Open Call for LGBTQ+ Youth: Hazlitt Pride Cabaret

The Hazlitt Theatre is thrilled to be celebrating Pride month in partnership with Maidstone Pride Community Group this June with the inaugural Hazlitt Pride Cabaret! We are proud to be participating in Maidstone’s first ever Pride event after the success of our Not a Phase audio walking trail in 2022 thanks to donations from Fremlin Walk, Maidstone Borough Council and One Maidstone. 

 

Join us as we celebrate a range of local LGBTQ+ Youth talent in our Exchange Studio on 22 June 2024! 

 

But we need you! We are currently looking for talented members of the LGTBQ+ Youth community to participate in this inaugural event. If you are a musician, dancer, drag act, spoken word artist or any other stage act, this could be your chance to step into the spotlight and amplify the incredible LGBTQ+ talent and community of Kent! 

 

Have a question about participating? We have answered some frequently asked questions…

 

What is Hazlitt Pride Cabaret? 

The Cabaret-style evening will showcase a variety of acts from the LGBTQ+ community performed in our intimate Exchange Studio. This is a seated event, with very limited tickets available soon on a first come, first serve basis. Our aim is to create a relaxed evening to celebrate Maidstone Pride in a welcoming environment for everyone. Timings and running order TBC in collaboration with the acts selected. 

 

Who are you looking for to participate? 

We are looking for members of the LGBTQ+ Youth and ally community who have some experience performing. This doesn’t have to be professional experience - if you love to sing, dance, act or perform in any way in your spare time, we want to hear from you! 

 

There is no theme for the Hazlitt Pride Cabaret and acts may perform any material they wish. We would love to keep it centred around LGBTQ+ Youth, but how you approach this is up to you. We are interested in any category of performance, whether you are a musician, dancer, drag act, comedian, spoken word artist or anything in between - we want to see your self tape! 

 

To register your interest and give us an idea of your performance, submit a self tape of your performance via our official Hazlitt Pride Participation Form. We will be accepting applicants until midnight on 31st May. Successful applicants will be contacted shortly after. 

 

Please note that applicants under the age of 18 will need permission from a parent / guardian to participate. Performers must be available for the entirety of 22 June for rehearsals during the day and the performance in the evening. Exact timings TBC. 

 

Can anyone buy tickets for the Hazlitt Pride Cabaret?

While we are searching for young talented LGTBQ+ performers, everyone is welcome to join us in the audience! A very limited number of tickets will be on sale on our website and in our Box Office soon. 

 

This event is in partnership with Maidstone Pride, but managed and ticketed by the Hazlitt Theatre. There will be lots of events happening in the town centre on the day of 22 June - check out Maidstone Pride’s website for more information on daytime events. Any tickets purchased for Maidstone Pride events will not gain entry to our Hazlitt Pride Cabaret, which must be purchased directly from us. The Hazlitt Theatre are the sole sellers of tickets to the Hazlitt Pride Cabaret, so please book via our website or through our Box Office when tickets become available. 

 

We aim to make this performance as accessible and affordable as possible with tiered ‘Pay What You Can’ ticket prices. The higher priced tickets will act to supplement the lowest price of tickets, so audience members are encouraged to pay what they can to make this event affordable to as many people as possible. Wheelchair spaces can be booked directly with our Box Office, but not online. If you have any additional needs and would like to ask us a question, please email us: hazlitt.boxoffice@parkwoodtheatres.co.uk. 

 

Performers who are selected will not need to buy a ticket to the event, and will be able to watch the other acts during the evening.

 

I am not part of the LGBTQ+ youth community, but I am an ally and still want to help. How can I do this?

If you are not part of the LGBTQ+ youth community, we would still be grateful for your support! Simply share posts relating to Hazlitt Pride Cabaret and Maidstone Pride where you see them online, and tell friends and family about this event. If you know someone who you think would be interested in performing or you want to perform a Pride performance, send them our Hazlitt Pride Participation Form.  And of course you can purchase tickets and come help us celebrate on the night or donate! 

 

We will be fundraising for a local LGBTQ+ charity on the evening of the Hazlitt Pride Cabaret too, so please bring spare change! If you would like to nominate an LGBTQ+ charity for us to fundraise for, please contact hazlitt.marketing@parkwoodtheatres.co.uk. 

 

We look forward to welcoming you to our inaugural Hazlitt Pride Cabaret to celebrate our local LGBTQ+ Youth community! Keep an eye out on our socials and website - a limited number of tickets will be on sale very soon…