MEET THE MOBILISE STEERING GROUP

After a fantastic recruitment process, we are super excited to announce the six people from the LGBTQ+ community in Birmingham who will form the COMMUNITY & ACCESSIBILITY STEERING GROUP for our upcoming project MOBILISE. 

The steering group will be instrumental in advising the project staff, advocating for the needs of our communities, and ensuring our events are as accessible as possible to the widest range of people. 

Together our aim is to create a safe, accessible, and sober space for LGBTQ+ people to dance, socialise, and build their confidence. 

MOBILISE a series of raucous, joyful and radical queer accessible sober social dance parties leading to the creation of a co-devised public space processional performance which will lead the 2022 Birmingham Pride Parade, as part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival.

BALLY SINGH (HE/THEY)

“I’m thrilled to be involved with MOBILISE as it will give me a chance to not only learn about different people and their access needs, but also ensure I’m able to represent and be a voice for people like myself too.”

Bally Singh, from Wolverhampton, loves to talk and communicate -mostly via a meme or using a Big Brother quote! They love getting involved in whatever they can to ensure they represent people like themselves as they didn’t see or hear anyone like themselves growing up in the media. Bally also does weekly radio for an LGBTQ+ radio station. 

EMMA (they/them)

‘We need more accessible queer social environments and I want to do my part to make that a reality’.

Emma is a seasoned campaigner & activist fighting for our liberation, but with a specific focus on disabled people's liberation. They have chained their wheelchair across busy streets with DPAC, arranged protests, and helped formulate reports for the UN. As a proud fat, aging, genderqueer bisexual drag performer they work to increase the visiblity of disabled members of the LGBTIQ+ community. 

MAREN HANCOCK (she/her)

‘I’m passionate about creating accessible queer dance parties that enrich lives, strengthen community ties, and support liberation’. 

Dr. Maren Hancock, aka DJ Betti Forde, is a DJ studies scholar and a critically acclaimed professional DJ and musician with a career spanning two decades. She has over 25 years of experience programming cultural events within anti-oppression oppression frameworks, including participation in steering committees and queer cultural collectives.

OWAIN (THEY/HE)

‘I wanted to be involved with MOBILISE to explore the idea of communal joy as an act of defiance and I'm passionate about making queer parties accessible to all’

Owain is a working class, queer, transmasc and neurodiverse event organiser, recovering artist and carer. In 2019 they set up the party and community Temporary Cruising Zone and previously ran the DIY education project Queer Day School. Their work has been shown internationally. They like dancing, dogs and canalside walks.

SUNDI (They/She)

‘the restorative joy of dance should be enjoyed by everybody’

Sundi is an entertainer and educator based in the black country. Their work is centred around inclusion and accessibility in education and their performance skills include live singing, comedy, dancing and cabaret.  

URSALA KHAN

“I think there is tremendous power in creating new and inclusive spaces, rather than trying to fit people into boxes that are not for them”

Ursala is currently a counsellor and outreach worker within the third sector, and they are completing their Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology. They have had experience working in the NHS, the voluntary sector, schools, and Universities. They are particularly passionate about social justice issues in their research.  

If you want to get in touch with the steering group, please contact hello@fattprojects.org.