ESC hosts Lewes Pride Event, ‘Love Around the World’

East Sussex College Lewes will hold its first ever Pride event later this month, celebrating the LGBTQ+ community at the College and within the local area.

‘Love Around the World’ takes place Thursday 31 March, 4pm-7.30pm, and will celebrate diversity and inclusivity. Entry to the event will be free. The College’s introduction of a Pride event reflects its commitment to inclusion and outlines ESC’s target to ensure equality and diversity is at the heart of everything it does.

The student-run event coincides with the College’s Open Event at the Lewes campus, therefore it is open to students, staff and visitors, and will be hosted at the Cliffe building. Attendees will have a wide range of activities and entertainment to get involved with, including a drag catwalk show, games and prizes, food and drink, speakers from the community, and information stalls from Hair & Beauty, Business and other courses.

Student and project manager of the East Sussex College Lewes Pride Event, Natalia Rumian, said, “Pride events promote equality and give people the chance to connect and be a part of a welcoming community. Our theme of 'Love Around the World' has been chosen to further promote this equality and be as inclusive as we can.

“The reason why it is so important for this event to occur on our campus is so that we can begin the journey of creating an LGBTQ+ community in Lewes and ensure that everyone at the College feels comfortable and welcome.

“Visitors will be able to get a deeper understanding of not only the courses on our campus but also the College community and our event which will be full of fun, games, food and entertainment too!”

Natalia added, “I'm very much looking forward to attending the event and seeing our hard work come to fruition!”

Further to the event, East Sussex College Lewes have ensured that all LGBTQ+ students have access to a safe space on a daily basis. This provides a place where like-minded learners can socialise and work quietly. It has also meant that the College’s LGBTQ+ community is close-knit and supportive of one another.