Stay Queer. No Matter War.
UKRAINEPRIDE X Homotopia photo exhibition comes to Lush Liverpool
Lush Liverpool hosts an exhibition showcasing the work by artist Artur Vovchenko
From Thursday 20th April until 18th May 2023, Homotopia will collaborate with UKRAINEPRIDE to host a four week long photography and video exhibition on the third floor at Lush Liverpool. The exhibition will show the lives of queer people living and loving each other throughout war – raising awareness and showing support for one of the most marginalised communities living in Ukraine.
The floor will host the work by artist Artur Vovchenko, a queer photographer, multi-disciplinary artist and activist based in Ukraine who has been working to tell the stories of the lives of queer people during the war in Kyiv and Kharkiv. Vovchenko has captured ten uniquely queer stories – each person’s narrative will be exhibited through five photographs, an accompanied text telling the individual’s story and a QR code for an audio description. The exhibition will be accompanied with a special sound design from Nastya Vogan.
The work will be available to buy throughout the exhibition with all funds going to UKRAINEPRIDE’s ‘LGBTQ+ Ukraine Emergency Fund’ to help safeguard Queer Ukrainians affected by war.
The exhibition is supported by Lush, All Out, Liverpool BID Company and UA Action Office.
“In recent years the Ukrainian LGBT community has made considerable progress in protecting its rights and promoting its diversity. Now it is extremely important for us not to lose, but to preserve and multiply the gains. The exhibition tells about how in the darkest time queer Ukrainians remain themselves – this is a personal victory for each of them.
The support we have received in partnership with Homotopia is unexpected and incredible for us, from the very beginning of the project to the exhibition. We hope to invite them to do another collaboration in Ukraine after we win.
For Ukraine, this project is another opportunity to speak with pride about its diversity, no matter what.”
– Sofiia Lapina, President of UKRAINEPRIDE NGO
Homotopia x UKRAINEPRIDE Photo and Video Exhibition at Lush Liverpool:
Address: Lush Liverpool, 38 – 46 Church St, Liverpool L1 3AW, third floor fully accessible via lift
Booking and admission: No bookings required, free entry
“We’re really grateful to be given the opportunity to collaborate with UKRAINEPRIDE on such an important project. Bringing the exhibition to Liverpool means we are able to support members of LGBTQIA in Ukraine to tell their stories, of their true authentic queer selves. To platform one of the most marginalised communities and preserve an important legacy of queer culture.”
– Olivia Graham, Co-curator/Project Lead, Homotopia
Tackling Hate Crime
Alongside the collaboration with UKRAINEPRIDE, Homotopia will be working with here n queer, a local LGBTQIA photography project based in Liverpool. here n queer document queer people in spaces where they experience homophobia, as a way of reclaiming the space and driving the narrative of inclusion in the city.
As part of Homotopia’s ongoing public arts campaign Queer The City to tackle hate crime in the city, they will install two new large scale artworks in prominent spaces to establish Liverpool as a city for all. For this they are working with two illustrators, one from Liverpool and one from Ukraine. Any organisations that support the exhibition will also have their logo included on this artwork.
Homotopia is also hosting an 8 hour drag performance in Chavasse park.
More details can be found here.
‘United By Music’ – wiwibloggs at Lush Liverpool
In the first two weeks of May, Lush Liverpool’s third floor will also be taken over by the community of the most-visited independent website devoted to the Eurovision Song Contest – wiwibloggs.
More information to be revealed soon.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Lush to help Eurovision fans get closer to their favourite singers. Get ready for fan meet and greets, interviews, and plenty of live music. We can’t wait to meet you, Liverpool!”
– William Lee Adams, wiwibloggs founder and editor-in-chief
notes to editors
About Homotopia
Founded in 2004, Homotopia is a Liverpool based arts & social justice organisation making a cultural impact through art and activism.
Their aim is to support and platform local, national and international LGBTQIA socially engaged artists and creatives. Homotopia is the longest running LGBTQIA arts organisation in the UK.
About UKRAINEPRIDE
“UKRAINEPRIDE is a propatriotic queer movement. We nurture our cultural identity and defend it to share it with our soulmates from various countries, who belong to different nationalities and ethnicities, who have diverse complexions or practice varied religions. We preserve and protect our culture to tell the entire world about it. Due to the opposite direction from imperial Russia chosen 8 years ago, currently we have the opportunity to attain equal rights for the LGBTQ community as well as all discriminated groups. We are not afraid of anything. They are defending our land. Glory to Ukraine, Glory to our Heroes!” Video: Pride is not available in your region.
About wiwibloggs
wiwibloggs is the world’s most-visited independent website devoted to the Eurovision Song Contest. Recognising that Eurovision is not just a one-night event, they provide daily news and analysis on Eurovision and its artists, both past and present, and the broader europop scene. In the run-up to Eurovision in May 2023, their correspondents crisscross the continent providing breathless commentary and on-the-ground reporting from concerts, music festivals, promotional events and national selection contests.
About Lush Liverpool
Lush Liverpool Spa is the world’s largest Lush shop with a total retail space of 1814 sqm. Showcasing an array of exciting projects such as an in-store Shampoo Bar to come, a florist and a Perfume Library, Lush Liverpool is home to ideas that have been within the company for years. The third floor retail space of 392 sqm previously took part in ‘Cinema in the City’ with FACT. They also hosted art exhibitions including four installations of the 11th Biennial edition, ‘The Stomach and the Port’ and displayed All Out’s International LGBT+ Photo Exhibition in collaboration with MTV. Lush Liverpool regularly collaborates with Homotopia for events like LightNight and organises Drag Brunches with Filla Crack and Dross as well as Liverpool’s Queer Comedy Nights.
Lush Liverpool Newsletter (Choose Liverpool as your local store).
For further information on the exhibition or interview requests, please contact:
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