RHS Garden Bridgewater is delighted to announce Pride In Nature is back for 2025. Now in its 4th year, Pride In Nature 2025 looks to build on the success of previous events and celebrate all things LGBTQIA+ in our beautiful natural environment.
Feedback from attendees has been overwhelmingly positive. Testimonials highlighted the uniqueness of the event, which provided a sober welcoming alternative to the typical ‘party vibe’ of Pride celebrations. The event was praised for its focus on gardening and growing achievements, providing a common interest in plants that helped facilitate inclusive conversations.
The day consists of a variety of activities, including talks, Drag Queen story time for children, Drag Queen’s 'Gardeners Question Time', a panel discussion with professional gardeners, Drag Queen Bingo and performances from LGBTQ+ artists. The day culminates with a parade around the garden showcasing banners that visitors have made with a local artist.
The day looks like this:
Learning Studios
Between 11am and 3pm: Join our artist Cath and make something colourful that you can carry in the parade at the end of the day. In previous years, we have had birds, flags and umbrellas. The more colourful the better.
Marquee
Open from 10.30am when you can chat with members of local community groups.
11am to 11.45am: Drag Queen's 'Gardeners Question Time.' Ask your gardening questions to our team of garden experts.
12noon - 12.30pm: Talk. No Fixed Form: Why are other species so good at transforming? by MyCo Manchester Mushroom Cooperative
We are taught from a young age to see the natural world as a set of names and things. Sparrow, human, inkcap. The world and the life within it gets split into neat categories and hierarchies. But this only reflects a partial truth, a snapshot of life. What would it mean if we saw the world in terms of relationships and entanglements? What would it mean to recognise that no organism is ever a fixed thing, but a constantly renewing pattern of life? In this talk we'll look at plasticity in fungi, slime moulds, plants and insects: how organisms transform their own bodies to adapt to changes in the environment. We'll explore how thriving ecologies are dependent not just on a diversity of species, but on a diversity of relationships. Finally, we'll reflect how this relates to LGBTQ+ existence, gender boundaries and the role of queerness in society.
1pm - 2pm: A panel discussion hosted by Jack Wallington with Manoj Malde, award winning garden designer and RHS Ambassador, Dr Suzanne Moss RHS Director of Learning and Public Engagement, Solvi from Myco, Jakye Forshaw from North Wales Wildlife Trust and Samara Salix, who started her journey here at Bridgewater and is currently working at University of Cambridge Botanical Gardens. A discussion among LGBTQIA+ gardening and ecology professionals sharing their experiences and perspectives of nature, building careers and how their identities have shaped their relationship with the natural world.
2pm-2.30pm: Talk. Flora of Pride. Celebrating LGBTQIA Roots In Nature. by Samara Salix
2.30pm-3pm: Drag Queen Bingo - Join Jackie and the other Queens in this fun game of bingo to finish off the day in the marquee.
Wellbeing Garden
11.15pm - 11.30pm: Drag Queen Family Storytime
1pm - 1.20pm: Chrystal Chords A dynamic award-winning women's chorus which enjoys performing. They sing acappella (unaccompanied harmony) and belong to the Ladies Association of British Barbershop Singers.
2pm - 2.15pm: Drag Queen Family Storytime
2.40pm - 3pm:Chrystal Chords
Around Garden Cottage
12.15pm - 12.45pm: Watch Ghetto Fabulous perform a lip sync brawl that merges the energy of a rock concert with the theatrics of a drag show in a competitive lip sync battle. Who will win?
1.40pm - 2pm:Chrystal Chords
2.15pm - 2.45pm If you enjoyed watching the lip sync brawl then Ghetto Fabulous can show you how to win your own lip sync brawl.
3.10pm - 3.40pm: Ghetto Fabulous are back with another performance of their lip sync brawl
Parade
4pm - 4.45pm: Collect your artwork from the learning studios and join us in our end of day parade. Even if you didn't get chance to make anything in the workshop you are more than welcome to join us for our celebration around the garden. Start outside the Welcome Building and we end outside Garden Cottage with some dancing if you're up to it!
