it more when you focus on either events in smaller and limited areas, such as small towns, or when you’re looking for crossing over of different areas of interest, such as particular queer hobbyist or interest groups. When you start looking for broader spectrum events in a busier or more populous area, you can get inundated by spam and copy-and-paste duplicate ads that have all been promoted. But it’s still worth it to have a glance and see if anything is up at the top!

Sites and apps like Eventbrite or TicketSource, or equivalents in your area, will often let you search for specific events . As with social media, these sites can have the same problem of sponsored events coming up first, and annoyingly you can’t block particular event providers or organisers to make sure they don’t show in your search results if they’re not your thing.

Use every option that comes up and see if you can cross search where you can — pick a particular location or area, click on free or paid events, pick events at certain times, pick a certain kind of event, add in tags like LGBTQ or similar if it’s a site that allows it, etc.

If an event comes up that you like the idea of, note it down, then look the organizer up on social media and see if they run or share other events.

Looking for local tourism sites will let you search for other local events as well — especially if you live in a city or regularly visit one, they’ll often have a What’s On page or a Visit [Blank] website or equivalent, and you can search through that — most of them will have cultural events or a specific LGBTQ section you can glance through.

Here’s the Visit Bristol site, for example:

What’s On in Bristol — VisitBristol.co.uk Click here to find out What’s On in Bristol!…Get the latest information on the latest Events, Festivals, Carnivals…visitbristol.co.uk

For obvious reasons, sites like most of the above will focus on paid events, especially evening and party events. Pub quizzes, drag events, bingo nights, balls, drinks offers, parties, etc.

These events aren’t for everybody — and if they’re not for you, focus on events that take place, if not in cafés and restaurants, then in libraries, universities, museums, and other public buildings.

Queer Events Locally Advertised In-Person

Wait, do people still do that?

Look for poster and notice boards in:

Libraries, museums, community centres, university lobbies

Vintage and alternative clothes stores, music venues, etc

Your temple, church, or other religious institutions

Gay bars, queer cafés, LGBTQ centres, queer bookshops

Doctor’s offices, GUM clinics, and sexual health clinics

Anywhere else you see a noticeboard with events showing!

Also look on flag poles or in windows around your local gay bars or businesses if you have any, generally around the gay village if there’s one to go through.

How do you know the events are good? How do you know they’re legit?

How old does the poster look? Do you see many copies of it around?

Look for dates for the event(s) they’re advertising on the poster, and then look up the venue the events are meant to happen at. Do the dates match? Is it a regular event? Is the event showing on the venue’s website or social media?

Is the event run by a local group, collective, or charity? When you search them, do they have socials or a site of their own? Do they seem active?

If a local queer poster gives you socials, check those socials out — do they have any followers you’re familiar with? Do they post their venues publicly and have defined and public meeting times? Do they seem to have active and engaged commenters? Is there a face or faces behind the social media, or are they anonymous?

If an event is run by anonymous people, or if it seems like they don’t have many followers on social media or very active ones, that might be a bit more suspicious — ditto if an event just gives you a phone number but not any further identifying info.

It’s not inherently suspicious for a queer event to be at an undisclosed location, because of course people do want to ensure some safeguarding and vet people before they come, but if it’s an undisclosed location in combination with anonymous organising, that might be a bit suspicious, and should probably be avoided.

Finding Queer People in Specific Hobby or Other Community Spaces

You don’t have to go to queer-specific events to meet other queer people — any hobby or community you can think of, there’s probably queer people in attendance.

If you’re in a busier or more populous area, say there are 5 events that centre around the same hobby — of those 5, some of them will have more queer people than others, and it might be worth checking them out just to see if you click with anyone there.

My partner and I attend queer-specific board-game evenings that are run out of gay bars or by queer clubs, but pretty much any board-game night is likely to have one or two queer people knocking about, whether they know or would identify themselves as LGBTQ+ off the bat or not.

While there are obviously more open queer people at the queer events, I would say that when we went to a local board-game night run by older straight guys, about a quarter of the attendees were older queer people.

Of my queer friends, pretty much all of them have varied interests and attend different groups or clubs with a lot of other queers knocking about without them being labelled or explicitly queer events — knitting and crocheting, computer coding, electronic music and DJing, fandom, blacksmithing, glassblowing, stand-up comedy, improv, cooking, gardening, board games, cosplay and historical costuming, LEGO, live-action roleplay, tabletop roleplaying games, Magic the Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh, and other trading card games, poker, burlesque, sports games and clubs, swimming, cycling, fishing, photography, book clubs, bug collecting, birdwatching, weaving, painting, sculpture, pottery, video games, singing, songwriting, poetry…

The list goes on.

Hell, half the people I know seem to go and meet new dates at the local climbing wall, where it seems like all the lesbians and gay guys are crawling all over one another. Another friend of mine attends their local WI, and have met other queer people there.

Other Tips

Remember you can meet people on dating and hook-up apps and that doesn’t necessarily have to be for sex and relationships, whether that’s Grindr, Her, Lex, etc — or you can ask hook-ups and casual dates where they go or if there are local events they think are good or fun. Poly people are particularly useful for this, because they’ll often have a whole network of regular events crossing over and diverging.

If you’re nervous about going to an event alone and you don’t have anybody to go with you, it can be worth checking it out on socials first and see if you have any mutual friends with people that are going — if not, it’s worth heading along anyway, because people might well speak to you before you have to open the conversation with them.

Community groups will often have icebreakers or sessions where people swap names, pronouns, and basic introductions, and that can ease the way into getting used to the space.

If you see somebody else on their own who seems nervous to talk to people, they can be good to approach and say, hey, I also don’t know anyone here, what brings you here? And so on. Remember, other people are pretty much always in the same boat as you.

For me, one of the biggest anxieties about going to new events alone is the fact that I’m disabled and dependent on public transport, and that combo can make it tough on me if I get to a place and it’s inaccessible or just not my speed, and then I have to sort of immediately turn heel and leave, but wait ages for a bus in the meantime. I’ve missed more than one event I was really excited about just because transport didn’t line up for me.

Some considerations to keep in mind when you look for events:

Is the event free or paid? Is this clearly marked? Do you need to buy tickets in advance?

How recent is the posting about the event? Is it posted on a web page or a social media page? Are there recent comments or engagement on the entry? If there is a contact for the event, is it active and responsive?

Is this event regular or recurrent? Is it for a special occasion, and does it have sister events or concurrent events?

Is the event exclusively online, exclusively in-person, or do they change between the two formats? Would you prefer to attend online before you attend in-person?

Do you want to go to a closed and more private group — for example, one that has you message them for the time and location, seems to have capped attendee limits, seems to have a regular community. Or do you want to attend a more casual event in a larger, open space where people might not notice as much as you come and go? Is it going to be very crowded or more spaced out?

Where is the event located, and will you be comfortable in that venue? Is it in a community building such as a charity space, community group, religious institute, school, or university? Is it in a café, restaurant, pub, bar, club, or late-night venue? Is it an explicitly or dedicated queer space? If you are not out to other members of your community, will going into this space reveal that you might be a member of a queer group?

Is the venue age-restricted, and will it require ID? If you must provide ID, will providing your ID in a dead name or in a different gender presentation to your current one be anxiety-inducing or a potential problem for you?

How accessible is the venue to you? Is it walkable, on a regular bus route, or does it have appropriate parking for you? Does it have ramps or elevators? Is it well-ventilated, and does it have a HVAC or other air filtration and purification protocol? Is masking enforced, and/or are masks provided? If you might be watching something together, is there a hearing loop, will there be subtitles on a screening? Is there a first aider at the event? Does the venue serve food or drink, or provide refreshments?

If you are attending alone and have specific needs or requirements, or might need to leave abruptly, is there someone you can let know at the event, such as a first aider or community leader? Are there regular buses, a taxi rank, or online taxi access if you need to quickly head home? Have you let someone else know where you are going, just as a safety concern?

Is the event activity-based, or is it a space where people just sit and talk? Would one or the other of these feel more natural or comfortable to you? Do you have to bring your own activity, such as with a craft or knitting circle, or are supplies provided, such as boardgames or a screening?

Does the group or host for the event(s) have social media? Do they advertise the regular events on socials, or have a newsletter, or some other helpful reminder system?

Most community events will be free, but if it’s an activity group or society, or if it’s a private event, especially one where they buy equipment or supplies, there might be an up-front ticket or access fee, a membership fee or a collection jar or similar — most events will tell you in advance if there is a fee or if they might request a donation.

Most importantly, like… Have fun.

If it sucks, hit the bricks — there’s no obligation to stay anywhere if it’s not fun or doesn’t satisfy you in the way you were hoping.

There’s always other events out there, and you’re very unlikely to truly be the only gay in the village, even if it sometimes feels that way. Good luck!

#musings #queer pride #lgbt #gay community

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frida-kahl-of-the-rocky-horror · 5 months

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Okay, @sihatn wishes to be so hung up on the particular war crime the Israeli government is using to excessively slaughter innocent Palestinian civilians, so let’s explain the difference between Genocide, Ethnocide, and Ethnic Cleansing:

Genocide: the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the aim of destroying that nation or group

Examples: The Armenian Genocide (where the term actually originates), the Shoah/Holocaust, Taíno Genocide, and Rwandan Genocide to name a few.

I have seen some Zionists on this platform and on Instagram argue that Israel cannot be committing Genocide because it is a “very specific instance in history that only includes the Holocaust”. That fact is ardently incorrect. For one, the first event to be called a Genocide and where the term was coined was the Armenian Genocide and countless events have been labeled a Genocide since 1943/1944 when the term was initially coined (including events coined after the fact that had already happened like the aforementioned Taíno Genocide).

Ethnocide: the deliberate and systematic destruction of the culture of an ethnic group or nation without deliberately killing large numbers of people within that ethnic group or nation

Think “kill the Indian, save the man”, the American and Canadian policy against American Indian tribes and First Nations that sought to forcibly assimilate them into W.A.S.P. culture. A similar policy occurred in Hawaii during the “Republic of Hawaii” and “Territory of Hawaii” days, and even the destruction of Yiddish Culture by Zionists in Israel who feared it for being “too Middle Eastern”. Most Re-Education camps fall in this category too.

Ethic Cleansing: the mass expulsion or killing of members of an unwanted ethnic or religious group in a society

This term is relatively new and was coined in the aftermath of the collapse of Yugoslavia and Serbia’s treatment of Croats, Bosnians, and other ethnic minorities, as well as the Stalinist movement of ethnic minorities to different SSRs.

Mass Homicide: the deliberate killing of a large number of people

The only distinction here is the people are not being killed because of their ethnicity or nation, but for ✨ other reasons ✨

Now here’s the kicker, most Zionists would say they are committing Ethnic Cleansing. They might not say it out right, because the term has a nasty connotation, but they will say they’re doing the definition of ethnic cleansing.

Some propaganda reblogging Zionists might claim that they’re just committing Mass Homicide but here’s the thing, almost every example of mass homicide being committed by one nation to another nation has been an example of one of the first three categories. The only real examples of Mass Homicide actually being Mass Homicide occur within a state (see Mao famines, Pol Pot’s mass killings, or the countless purging of communists or anti communists during the Cold War).

Some (wrong) historians may claim the Bengal Famine and Irish Potato Famine were examples of mass Homicide but here’s the thing, in both cases aid from other nations and governments were barred from entering the effected places because the UK forbid it. Food exports were forced to continue to come from Ireland and Bengal because the UK forced it. The reasons these famines were so severe was because the UK had a eugenics inspired belief that the Irish and Bengalis were “sub human animals” and “less deserving of food than the Brits”.

The Irish Potato Famine and Bengali Famine were Genocides, with famine being the preferred method of killing.

Was it intentional at first? Maybe not. Did it become intentional after the fact? Yes.

But this takes us to the most important point. The difference between Genocide, Ethnocide, and Ethnic Cleansing AND Mass Homicide is the intent.

But the intent isn’t truly known until after the fact, when internal government documents are released and the facts of the situation are holistically known.

The Jews/Poles/Romani/etc knew they were going through a Genocide (or well, they didn’t know the word, but they knew what was happening) but most of the outside world didn’t because the N@zis were secretive about it. Yes some activists and Jewish/Polish/Romani/etc diaspora groups warned other governments, but these other governments (US, UK, USSR, China, France, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, Italy even) were skeptical.

We don’t full know intent now, but given Herzl and Jabotinsky’s rhetoric which essentially established modern day Zionism and the Israeli state, and the establishment of Area C for Israeli settlement after conflict in the West Bank, the fact that Israel has threatened a Second Nakba, an event internationally acknowledged as ethnic cleansing, the fact that there are oil reserves underneath Gaza and the forcing of 2 million people into an airport sized camp would allow Israel to open up drilling where the ruins of Gaza city lay, or the fact that Israel is an Ethnonationalist country that relies on the superiority of Israelis over Palestinians and other neighbouring countries in order to exist makes the intent known to those of us familiar with the history of this conflict.

Ok ok ok ok ok here’s where I M. Night Shyamalan this whole thing: Genocide, Ethnocide, and Ethnic Cleansing are all the same crime according to multinational organizations like the United Nations. They are all Genocide.

All Ethnocides are Genocides, but not all Genocides are Ethnocides.

All Ethnic Cleansings are Genocides, but not all Genocides are Ethnic Cleansings.

The Nakba was an Ethnic Cleansing, therefore the Nakba was a Genocide.

The Netanyahu administration claims that their on going attack on Gaza is a “new Nakba”.

Nakba = Ethnic Cleansing = Genocide

The Netanyahu administration claims that their on going attack on Gaza is a “new Genocide”.

Genocide carries with it negative connotations. If the term was as widely used in 1944 as it is today, Hitler would deny genocide allegations, just as the Turkish continue to deny genocide allegations from the Armenian Genocide, why the Japanese continue to deny Genocide Allegations during their rule of Korea, Taiwan, parts of Micronesia, Manchuria, and Nanjing. Why the British refuse to acknowledge the Irish Potato Famine or Bengal Famine as Genocides. Why the conservative right want to ban the teaching of American genocides against countless groups (namely Native Americans, African Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Chicanos). And why Zionists get so offended when you refer to the actions of Israel as a Genocide.

Those who commit Genocide will never acknowledge that they are committing genocide. The fact that the current mainstream Zionist reaction, like @sihatn, is to deny that the ongoing genocide exists just proves that one is happening… if the horrific videos didn’t prove it enough (this one is from an American pro Israel source, but it doesn’t not take long to find ones from individuals in Gaza)

In conclusion, Israel is committing a genocide, and if you say otherwise, you are blinded by Ethnonationalism just like the Germans were in the 30s/40s, the Turks were during the 10s/20s and onward, the Brits were for (well forever), and the American right wing is.

If you don’t acknowledge the fact that Israel is committing a Genocide you are part of the problem shawty, and it’s not a good look 😬

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kwistowee · 1 year

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insp. by this meme by @slumped-in-the-arms-of-fiction

EDIT: Most Americans associate the word muppet with Jim Henson's puppets. In much of the rest of the English speaking world (UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Eastern US, South Africa, etc.), a muppet is a derogatory term used to describe a fool, an idiot, an imbecile, someone not to be taken seriously. I couldn't resist using the Henson Muppets font because it's just right there! But obviously the actual Muppets would never align themselves with a cause like Jason's. This isn't meant as an insult to The Muppets or the metal cover band 'Pastor of Muppets'; I just think spoonerisms are funny. I definitely should have made this a part of the initial post rather than just chucking it in my tags.

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godbirdart · 11 months

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since paypal is once again a hot topic because of the “”new”” conversion fee:

international paypal users are already familiar with the conversion fee. this isn’t new to anyone outside the USA. we’ve been paying conversion fees on our USD to [insert regional currency] conversions forever now, it ain’t new.

you can correct me if i’m wrong - and i 100% encourage yall to double check yourselves instead of simply taking my word at face value - but the only difference is they’re making the conversion automatic. instead of you yourself manually converting the currency you have in your paypal account, any international currency is automatically converted to your local one the moment you receive it. i didn’t see the fee rates but knowing paypal, they’re probably increasing the conversion fees.

you can opt out of the automatic conversion by going through your payment preferences under the block payments tab - you just have to do so before September 11, 2023.

to the american artists trying to switch to other services for their commissions may I bring to your attention the following: Cashapp, Venmo and Zelle are all exclusive to the United States [with the exception of Cashapp, which does have availability in the UK]

americans won’t be impacted much [if at all] by this if you’re doing USD to USD transactions. if you really want to switch to something else because paypal just sucks all around, maybe consider Square or Stripe.

Square is available in the USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, the UK, Ireland, France and Spain

and Stripe has availability in the following countries

someone mentioned that Wise is also out there. i personally haven’t used wise and i don’t want to just go ahead and blindly recommend it if i haven’t had any firsthand experience with its services, but it does have a large global availability - even some countries that Square and Stripe don’t have.

feel free to add to this, or correct me if i’m wrong anywhere. i want artists online to thrive instead of outright panicking every time paypal so much as twitches

#paypal #long post #july 2023

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sirenmoth · 4 months

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Hi! If you haven’t already could you do an Irish reader? I haven’t seen any Irish ones so far and I would love if you did. But take your time! Thank you!

reader is from republic of ireland which isn’t part of the UK

!can be romantic or platonic!

Irish!Reader who got selected to join the Task Force, and is disappointed by the fact there’s three Brits in it.

Soap and Irish!Reader immediately join forces, since Scotland and Ireland have very similar traditions and cultures, and definitely not to team up against the English.

Soap tells Irish!Reader about Scot’s language and in return they him some irish words ,

“Eejit means idiot, but you can also say bampot”

“Oh that’s cool, we say eejit as well”

“realy?!”

Ghost isn’t happy with the team up.

Irish!Reader gives Ghost some stuff their mother sends over, as well as the rest of the team. Saying it’s a peace offering.

Price likes asking how Irish!Reader’s family is doing, how their time back in Ireland was once everyone’s come back from leave. Loves hearing about it over some tea and a cigar in his office.

Irish!Reader shows Kyle some of their favourite shows, a little culture share, while in the background secretly giving Soap some advice on how to get Scottish independence.

“it’s gonna be rough for a while but it’s worth it”

“aye, finally free from them fuckin brits”

“What are you two muttering about?”

“Nothing!”

Football week is a nightmare on base (if you watch it) Irish!Reader supporting their team, with Soap if it's Ireland vs an English team, would be a bloodbath if it wasn't for Price. (Based off the European thing, you automatically support the other team if they’re playing against England)

Cooking with Kyle is a bit confusing, Irish!Reader calls British food an abomination which ends up in a back and forth argument,

“Why the potatoes?”

“We didn’t have them for years, we’re catching up”

“What’s the point in that? It’s just potatoes”

“What’s the point in having all those spices, seasonings and herbs you stole from the other countries and never using them, you colonialist”

“I- well that was uncalled for, lovie”

“Am I wrong though?”

St. Patrick’s Day is mostly spent with one of them trying to out drink Irish!Reader, never ends well.

Having one Scot, one Irish, and three Brits as a team maybe isn’t so bad.

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colinodonoghue · 24 days

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222aghoststory & colinodonoghue1: 🚨 MEET YOUR DUBLIN CAST 🚨 @shonabmx @birdspotting @colinodonoghue1 @thewhitmore will be taking #222AGhostStory to Dublin’s @3olympiatheatre this Summer, 21 June - 11 Aug. For a strictly limited run 🚨Do you dare to join us? Book your tickets now! Link in bio 👻📸 @seamusphoto

Colinodonoghue1: Woohoo!! So excited to be a part of this show!!

[Get your tickets here!!!]

Runaway Entertainment in association with 3Olympia Theatre presents

2:22 - A GHOST STORY

Shona McGarty, Jay McGuiness, Colin O’Donoghue, Laura Whitmore, Announced for The Very Special, Standalone Irish Production

The smash hit play by Danny Robins Makes Irish Debut At 3Olympia Theatre This Summer For a Strictly Limited Run

Directed by Matthew Dunster & Isabel Marr

“A slick, chilling, romp of a play” The Guardian

‘A modern classic’ Sunday Times

Producer Runaway Entertainment is delighted to announce the stellar cast for the critically acclaimed, smash hit, supernatural thriller 2:22 - A Ghost Story opening at Dublin’s 3Olympia Theatre this summer for its debut Irish performances.

Shona McGarty (Eastenders) will play Jenny, Jay McGuiness (The Wanted, BIG! The Musical, Rip It Up), who is currently on the UK tour in 2:22 - A Ghost Story, will play Ben, Colin O'Donoghue (Once Upon A Time, The Tudors, The Right Stuff, The Gray House) will play Sam with Laura Whitmore (Love Island, Finding Joy, Queenie, and Jenny in 2.22: A Ghost Story in her West End debut) stepping into the role of Lauren.

The very special, standalone Irish production, produced for Dublin’s 3Olympia Theatre, will open on Thursday 20th June 2024 with performances until Sunday 11th August 2024 - for a strictly limited run only.

Full list of performances below. Age Suitability: 12+

Tickets priced from €26.50 including booking fee and €1.50 restoration levy on sale now with Ticketmaster Ireland

2:22 - A Ghost Story began in summer 2021 at the Noël Coward Theatre, starring Lily Allen, Julia Chan, Hadley Fraser and Jake Wood, and where it won the WhatsOnStage award for Best Play. It then transferred to the Gielgud Theatre for 10 weeks from 4 December 2021. The production there starring Stephanie Beatriz, James Buckley, Elliot Cowan and Giovanna Fletcher completed its run on 12 February 2022. For the first season at the Criterion (May - September 2022) the cast was Tom Felton, Mandip GIll, Sam Swainsbury and Beatriz Romilly. In late September Laura Whitmore, Matt Willis, Felix Scott and Tamsin Carroll took over.

The box office record-breaking run at the Lyric starring Cheryl, Jake Wood, Scott Karim, and Louise Ford, concluded its run on 23 April. The West End season at the Apollo Theatre starred Sophia Bush, Frankie Bridge, Ricky Champ, Clifford Samuel and Jaime Winstone, and set off on its UK tour in Autumn 2023 with Joe Absolom, Charlene Boyd, Nathaniel Curtis and Louisa Lytton in the cast. Current cast on the UK tour: Vera Chok (Lauren); Jay McGuiness (Ben); George Rainsford (Sam); Fiona Wade (Jenny).

2:22 is written by award-winning writer Danny Robins, creator of the hit BBC podcast The Battersea Poltergeist, and is directed by Matthew Dunster and Isabel Marr; it’s an adrenaline-filled night where secrets emerge and ghosts may or may not appear…

Danny Robins said: ‘I'm really looking forward to seeing how Dublin audiences respond to 2:22 this summer. The tour continues to be a great success and I can't think of a better place to round off the journey in 2024 than here with a brand new cast to be announced soon!'

What do you believe? And do you dare discover the truth?

“THERE’S SOMETHING IN OUR HOUSE. I HEAR IT EVERY NIGHT, AT THE SAME TIME"

Jenny believes her new home is haunted, but her husband Sam isn’t having any of it. They argue with their first dinner guests, old friend Lauren and new partner Ben. Can the dead really walk again? Belief and scepticism clash, but something feels strange and frightening, and that something is getting closer, so they’re going to stay up... until 2:22... and then they’ll know.

2:22 - A Ghost Story features set design by Anna Fleischle, costume design by Cindy Lin, lighting design by Lucy Carter, sound by Ian Dickinson for Autograph Sound and illusions by Chris Fisher. Casting by Matilda James.

2:22 - A Ghost Story is produced by Tristan Baker and Charlie Parsons for Runaway Entertainment, Isobel David and Kater Gordon. [source]

#colin o'donoghue #twitter #instagram #theatre #shona mcgarty #laura whitmore #jay mcguiness #3OLYMPIA THEATRE #Sam #2:22 a ghost story #danny robins #isabel marr #matthew dunster

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justmeinatree · 11 months

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Made Of Something New

Summary : you meet niall in your hotel bar. and there’s an intense connection.

Story TW : this is a cheating fic (not on you, but none the less). almost all chapters are smut heavy. there is also occasional drug use. each part will have it’s appropriate warnings.

A/N : i want to preface this story by reminding everyone that it is just that, a story. no one is named or described, aside from niall & reader. you can imagine virtually everyone as you so please, or not at all, there’s honestly no importance placed on any character that isn’t niall & reader. enjoy ✌️

Intro

Canada

Mexico

Italy

Sweden

Telephone

Ireland

USA

Home

Extra Chapters :

Italy, night 2

……

Main Masterlist

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jokeroutsubs · 7 months

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ENG SUB translation: JOKER OUT: The audience knows we’re a real thing, not just a three-minute performance.

Original article from Serbian website Zoomer.rs: http://zoomer.rs/joker-out-publika-zna-da-smo-realna-stvar-ne-samo-nastup-od-tri-minuta/

Translation by @moonlvster

JOKER OUT: The audience knows we’re a real thing, not just a three-minute performance.

Before the frontman of the Slovenian band Joker Out knelt in front of a Serbian audience last Friday and on their request sang “Đurđevdan”, the popular band that gained international recognition at this year’s Eurovision received a Golden Record for the single ‘Carpe Diem’. On this occasion, Zoomer spoke with Jan Peteh and vocalist Bojan Cvjetićanin, whom the Serbian audience especially like because of his background. Bojan and Jan told us that they look at their Eurovision success from a distance, reveal details of their tour, as well as when the awaited third album is coming out.

Which city has been the most memorable one on the tour so far? Where would you like to perform and haven’t had the chance this time?

We liked it the most in Ireland, England, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia. This year we’ll miss a few countries we’d like to go to, which are Italy, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, there’s plenty. I think next year we’ll perform in some of the countries we missed this year. Nothing is confirmed, but the team has hinted at us about the possibility of going to Australia, America and Japan next year. We want to return to many countries, especially ones in the region. It’s really intimate, homely, the audience is warm, they greeted us better than we could’ve expected. Just love.

That means next year is reserved for a tour too, can we expect some new music or will you be busy with gigs?

The first half of 2024 we’re going to live in London, where we’re going to create and record the new album. In March and April we’re having a month-long tour, then summer festivals and at the end of the year another headlining tour. So a new album is coming out next autumn. We hope. (laughter)

Is it true that the new album will be in multiple languages?

It is. It’s going to be in at least three languages, which are, of course, Slovenian, Serbian and English, and it’s possible we’ll throw in more.

The unexpected boom after Eurovision has, on the one hand, given you a stepping stone, and on the other hand perhaps forced a prefix that isn’t always appreciated in the music world. What do you think of that?

I would absolutely say that it was a stepping stone for us. I believe that our result shows we’re not just Eurovision participants, but we have proven to the public that there is some sort of story and a longer period in which we have been creating and that this is a real thing, not just a three minute performance. The fact that we are coming to Europe, that people are buying tickets to our shows and singing our songs for an hour and a half, is enough of an indicator of Eurovision was a catapult for us as you could wish for, and that we have passed that moment of a few minutes.

Do you maintain friendships made at Eurovision?

We hang out a lot, yes. With Käärijä, Luke Black and many more, Monika from Lithuania, Let 3, we keep in touch with the guys from San Marino, we even performed with Wild Youth on our UK tour.

Where do you like to spend time in Belgrade?

Jan has only been here for performances, but I spend the most time around Cetinjska Street, I’ll say Marsh. (laughter)

What do you think about socially engaged music, are there any topics you particularly care about?

As a band we agreed not to take a political stand. We’re a group of musicians and we always speak out if a violation of human rights is in question, but for other political matters we’re not the right people to ask. We don’t think it’s fair for us to influence people because we have opinions. Just because we’re famous and have some kind of influence, we don’t have to be objectively right. In terms of social topics, we already sing about them in our songs. Our job is to bring people together into one space and to create a feeling of closeness, love and unity in them.

#joker out #bojan cvjeticanin #jokeroutsubs #jan peteh #kris gustin #nace jordan #bojan cvjetićanin #jure macek #kris guštin

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badolmen · 4 months

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Bloody Sunday Massacre anniversary is tomorrow. My dad grew up hearing from ill informed Americans about how it was an ‘age old religious conflict’ (those Protestants and Catholics never get alone). How the violence in the north, the arrests and raids and terrorizing was justified (they had to stop those awful carbombing IRA terrorists!). How it was impossible, the country had been conquered for centuries (why would they see freedom now? they lost the war. let it rest).

And of course, it isn’t completely free and perfect. This year I’ve seen the “Irish Unification of 2024” Star Trek meme a dozen times. It’s heartening to think that such a thing could be possible, by chance to coincide with a scifi show’s alternate history.

(But all I think of is Palestine. The lies and misinformation and the propaganda machine oiled in innocent blood.)

Even today you cannot publically display the names of the killers of the Bloody Sunday Massacre in the UK. The families of the murdered have yet to see justice. Some doubt they ever will.

(I think of the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians starving, grinding animal feed for flour in a manufactured famine.)

The Choctaw and Cherokee nations sent donations during An Ghorta Mor. The Sultan sent ships of food and aid only for the British to turn most away.

(I also think of the thousands of Gaeltacht after the language was pushed to the brink of extinction. I think of the homes built on ancestral land, no more landlords or laws prohibiting Irish claims. I think of the music and laughter and dance of my family who once fled as refugees of a manufactured famine - we call our cousins across the sea and sing Come Out Ye Black and Tans over choppy phone connections.

I think of a free Palestine, and I see it - because I can see a free Ireland, more free than she’s been in centuries, closer to unity than she’s ever been. It won’t be easy or pretty - it won’t end over night, or over a few years. But that never stopped the spirit of a people dedicated to their own liberation. I know because I’ve seen it, I’ve lived among the fruits of freedom.

We can hold their hand and say, we know your pain. We see your struggle. We understand the injustice your face. We are proof that it is possible to overcome these horrors and see days filled with peace and joy. We will walk with you.)

#ra speaks #personal #sorry can’t sleep need ta get this outta my head #obv there’s ~ nuance ~ but I’m just stream of consciousnessing this #ik ok ik the Irish gov ain’t been saints abt this but the people of Ireland have long stood w our Palestinian siblings in justified defiance #like what’s happening in Gaza is magnitudes more horrific than any crime committed in Belfast #but they have the same roots and motivations. it’s like an awful echo.#going to bed if you’re gonna be weird on this post overnight I’m gonna be really sad and disappointed in you

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seasurfacefullofclouds1 · 6 months

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hi sea, hope you're doing well!

so, i haven't really been here for a while because life happened but I found myself wondering recently, how is everything going here? from what I've seen louis looks really good and happy these days and he's joining a bunch of festivals? exciting things!

Hi there!

In terms of Louis’ trajectory— the general direction of his career— 2023 has been the best year for him ever. Including in 1D.

Louis released FITF, an album that went to Official Charts #1 in the UK, Billboard #5, and many top tens internationally.

After the 80-show world tour last year (2022), Louis then booked the biggest solo tour he’s done so far. FITFWT 2023 had 79 shows + AFHF. Louis played some of the same venues that 1D played at the height of popularity, and sold out the O2 Arena in London.

28 Clothing began selling products this year. The choice to partner with Hype Beast for the limited runs is on brand and very smart marketing. Using a separate marketing firm for 28 was also a great idea.

Louis will probably have one of the largest merch sales this year, all while keeping his prices average (for tour merch). At Matt Vines’ estimate of $38 per person on tour, he will have sold about (conservatively) $10 million in tour merch this year, not counting 28 Clothing. I estimate revenue for tour tickets to be around $14 million (assuming about 250k tickets for FITFWT 2023 at $55 per).

Even if these aren’t the biggest numbers, Louis’ cumulative achievement comes from many years of stop-and-start disruptions, much hard work and heartache, and— initially— some very hopeful, loyal, diehard fans who kept waiting for him and encouraging him.

The achievements also feel authentically won, as the biggest radio stations in the UK and USA are still blacklisting Louis from the airwaves. He might come on Jimmy Fallon and iHeart, but it’s rare to hear his music on radio— which translates to few streaming playlists. BMG UK also treats Louis like a catalogue artist and relies on fans’ word-of-mouth for promo. So for so many fans to show up for him at the concerts really means genuine interest, real love.

In addition, Louis is being nominated by some mainstream music media, like Rolling Stone UK and Billboard, for legitimate awards (Best Tour Act for RSUK, Best Music Documentary for Billboard). It reminds me of the start of his solo career in 2017-18, when Louis was up for awards like iHeart’s Breakout Solo Artist, Best UK/ Ireland solo act, and other awards, instead of simply being shut out as in 2019-22.

My opinion is that RSUK and Billboard have nominated Louis to harness the social media power of his fans and draw more attention to their awards (once again, free PR), especially since the Billboard award is fan-voted. However, attention to the awards also keeps Louis’ name in their publications.

Finally, yes!!! Festivals!

So far Louis has been booked in festivals only in Mexico, the UK, and Europe, but this is also where his audience has the highest concentration. The choice to do festivals with rock and indie acts makes sense, because Louis is already friends with many current acts (and has toured with several) and there’s potential for the audience to cross over. Listening to Faith In The Future, I would say that Louis can still go further in an indie sound. He loves his big pop choruses — bless— but he can convert them to rock, not just in instrumental arrangement but in spirit. To me, Back To You isn’t really a rock song and it doesn’t sound like a rock song no matter what, but it is fun. The festivals are a good way to test his music and go further. All around him are inspirations.

(It’s also inspirational to see people like The Snuts going out on their own label. Much food for thought.)

Also in terms of business structure, Louis and Matt Vines invested in OpenStage, a business that taps into direct-to-consumer marketing for artists via social media and texting. It’s too early to know whether this company is the “pirate” that bypasses big music labels, radio, and streaming services to sell to and connect to fans directly, or whether it will get bought out by a big PR firm or killed by competition. However, Louis has been doing independent festivals, playing at independent music venues, promoting smaller and indie artists, thinking about managing these artists and starting an indie label for years. These are early steps for Louis to establish a presence outside of traditional music industry.

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sunnysideaeggs · 9 months

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Everyday the extreme targ/dany stans make your post about those faux white feminist inbreeds more valid jesus https://x.com/doncorleann/status/1695451690990752164?s=46

Omg I can’t even 😭😭😭 Sansa hated Daenerys not because she was a woman or a queen or whatever. She would’ve hated Viserys or Aegon too if they were the ones trying to ‘conquer’ her home. She hated Roose, Ramsay, Joffrey and Littlefinger, all men trying to take her birthright. To say she should bend the knee to Daenerys just because she has a vagina is sexist, and stupid. After all, Sansa met Cersei and knows that a woman in power can be as ruthless and cruel as a man.

In the later seasons of got she is (and later on asoiaf she will) a core believer of northern independence who wouldn’t settle for any unionist ruler, male or female. It reminds me a bit of The troubles in Northern Ireland (the north, duh!) happening when George was planning the saga, but I’m not very informed on those events. If someone is from Ireland/UK and would care to tell me more about it, I would be very grateful :)✨

It’s so awful that Targ Stan’s can’t even fathom that a woman can have an agency that goes deep into politics and isn’t just ‘Yasss queen! Women in power! Burn them all!’. Also, do they realize that Sansa ended up as a queen in her own right and married to no one?

#sunny answers ☀️🍳#anti daenerys targaryen #anti targaryen stans #anti targ stans #sansa stark

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pvffinsdaisies · 1 month

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The UK & Ireland as Taylor Swift songs

ENGLAND: The Archer

“Combat, I’m ready for combat. I say I don’t want that, but what if I do? ‘Cause cruelty wins in the movies, I’ve got a hundred thrown-out speeches I almost said to you.

(…)

I’ve been the archer, I’ve been the prey. Who could ever leave me, darling, but who could stay?

Dark side, I search for your dark side, but what if I’m alright, right, right here? And I cut off my nose just to spite my face, and then I hate my reflection for years and years.

I wake in the night, I pace like a ghost. The room is on fire, invisible smoke. And all of my heroes die all alone, help me hold onto you.

(…)

All the king’s horses, all the king’s men, couldn’t put me together again ‘cause all of my enemies started out friends. Help me hold onto you.”

IRELAND: Mad Woman

“What did you think I’d say to that? Does a scorpion sting when fighting back? They strike to kill, and you know I will. (…)

Every time you call me crazy, I get more crazy. What about that? And when you say I seem angry, I get more angry.

And there’s nothing like a mad woman; what a shame she went mad. No one likes a mad woman; you made her like that. And you poke that bear til the claws come out, and you find something to wrap your noose around. And there’s nothing like a mad woman.

Now I breathe flames each time I talk, my canons all firing at your yacht. They say “move on”, but you know I won’t. And women like hunting witches too, doing your dirtiest work for you. It’s obvious that wanting me dead has really brought you two together.

(…)

I’m taking my time, taking my time, cause you took everything from me. Watching you climb, watching you climb, over people like me. The master of spin has a couple side flings, good wives always know. And she should be mad, should be scathing like me but

No one likes a mad woman.”

NORTHERN IRELAND: Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?

“The who’s who of ‘who’s that?’ Is poised for the attack, but my bare hands paved their path. You don’t get to tell me about ‘sad’

(…)

The scandal was contained, the bullet had just grazed. At all costs, keep your good name. You don’t get to tell me you feel bad.

Is it a wonder I broke? Let’s hear one more joke, then we could all just laugh until I cry.

(…)

So tell me everything is not about me, but what if it is? Then say they didn’t do it to hurt me, but what if they did? I wanna snarl and show you just how disturbed this has made me. You wouldn’t last an hour in the asylum where they raised me. So all you kids can sneak into my house with all the cobwebs- I’m always drunk on my own tears, isn’t that what they all said- then I’ll sue you if you step on my lawn. That is fearsome and I’m wretched and I’m wrong. Put narcotics into all of my songs, and that’s why you’re still singing along.

So I leap from the gallows and I levitate down your street. Crash the wedding like a record scratch as I scream, “Who’s afraid of little old me?” I was tame, I was gentle ‘til the circus life made me mean, “don’t you worry, folks, we took out all her teeth!” Who’s afraid of little old me? Well, you should be.

SCOTLAND: Peace

“But I’m a fire and I’ll keep your brittle heart warm if your cascade ocean-wave blues come. All these people think love’s for show, but i would die for you in secret. The devil’s in the details, but you got a friend in me. Would it be enough if I could never give you peace?

Your integrity makes me seem small; you paint dreamscapes on the wall, I talk shit with my friends. It’s like I’m wasting your honour.

And you know that I’d swing with you for the fences, sit with you in the trenches. Give you my wild, give you a child. Give you the silence that only comes when two people understand each other, family that I chose now that I see your brother as my brother. Is it enough?

But there’s robbers to the east, clowns to the west. I’d give you my sunshine, give you my best, but the rain is always gonna come if you’re standing with me.”

WALES: Seven

“Please, picture me in the trees, I hit my peak at seven feet in the swing, over the creek. I was too scared to jump in, but I, I was high in the sky, with Pennsylvania under me, are there still beautiful things?

Sweet tea in the summer. Cross your heart, won’t tell no other. And though I can’t recall your face, I still got love for you. Your braid’s like a pattern, love you to the moon and to Saturn. Passed down like folk songs, the love lasts so long.

And I’ve been meaning to tell you, I think your house is haunted. Your dad is always mad, and that must be why. And I think you should come live with me and we can be pirates, then you won’t have to cry or hide in the closet. And just like a folk song, our love will be passed on.

Please, picture me in the weeds, before I learnt civility. I used to scream ferociously anytime I wanted.”

#peace is literally Scotland about Norway #like #that’s literally ScotNor 😭😭#except I don’t think they’d want children tbhh #I got really sad when I realised n Ireland’s song #anyway #I wanted to make this post for a while but I never had a song for n Ireland #and now I do!#hetalia #aph england #aph ireland #aph northern ireland #aph scotland #aph wales #hws england #hws ireland #hws northern ireland #hws scotland #hws wales

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