THELOVEHUB x Fringe! 2022
We're back! We're freakin' back!
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 fourth-year of our beautiful love-child project - The Love Hub.
Drawn-up on the back of a napkin in an east London veggie restaurant, the first Love Hub was curated deep in the guts of the Rose Lipman Building in Hackney in November 2019.
In 2020, COVID skewered our plans for the Hub to become a queer travelling circus, and we settled with an online only event.
Returning in 2021 at The Glasshouse, on the corner of Brick Lane, London, we congregated in person and online, for a full weekend of raucous, riotous, raunch.
For 2022, we're doing a quick skip, hop and a jump across Bethnal Green Road, into the bosom of Fringe's main hub at Rich Mix. Join us for 15 FREE events - sofa chats, workshops, and panels.
New for this year: Nana and Aunty's Corner Shop (chock-full of Love Tank merch and goodies).
Book your tickets!
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Lucky Seven
FRI 23 SEPTEMBER 2022, AT 8PM
FILM SCREENING, RICH MIX (THE MIX), FREEWe’re celebrating PrEPster’s 7th anniversary by screening seven film shorts: six from the archive, and one brand new one!
Join PrEPster co-founders as they finger through their archive, then stay around for music, drinks and dancing, and scheming-in-corners about seven more years of PrEP activism!
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Breathwork and embodiment for intimacy workshop
SAT 24 SEPTEMBER 2022, AT 10AM
WORKSHOP, RICH MIX (THE MIX), FREELee, our favourite Love Hub earth-mom, kicks off Saturday at the Hub with her breathwork workshop designed to help us to drop into our bodies and connect to our breath.
Through gentle movement and expansive breathing, Lee will work with us together to cultivate feelings of security within the body to help further connect to ourselves and others. Please come as you are, alone or with a trusted person.
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Frou-frouing the fanny: the jubilee edition
SAT 24 SEPTEMBER 2022, AT 10AM
WORKSHOP, RICH MIX (CAFE), FREEIf you attended frou-frouing the fanny at last year’s Hub, you’ll know what to expect: come and learn more about the genitals we have, and those we might experience, all through the art of genital embroidery. This time round, we add a special jubilee twist – and in honour of Prince Albert – we invite you to consider adding piercings and jewels to your embroidery.
This workshop is suitable for all adults, regardless of genital type and flappage.
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Meeting MAUREEN: Black men, love and relationships
SAT 24 SEPTEMBER 2022, AT 11.45AM
PANEL, RICH MIX (THE MIX), FREEAs part of The Love Tank’s MAUREEN programme of work, join an intergenerational panel discussion on Black queer love and relationships.
The panel will explore how we can develop healthy romantic relationships in our communities, right through from long-term relationships and marriage, to online dating, hook-ups, getting bun and the dreaded situation-ships.
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Toyz R 4 Us
SAT 24 SEPTEMBER 2022, AT 1.30PM
WORKSHOP, RICH MIX (THE MIX), FREELove Hub regular, Ajamu X, returns with another interactive sexy workshop to help us get the best out of our toys. Whether you have a perfect pucker or a gorgeous gape; if you’re looking for frontal, nipple, or behind stimulation; if you’re into self-stimulation, or with play-with-partners - this is the workshop for you!
This workshop is suitable for all queer adults, regardless of genital type and experience.
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Demystifying Bridging Prescriptions
SAT 24 SEPTEMBER 2022, AT 3.15PM
WORKSHOP/PANEL, RICH MIX (THE MIX), FREEA nuts and bolts, seminar style workshop taking you through one approach to accessing NHS hormones via bridging prescriptions, by someone who's been doing it for over 4 years. You'll receive a free copy of a 'how to' zine created by the presenter.
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Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down all over again
SAT 24 SEPTEMBER 2022, AT 5PM
WORKSHOP, RICH MIX (THE MIX), FREEAfter last year’s sell-out workshop, our Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down rope-play workshop returns where we’ll learn all the basics of bondage. This beginner’s sessions cover safe bondage play including consent, safe-words, and basic knot techniques. This event is suitable for all queer adults, regardless of experience.
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The Wrap: Stories of queer resistance during the pandemic
SAT 24 SEPTEMBER 2022, AT 7PM
PANEL, RICH MIX (THE MIX), FREERounding-off a day full of health and well-being events in the festival’s Love Hub, we’re thrilled to end Saturday with a panel as part of The Wrap project. The Wrap, developed over the past year as a collaboration with the University of Edinburgh, draws on our stories of queer resistance during recent and historical pandemics. Expect a passionate, powerful, and playful panel.
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Black Yogis
SUN 25 SEPTEMBER 2022, AT 10AM
WORKSHOP, RICH MIX (THE MIX), FREEWe know how you love your Sunday stretching – and that’s why we’re delighted to see our Black Yogis session return to Love Hub 22! This space is for QTIPOC and friends to come together to connect through the practice of yoga.
The class will be an open-level introduction, so will cater for all levels of experience. Please bring a yoga mat, if you have one.
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How can LGBTQ+ unpaid Carers be better supported?
SUN 25 SEPTEMBER 2022, AT 11.30AM
INTERACTIVE SESSION, RICH MIX (THE MIX), FREEAre you an LGBTQ+ unpaid Carer? Do you support someone else emotionally, practically or personally who could not manage without you? This could be around their physical or mental health, a disability, frailty or substance use.
This interactive session covers the support that is currently available via the London LGBTQ+ Carers Project, (run by Wandsworth Carers’ Centre) and explores how LGBTQ+ Carers could support each other.
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The Glory of Bi!
SUN 25 SEPTEMBER 2022, AT 1PM
PANEL, RICH MIX (THE MIX), FREEHow do we navigate dating, sex, and relationships as bisexuals? This interactive panel explores the gloriousness of bisexuality, and the place that bi folks situate in our queer communities.
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The root of our roots - The Hair Grease sequel
SUN 25 SEPTEMBER 2022, AT 2.15PM
PANEL, RICH MIX (THE MIX), FREEWe were blown away by the response to The Root of Our Roots at last year’s Hub, and we listened to your calls for the sequel! Join Phil Samba and Dale Taylor-Gentles and their guests – as they weave their way back through the history of Black hair, and unpick Black hair as a political statement and share self-care tips. Book early for this one!
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Intro to Butt play + Clone Zone
SUN 25 SEPTEMBER 2022, AT 3.30PM
WORKSHOP, RICH MIX (THE MIX), FREEWant to learn all the best tips and tools for playing with and/or having your peaches played with? Clone Zone’s very own Topher Taylor will lead this interactive, fun and saucy workshop, where you’ll learn all the ins-and-outs of butt play.
This event is suitable for all queer adults, regardless of experience.
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Non-Binary Futures: Alternative approaches to the way we live
SUN 25 SEPTEMBER 2022, AT 5.30PM
WORKSHOP/PANEL, RICH MIX (THE MIX), FREENon-binary identities open up thinking about alternative ways of living, as they are inherently "outside" of the standard narrative. They invite us to consider the limits of our imagination in approaches to tackling lots of issues (injustice, climate crisis, LGBTQ+ issues, anything really), and how living in and alongside non-binary identities can be a catalyst for change.
This is a really gentle, reflective, discussion -based workshop, bringing in the work of lots of queer writers and ideas.
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Poofs win prizes
SUN 25 SEPTEMBER 2022, AT 7PM
QUIZ NIGHT, RICH MIX (THE MIX), FREEThink you know everything about queer film, music, sport, politics, health, and art? Well, think again! Our very own Asad Zafar, grabs the quiz-hoster’s mic and fires quick-fire questions, picture puzzles, and team-tagging with a twist.
Come in pairs, groups, or on your own – Asad will ensure you’re grouped with folk who will become your new best queer friends!