Pride was a Riot!
We’ve come a long way since Stonewall, however this does not mean that pride should be reduced to a rainbow summer party, the fight for gay, trans, and queer liberation and rights is not yet over.
"Pride was a Riot" will explore the crucial historic reminder of pride’s origins, how it began and will continue to be a riot!
This is the coming together of a community in times of need, of taking up space in a world that wants to hide us beneath false headlines, showcasing art as activism.
Driven by narrative, with a bold, punky vibrancy, I want to fill this space with placards, letters to those in power, protest pictures, and more; the space will be turned into an uprising.
The Curator would like to share these artworks as examples to illustrate their thinking:
image © Ellen Kydd www.ellenkydd.com
Curator Manganaro - photo by Kathryn O'Driscoll
Curated by Manganaro
Manganaro is a poet, performer, and event organiser, they have performed across the UK and their writing explores themes of identity, bilingual experience, everyday nuances. They were a 2025 Queer Bath award recipient, the 2024 DIVA Magazine poetry competition winner, and have supported artists such as Alice Oswald.
Manganaro is the 2026 poetry strand programmer for the Curious Minds festival, by Bath Arts Collective.
Within their residency at Emerge, Manganaro has explored the radical history uniting zines and writing, producing a collection of poetry postcards.
Manganaro aims to uplift the local creative community, evident in co-founding Bath’s leading poetry night Chimes, where they co-edited and self-published an anthology of attendees' work.
How to apply
Fringe Arts Bath Festival will take place 22 May to 6 June 2026
Submission deadline: Friday 10th April 2026 at 23h59 GMT
Media accepted: All - Photography, placards, painting, writing, performance, zines film, stitch…
Free submission. All are welcome to apply, of any age, status, and from anywhere in the world.
If selected, we ask Artists for a £25 contribution (like crowdfunding) and to give some of their time, as we are all volunteers.
Please read our FAQs here to find out more.See all 17 projects open to submissions on our home page: fringeartsbath.co.uk
To submit your work: please email the curator riot@fringeartsbath.co.uk including:
NB: please include the exhibition / project name in the email title.
max 200 words about your work and how it fits the call-out (written, audio file, video or another way to suit you).
some images of the work, or links to video / performance work (or existing work if it hasn’t been made yet).
any relevant links, if you have them (though it’s not a requirement and Curators might not have the capacity to visit them all).
of course please include any questions you have.
you might not hear back from Curators until after the deadline, thank you for your patience.