A vibrant poetry evening at Vinyl Van record shop on 5th June has successfully launched Pop-up Pride Dorchester, marking the beginning of a month-long celebration of LGBTQ+ community and culture in the historic market town.
The “Proud Poems” event, organised by local poet Naomi Wilcox-Lee, drew over 50 attendees who gathered to hear 17 poets share their work in an atmosphere of creativity and community support. The evening raised almost £100 for Space Youth Project, a vital organisation supporting young LGBTQ+ people across Dorset.
The event was attended by Dorchester’s new Mayor and Mayoress, Andy Canning and Mel Lane, who have chosen Space Youth Project as one of their mayoral charities.
Mayor Andy Canning expressed his enthusiasm for the initiative: “I am delighted to see Pride being celebrated around the town. Proud Poems at Vinyl Van was a lovely, welcoming event where people of all ages could relax and enjoy some excellent poetry. Thank you to everyone involved in creating such a welcoming space.
“It is very important to me that everyone feels welcome in Dorchester. My own child came out as gay at age 18 and then non-binary more recently, so I know first hand how important it is to feel safe and welcome in the place that you live. I am looking forward to attending more events as part of Pop-Up Pride Dorchester.”
Representatives from the Space Youth Project’s Weymouth and Dorchester youth group were also present, with youth workers Jane and Charity sharing words of gratitude and their own poetry.
Marcia Smith from Vinyl Van commented: “A huge thank you to Naomi, the Space Youth Project, the Mayor and Mayoress of Dorchester, and everyone who was able to join us. It was a very special evening of love, joy, community and support.”
Event organiser Naomi Wilcox-Lee reflected on the evening’s significance: “This event feels so special. The world can feel quite unforgiving for LGBTQ+ people at times, especially recently. It’s so important that we create safe spaces like this where everyone feels they belong, and poetry has such a magic way of bringing people together. I’m overjoyed with the turnout and so pleased that we could kick off Dorchester’s Pop-up Pride like this!”
The successful launch event sets the tone for a month of Pop-up Pride activities designed to celebrate diversity and foster community spirit in Dorchester.
About Space Youth Project supports young LGBTQ+ people across Dorset, providing safe spaces, resources, and community connections for young people aged 13-25.
Naomi Wilcox-Lee