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Friends of Begg x Co - Ashley Joiner

In support of the Pride movement, Begg x Co have partnered with LGBTQI+ Charity Queercircle, which works at the intersection of arts, culture and social action. We catch up with Queercircle founder and director Ashley Joiner to learn more about the charity's goals and the importance of community. Ashley wears the Begg x Co Classic Crew in black, the knitted red Bi-Colour Beanie and the Rainbow Garden John Booth Wispy Square.

You recently received your official charity status, congratulations! Can you tell us a little about Queercircle? What are your goals?

 

Thank you! Yes, it’s a major step forward for us. Our community focused programme sits at the intersection of arts, culture and social action. By strengthening links between culture, health and wellbeing, our programme supports LGBTQ+ artists at pivotal stages in their career; and seeks to support the mental health and wellbeing of our community.

Throughout the pandemic you planned to launch a permanent queer arts centre in London, can you tell us more about this?

 

The pandemic emphasised the importance of arts and culture and the necessity of community. We as a community need and deserve a space to come together so that we can continue to support one another, be creative and build a stronger community.

For the past couple of years we’ve been consulting with artists, writers, curators and community organisers to understand what Queercircle needed to be. Out of these discussions came the need for a permanent space. London has witnessed the closure of over 50% of LGBTQ+ spaces in the last decade, and this is an unfortunate trend across the UK.

We’re really excited to be opening our first space in the Design District on the Greenwich Peninsula. Our new home will provide gallery space for our exhibition commissions, a studio for our artists residencies and a project space for our learning and participation programme. We’ve developed a diverse arts-based programme so that anybody of any skill level has the opportunity to participate. Being a part of a creative community such as Design District enables us to push this even further and I’m really excited by the potential Design District offers us for further collaborations. 

 

Can you explain how arts and culture can support mental health and wellbeing?

 

Of course! There’s no denying that our incredible NHS service is underfunded and overstretched, so there’s a relatively new shift towards a socially prescribed model of healthcare which focuses on preventative modes of support. Our artist-led programming will provide a holistic service that focuses on the social aspects of health and wellbeing: being inclusive, fun, non-judgemental and non-threatening; people-centred and self-directed; a focus on reducing stress and anxiety through confidence building and encouraging the development of friends, social networks and local community participation; a focus on local collaboration with other agencies and stakeholders with an interest in health promotion and building community capacity.

 

In honour of Pride Month, luxury brands are unveiling collaborations and limited drops tocelebrate and give back to the LGBTQI+ community. In your opinion, how important is it for brands to represent and endorse social change?

 

The LGBTQ+ community are highly aware and attuned to the ethical and social commitments that brands make as part of their corporate support of campaigns such as Pride month – and we’re wary of ‘pinkwashing’ without a sustainable commitment to change and social mobility for the queer community in the long term.

By making a public commitment to supporting the LGBTQ+ community, we expect a brand to be led by a truly diverse, respectful and committed organisational structure that is both intersectional and genuine in its aims to support the queer community within and beyond its four walls.

Some companies can play a crucial role in the progress of the movement, especially when we take a global view of LGBTQ+ politics - which I believe we should be. If companies are compelled to support the LGBTQ+ rights movement then they need to engage with LGBTQ+ communities and understand our needs, identify how they can support and build long-lasting relationships that move beyond June of every year. Which is why we’re proud to be partnering with Begg x Co. Your generous donation has come at a vital moment in our development and we’re excited by the initiatives and collaborations we’re developing together to support LGBTQ+ artists in the future. The LGBTQ+ movement doesn't only exist in June. We’re queer all year! Creating opportunities for LGBTQ+ artists and the community throughout the year is a great way to show that!

 

Support Queercircle here.

Follow Queercircle on Instagram @queercircle

 

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