"GFest is an excellent forum for encouraging new artists as well as established acts and I wish participants, organisers and visitors a great festival this year"
- Margot James,
Conservative Party Vice Chairman for Women
"I send my very best wishes to GFest, and hope the festival is a huge success. Giving full expression to some of the best in LGBT arts and performance - and being proud about the diversity that has created it - is something to be savoured, enjoyed, and celebrated. Good luck!"
Chris Smith
Rt Hon Lord Smith
"I send my good wishes to all those involved in organising and participating in GFest 2008. Wise Thoughts has a proven track record and has organised an ambitious programme of events across the arts. I hope the Festival will raise the profile of LGBT artists and their work, not only in London but nationally."
- David Lepper MP
"As a TV producer I am always keen to hear about innovative media and arts forums. As Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission I am delighted to see innovation coupled with a celebration of LGBT creators and audiences. I wish all success to the G-Fest gayWise LGBT Arts Festival."
- Sir Trevor Phillips
"As a lesbian and a Londoner, I'm excited about GFest, an LGBT arts festival filled with cutting-edge exhibitions and performances by new and established artists. GFest is a celebration of the wonderful diversity that makes our queer communities so vibrant, and our capital city so rich. It's so inspiring to see LGBT arts showcased in this way. I hope GFest just gets bigger, bolder and more beautiful, year by year!"
- Sarah Waters
"GFest looks set to be better than ever this year and the diversity and creativity behind the festival and are truly inspiring. It is a wonderful opportunity to showcase and celebrate LGBT artists and performers, so I wish all involved every success."
- Caroline Lucas MEP
Leader of the Green Party
"I want to wish all the participants and supporters of the GFest- gayWise LGBT Arts Festival all the very best for this year's Festival. It provides a fantastic platform not just for the LGBT community but also for London and for the arts. This year's programme is packed with interesting and diverse events so I am sure it will be a great success."
- Jeremy Hunt
Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
"Congratulations to Wise Thoughts and GFest organisers for all their efforts in delivering this year's GFest -gayWise LGBT Arts Festival.
I am looking forward to this year's festival. Gfest offers a broad, diverse mix of visual and performance art which is creative, challenging and provocative. The festival is also an exciting platform to showcase the creativity of artists who explore sexual and ethnic identities and it builds upon the extensive, historic contributions that LGBT Londoners have made to the vibrant social, economic and cultural fabric of this city.
I wish Gfest every success as it establishes itself as London's annual LGBT arts festival and encourage Londoners to attend."
- Jennette Arnold AM
Chair of the London Assembly
Press
An online / media partners press pack is available for download - click here. Members of the press /media are invited to obtain a user name and password in order to get exclusive online access to programme material, latest GFest news, online archives. Fill out the form below to register with us. We will contact you to verify your status and issue you with a username and password.
GFest
GFest - gayWise LGBT Arts Festival is the premier LGBT annual cross-arts festival in London - a platform for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer artists, organisations and venues that promote Lesbian Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and queer artists. Produced and organised by arts charity Wise Thoughts, GFest is the brainchild of Wise Thoughts' Artistic Director Niranjan Kamatkar .
GFest 09 will be held 9 - 22 Nov 2009, the third year for the festival, comprising three main artistic strands GFest '09 will feature over 100 queer artists and talent across performance events, short film screenings and visual arts exhibitions. Connecting these strands are social and networking events, workshops, debates and seminars with leading LGBT artists, workshop facilitators, industry/sector experts and academics.
Wise Thoughts
Founded in 1999 and currently celebrating its 10th year, Wise Thoughts works across the arts addressing social justice issues, the needs marginalized groups, primarily LGBT and Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic communities, and works to foster understanding amongst non-LGBT audiences. Other specific LGBT arts initiatives include:
- Performance works: 14 Emotions (written and performed by workshop participants), Livin' 'ere (presenting contemporary British Asian gay identity), Jagurati (a street theatre development for MSM - 'men who have sex with men' - funded by the DFID) among others.
- Visual arts exhibitions: BollyQueens, Discovery, Out in the Morning
- Films: Yours Emotionally and Interview with a Politician.
Wise Thoughts also works strategically with local authorities and statutory bodies on LGBT/BAME matters and policy development as well as delivering a range of non-clinical services for BAME/LGBT people, such as drop-ins, operating locally (in Haringey and in North London), regionally (London wide), nationally and internationally depending upon the nature of each project.
You can find out more about Wise Thoughts here.
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