It launches on Saturday and will see a trail of beautifully shot large scale portraits of 20 people from the LGBTQIA+ community who live or work in the city installed in windows of shops and restaurants across the city centre. Using their phones visitors will be able to scan a QR code next to the portrait and then listen to their story – all based around the theme of Proud.

The stories are narrated by those taking part and are deeply personal taking listeners on journeys ranging from the streets of Jamaica, stages of Manchester to the nation’s TV screens. They include Darren, who takes us on a journey through difficult beginnings as a child on Moss Side, Norman, who talks us through how coming out as bisexual at 72 changed the course of his life, and Vil, who as a child threw open a dressing up box and took delight in dressing up in princess gowns, but as her body began to change with puberty, her dressing up box was replaced with a box society wants to put her in. All participants have deep connections with the city of Manchester.

I’ve attached a press release on the exhibition along with a couple of images of the portraits and I can WeTransfer you a soundbite of Darren’s story if that’s helpful.

Darren, Normal and Vil mentioned above are all happy to be interviewed along with the other storytellers who include Augustine – a recently ordained Priest at St James and Emmanuel and Abigail who is Mr Motivator’s daughter and talks about her experience of homophobia in Jamaica and her dad’s reaction to her coming out.

The portraits are being installed tomorrow and if it’s of interest we can arrange interviews with some of the storytellers on-site next to their portraits in the city centre tomorrow morning or they can do phone interviews if that’s easier. We also have an event on Monday evening at 6pm where we are bringing all the storytellers together so that would also be a good opp to speak to some of those who have taken part in the project.