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Manchester Pride launches ‘groundbreaking’ new drag school to teach LGBTQ+ youth performance skills

'The House of Queens, Kings and Holy Things' is all about building confidence and creating community.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 20th June 2023

A “groundbreaking” new drag school especially for LGBTQ+ youth and allies in Greater Manchester has been launched this week.

As part of a new partnership between Manchester Pride and local group Drag Kings of Manchester, the new drag school – which is called ‘The House of Queens, Kings and Holy Things’ – is kicking-off with a series of exciting free summer workshops aimed at providing the region‘s LGBTQ+ youth and allies with “performance skills, confidence, and community”.

Offering “a transformative experience in the world of drag”, this innovative new drag school is exclusively for members of Youth Pride MCR aged 14 to 18, and those up to 25 with additional needs.

In case you’re not familiar with Youth Pride MCR, it’s a project by Manchester Pride that’s dedicated to improving the lives of LGBTQ+ young people and their allies by creating a safe and inclusive community, and organising engaging workshops where participants can explore their identities, develop new skills, and build meaningful connections.

Those taking part in the new workshops at ‘The House of Queens, Kings and Holy Things’ this summer will have the opportunity to develop their performance skills, learn about makeup and costume, build self-confidence, and ultimately perfect their drag performance craft.

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At the end of the five-week course, those taking part will then have a chance to perform at the Youth Pride MCR event as part of the legendary Manchester Pride Festival.

Manchester Pride says it has developed the workshops in response to feedback directly from the young people it supports.

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More than 50% of young people said they wanted to learn more about drag and creative performance.

Beyond the glamour and glitter, Manchester Pride and Drag Kings of Manchester say the workshop series also aims to provide LGBTQ+ youth and allies with “valuable experience and insights into the creative industries”, as well as help to improve their social and public speaking skills.

Manchester Pride launches ‘groundbreaking’ new drag school to teach LGBTQ+ youth performance skills / Credit: Youth Pride MCR

“We are excited to launch this unique and creative initiative, offering our young members a platform to express themselves, meet new people, and potentially ignite their passion for a career in the creative industries,” Mark Fletcher, CEO of Manchester Pride, said ahead of the launch of the new drag school and workshop series.

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“The House of Queens, Kings and Holy Things encapsulates the spirit of Manchester Pride, creating opportunities for the LGBTQ+ youth of our community to thrive, be seen, and heard.

“We are eager to see the talent and creativity that will emerge from this program.”

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You can learn more about the workshops and upcoming events here.

Featured Image – Youth Pride MCR

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The incredible new lantern trail around a northern theme park with Yorkshire pudding wraps, boozy hot chocolates, and more

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Land of Lights Gulliver's World

Yorkshire pudding wraps and boozy hot chocolates are just some of the festive treats on offer at an incredible new lantern trail.

In case you haven’t heard, Land of Lights has now opened at Gulliver’s World in Warrington, and it’s transformed the much-loved North West theme park into an immersive winter wonderland for the Christmas season – with 12 “vivid dreamworlds” full of dozens of gigantic lanterns inspired by animals, mega monuments, and wonders of the natural world to marvel at.

As the sun goes down and the nights draw in, visitors are now able to explore an amazing array of light installations as they walk all around the park.

More than 7,000 individual lanterns and hundreds of thousands of LED lights create the spectacle.

Having been already enchanting families since it opened at few weeks back now, Land of Lights is a first-of-its-kind attraction for the area, and it’s arrived in Warrington after it was held for the first time ever at Gulliver’s Land down in Milton Keynes last year, and proved to be a smash-hit success that was visited by thousands.

The award-winning work of the Zigong Lantern Group – with more than 100 people involved in the production process, and it taking six months to design, manufacture, and artistically finish – Land of Lights seems to already be garnering rave reviews.

But those aren’t just down to all the show-stopping lanterns and light installations.

That’s because visitors also have the chance to tuck into a feast of festive-themed street food and drinks all throughout the festival too.

Yorkshire Pudding Wraps at Land of Lights at Gulliver's World
Yorkshire Pudding Wraps at Land of Lights at Gulliver’s World. Credit: The Manc Group
Toasted marshmallows at Land of Lights at Gulliver's World
Toasted marshmallows at Land of Lights at Gulliver’s World

As you make your way around the illuminated park, you can grab everything from freshly-made and generously-filled Yorkshire pudding wraps, and an impressive selection of handmade churros, to authentic German sausages and bratwursts, and a winter-warming lineup of tipples and soft drinks like mulled wine, beer, and boozy hot chocolates.

Not only that, but there’s also Lagado’s Restaurant & Grill located on site too, which offers up a wide range of sit-down meal options inside its warm restaurant on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays of the festival.

As we mentioned, the event looks to have been proving pretty popular in the short time since it’s opened, with positive reviews coming in thick and fast.

One glowing review reads: “We visited Land of Lights at Gulliver’s world, I have to say it’s breathtaking, much more than what I imagined, well worth the money, definitely recommended.

“Like stepping into a fairy tale, it’s an amazing experience. You have hot food and drink, different gadget shops during the trail, it’s an instant stress relief after a bad day. Parking is free.”

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Land of Lights is now open at Gulliver’s World in Warrington, and is running right through to 25 February 2024 – with tickets already on sale and prices starting from only £12.

Find out more and grab tickets here.

Featured image – The Manc Group

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You can win a luxury Manchester apartment worth £350k for just £4.99

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson You can win a luxury apartment in Manchester in a £4.99 competition.

We all know that Manchester’s property scene has gone wild in the last few years – so the chance to own your own furnished luxury apartment for only £4.99 sounds almost too good to be true. 

But it’s really happening, with a new competition where the top prize is a two-bedroom apartment right in the city centre. 

The stunning flat overlooking Angel Meadows, valued at £350k, could be yours for only £4.99. I know. Unreal. 

This InstaWin competition is going to allow one lucky winner to live mortgage-free in Manchester, with all the best bits of our brilliant city centre on the doorstep. 

If the winner doesn’t want the apartment, there’s a £250k cash alternative up for grabs, transferred directly into your bank. 

And 2,000 runners-up will receive prizes worth £170k in total, with top prizes of £10k tax-free cash. 

So back to that pad. Tucked in the beautiful new NOMA quarter, the flat is inside the Meadowside development, a short walk from Manchester landmarks and green space.

Inside the luxury Manchester flat you could win
Inside the luxury Manchester apartment you could win

You’ll be a 10-minute walk from Manchester Victoria and not much further from the Manchester Arndale, as well as cultural landmarks like Manchester Art Gallery and the Central Library. 

You’ll also have brilliant local pubs like The Marble Arch and The Angel right outside, and food hotspots like Mackie Mayor and Ramona just a short walk away. 

The dog-friendly apartments come with residents-only amenities including free tea and coffee in the lounge, a top-quality gym and yoga space. 

It’s within The Gate building in the £235m residential development of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments. 

All apartments feature a video door entry system, a concierge service, CCTV, lockable bike storage and more.

Elite Competitions will also give you £10,000 worth of furniture. 

Communal space in the two-bedroom flat you could win
Communal space in the two-bedroom flat you could win
The gym at the Manchester apartment, which is off Angel Meadows
The gym at the Manchester apartment, which is off Angel Meadows

If the lucky winner chooses to rent out the flat, they can expect to bring in about £2,500 per month in rental income. 

Elite Competitions will cover all fees and stamp duty on the property. 

To be in with a chance to win the £350k apartment for only £4.99, you just need to purchase a ticket here. 

If your number(s) match any of the InstaWin prizes, you’ll become an InstaWinner, and will be entered into the main draw for the apartment. 

The more tickets you buy, the greater the chance you’ll have to win, and you can win more than one prize if multiple numbers match InstaWin prizes. 

You can have a maximum of 10,000 entries into the competition to win a Manchester apartment 

The draw takes place on Sunday 31 December at 3pm. 

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Find out more and enter the competition here. 

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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