We are delighted to announce the recipients of five bursaries, designed to support early career queer artists & producers. Each bursary recipient will receive £400, free places on The Sit-In (an exciting digital season launching next week) and a bespoke mentorship session. In return they will be sharing information about The Sit-In to their networks and people they think might be interested in some of the events. We wanted to use this unexpected pause to make new connections with queer artists and support those who are earlier on in their career, to help ensure a thriving queer arts scene when we emerge from this period of uncertainty. Each recipient was nominated by an organisation who works with artists, or through our own artist development network. They are: 

 

• Rafia Hussain, nominated by In Good Company

• Mandla Rae, nominated by Curious Arts & Queer Arts North 

• Jack Wilkin, nominated by Metal, Peterborough

• Bakani Pick-Up, nominated by In Good Company 

• Carlos Fernandez, nominated by Milk Presents 

 

Check out our Instagram for more information about each of these fantastic artists & producers. 

 

These bursaries are supported by Arts Council England through Emergency Funding and are part of a wider programme of work:  

 

Milk Presents: The Sit-In

A season of queer convos, workshops, think-ins, dream-ins and art from your sofa. 

 

This year was going to be a big year for Milk Presents. We turn 10 years old. We were all set to premiere our first show for under 5’s commissioned by Derby Theatre, and make our first ever podcast, recorded at the RVT.  ‘Making An Entrance’ – an exciting development programme for early career queer artists was just getting underway. But thena global pandemic came along and suddenly our plans looked very different. We are incredibly grateful to have received some emergency funding from Arts Council England to support us during this challenging time (more here) and it has enabled us to produce The Sit-In. We want to focus on providing space, TLC, self care, connection, dreaming and development for our queer arts community, so each event in this digital season of work has this at it’s heart. Some events are re-imagined online versions of work we had planned on doing pre-covid, some are the start of some new exciting long-term projects. 

 

From 12th August to 30th September, join us every Wednesday for a workshop, think-in, training or dream-in. Look out for a trio of pocket sized audio plays, or a chance to meet fellow queerz and make clear what you’d like from a touring queer venue. Check out or get involved in making digital scrapbooks and zines with queer artists and teens. 

 

Curated by Associate Director Jo Tyabji, this season screams “time for care, time for solidarity, time for gender trouble, time for The Sit-In!"

 

This season is about taking care of ourselves and each other, and finding the new ways we’ll need to do that together, from the remotest village to the most overcrowded city street. Self-care is a political act when there are people who don’t want you to exist, and solidarity is care expressed in action. So we’re sitting in together, to heal, and to build, and to stop traffic with jaw dropping queer art.

Jo Tyabji 

 

Programme of events: 

 

You don’t define me! – An online creative workshop for LGBTQ+ teens aged 15-19.

 

Think-in! Design a touring queer venue – Join award-winning performance designer and architect Bethany Wells, team Milk and fellow LGBTQIA+ folk near and far to dream up your ideal queer space. 

 

Gender Smart Training - Clear, in-depth approaches to positive gender inclusion in your practice and your organisation. 

 

Summer Summit – An online version of Milk’s camping weekender. Swap tents for blanket forts on this weekend retreat for queer performers, artists and theatre makers.

 

Tune-in – three short audio plays, super queer and exploring queerness in unique ways. The plays will be written by Leo Skilbeck, (Artistic Director) Jo Tyabji (Associate Director) and Prime Isaac (Young Associate).

 

All sessions will be BSL interpreted and priced affordably or free. If cost is a barrier there are a number of free spots too. 

 

The Sit-In launches next week when all events will be bookable/findable on our website.