THELOVEHUB x Fringe! 2021

Fringe! Film Festival and The Love Tank come from the same roots: both conceived at kitchen-tables in east London; both developed by kick-ass activists wanting to make the world a better place; and both run by sassy teams that know how to pull together stunning events. Given all of this, it makes sense that we'd collaborate and we're thrilled to be celebrating the third-year of our beautiful love-child project - The Love Hub.

 

The first Love Hub was drawn-up on the back of a napkin in an east London veggie restaurant, and held in the bowels of the Rose Lipman Building in Hackney in November 2019. Always conceptualised as a project that would grow-its-own-legs, we planned for the Hub to be a queer health travelling-circus, with the roots of the Hub springing up in unexpected places. COVID scuppered those plans (at least for now) and The Love Hub 2020 moved to an all online event.

The Love Hub 2021 returns as an in-person event, held in the beautiful new queer cafe and bookshop space - The Glasshouse on the corner of Brick Lane, London. Knowing that many folks won't be able to (or want to) congregate in person, many of the events will also be live-streamed. And, in addition, we'll be bringing six hours of The Love Hub Live: banter, sofa chats, and discussion all live from the corner of The Glasshouse but only streamed online.

 
 

All Love Hub events are FREE and - dare we wish - that for 2022, that queer health travelling circus might just grow some roots out of east London and beyond.

 

Book your tickets!

  • Confidently queer

    FRI NOV 12, 19:00 TO 20:00
    TALK, BASEMENT @ GLASS HOUSE, FREE

    Kicking off a weekend full of health and well-being events in the festival’s Love Hub, we’re thrilled to partner with Stillpoint Spaces London for Confidently Queer. This interactive discussion event explores psychological skills to better understand and build confidence for queer people. Come along to learn more about confidence in dating or relationships, asserting our queerness, or in navigating health and well-being services.

  • Doctor Douche and their magic disappearing hose

    FRI NOV 12, 20:15 TO 21:15
    WORKSHOP, BASEMENT @ GLASS HOUSE, FREE

    Ever feel like you’re damned if you douche and damned if you don’t? None of us learnt about butt douching in sex ed, so where do we learn the tricks for helping those waters to run clear? Jump into our Friday evening discussion to learn tips of the trade, if it’s safe to plug straight into the mains, or whether it’s better to just let the sheets get smudged.

  • Go deeper

    SAT NOV 13, 10:00 TO 11:00
    WORKSHOP, BASEMENT @ GLASS HOUSE, FREE

    Go Deeper is a safe, contained space for you to tap into the power of your nervous system through breathwork. Lee is a certified babe and breathwork guide who will lead you on an exploration of your inner landscape where you can access energy and emotions which may have become “stuck” in your body over time. No journey is ever the same but you should leave the practice feeling more connected to yourself, others and the world around you.

  • Frou-frouing the fanny

    SAT NOV 13, 10:30 TO 11:30
    WORKSHOP, CAFE @ GLASS HOUSE, FREE

    After the success of last year’s Felting the Flaps, we bring you a new workshop on a similar theme. This time round we invite you to get your embroidery threads out and blanket-stitch your ball sack, quilt your quim, cross-stitch your click, and pistil-knot your pubes. Come and learn more about the genitals we have, and those we might experience, all as we create beautiful genital embroidery. This workshop is suitable for all adults, regardless of genital type and flappage.

  • The politics of care

    SAT NOV 13, 11:30 TO 12:30
    TALK, BASEMENT @ GLASS HOUSE, FREE

    Social prescribing, corporate mindfulness, and the 'private rental revolution' got your sense of care feeling amiss? This workshop offers a pause, directing us to some of the teachings of Radical Carers including Audre Lorde, Octavia E Butler, bell hooks, Adrienne Maree Brown, and your own inclination towards genuine, intuitive care. A gentle untangling.

  • Latin Americans living with HIV in England

    SAT NOV 13, 13:00 TO 14:00
    TALK, FILM, Q+A, BASEMENT @ GLASS HOUSE, FREE

    What’s it like to be living with HIV as a Latin American in England? Join film-maker Roberto Tovar as he showcases My Message To You - 5 short films (approx 30 mins) made in collaboration with Metro Charity and NAZ Project London. The films will be followed by a Q+A.

  • Accessing trans and non binary peer-to-peer health care

    SAT NOV 13, 14:30 TO 15:30
    TALK, BASEMENT @ GLASS HOUSE, FREE

    Trying to navigate trans and/or non-binary health care but hitting up against blocks in the system? This event helps to navigate and strengthen peer-to-peer health care, with a space to exchange ideas and information to support, nurture and increase access to the health care we need and deserve .

  • Wet play

    SAT NOV 13, 16:00 TO 17:00
    WORKSHOP, BASEMENT @ GLASS HOUSE, FREE

    Following on from our hugely popular Fisting for beginners sessions, we welcome back Ajamu X for a SPANKING new workshop on all things wet and wild. Watersports, gushing, spit, cum play - whether you’re a novice or fluid-experienced, sign up and learn something new from a master. (Wetsuits not provided!)

  • A is for Activism

    SAT NOV 13, 19:30 TO 20:30
    TALK, BASEMENT @ GLASS HOUSE, FREE

    We round off Saturday at the Love Hub with a huddle of activists discussing activist-essentials: how do we do self-care and avoid burn-out; how can we make our activism as impactful as possible; how do we make space for diverse voices within our activist movements? Join this interactive workshop with veterans, newbies and other queer warriors to learn, share and get new skills and tools to stay on the frontlines!

  • Black yogis

    SUN NOV 14, 10:00 TO 11:00
    WORKSHOP, BASEMENT @ GLASS HOUSE, FREE

    Keeping to our tradition of kicking off our weekend in a calm and serene way, we welcome back Black Yogis. This is a safe space for QTIPOC and friends to come together to connect through the practice of yoga. This year we’re mixing it up and the class will be led by two amazing teachers, Gerrard Martin and Vanessa Abreu, both experienced yogis. The class will be an open-level introduction, so if this is your first or 50th time practising, Gerrard and Vanessa will ensure you get the best out of the class.

  • The root of our roots

    SUN NOV 14, 11:30 TO 12:30
    TALK, WORKSHOP, BASEMENT @ GLASS HOUSE, FREE

    If you’re rocking funky dreads, Kilmonger locks, a Black Power Afro or your aunty’s wig this session is just for you! When barber shops and hairdressers closed during lockdown many of us grew out our hair and tried new styles. In this interactive workshop Phil Samba and Dale Taylor-Gentles - our very own locks legends and their guests - will weave their way through the history of Black hair, take an Afro and unpick Black hair as a political statement. Then they’ll grease your scalp with self-care tips that won't hurt as much as a hot comb!

  • Tie me up, tie me down

    SUN NOV 14, 15:00 TO 16:00
    TALK, WORKSHOP, BASEMENT @ GLASS HOUSE, FREE

    Ever wanted to explore rope work? This (very) beginners workshop explores basic knot work to use with friends and lovers, along with discussions on safety and consent. We recommend signing-up with a buddy for this interactive, practice focused workshop. Rope provided.

  • Desiring T.J. Swann

    SUN NOV 14, 16:30 TO 17:30
    TALK, BASEMENT @ GLASS HOUSE, FREE

    From ‘Dirty mags’ to ‘Only Fans’ Black gay porn has evolved over the decades. From print to digital it has shaped our desire and how Black queer men are seen. How do the gay superstars of yesterday match up with the folk making content in their bedrooms in 2021? Whether you’ve got a collection of sticky mags and VHS videos or stream your content, join Marc T and Ajamu X for a filthy conversation as they track the evolution of Black gay porn and its place in the 21st Century.

  • Launch of Second Tuesday Monologues

    SUN NOV 14, 19:00 TO 20:30
    TALK, PERFORMANCE, BASEMENT @ GLASS HOUSE, FREE

    Yeah - we know it’s not a Tuesday! But why split hairs when we climax an epic weekend of Love Hub activities with the launch of our brand new series. Here’s the deal: a handful of monologues on a subject each month, followed by a furious sofa chat pulling apart the monologue subject. For our kick off, our launch subject is ACTIVISM. Ten minutes (tops) monologues from kick-ass activists, all hosted by our very own ‘Aunty’ Marc Thompson.

  • The Love Hub: LIVE!

    SAT NOV 13 & SUN NOV 14, 14:00 TO 17:00
    ONLINE, PODCAST, TALK, FREE

    Can’t make it to our hub venue? Never fear - you won’t miss out! We’re bringing you a host of live-stream events across the Love Hub weekend including sofa chats with some of our event hosts, multi-lingual conversations as part of our Queer Migrant Men in the City, and the launch of PrEPster’s brand new PrEP videos.

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