True Colours Takes Flight at Chester Pride 2025
- Aug 28
- 3 min read
This summer, Radiate Arts was proud to take part in Chester Pride again. A day filled with joy, colour, and community spirit. Our celebrations took many forms: from joining the Pride march, to hosting an information stand in the Well-Being Zone sharing information on everything that is going on with True Colours, to presenting our very own Queer Spotlight event on The Vivienne stage!
For the march, participants from our True Colours sewing workshops designed and created butterfly wings—symbols of transformation, unity, and pride. Participants from the True Colours sewing group came up with a powerful metaphor: each person carried half a butterfly, and when brought together, the halves formed a whole.
“When community comes together, we fly together”
Over several weeks, participants collaborated on the wings, each adding their own elements and touches. Rather than working on just their own, they shared skills, swapped techniques, and contributed to multiple wings. This way, every set of wings became a collective artwork, reflecting the spirit of community, collaboration, and unity.
We also ran sewing workshops with Fallen Angels Dance Theatre, supporting their members in creating wings for the parade. One particularly moving project was a wing co-created by a member from Fallen Angels and a participant from True Colours. Each week, they added to one another’s work, describing themselves as “pin-pals,” exchanging messages through stitches, patterns, and fabric.
18 people marched with Radiate Arts. For many, it was their very first Pride.
Participants shared:
“This was amazing! I felt so happy, and everyone was here to celebrate and be celebrated. It was beautiful.”
“I’ve spent most of my life hiding, and I forget all of that when I’m here with so much support.”
Queer Spotlight on Stage
Later in the day, we hosted our Queer Spotlight catwalk event at The Vivienne stage and the energy was electric. Up to 100 people packed into the tent to cheer on models and performers, who showcased their individual style, art and self-expression.
Behind the scenes 10 dedicated volunteers supported the event as stage managers, photographers, sound engineers and helping hands. In total, 32 people gave their time to make Queer Spotlight possible. With rehearsals and the performance combined, this added up to an incredible 336 hours of volunteering.
Performers described the event as uplifting and empowering:
“The experience really took me out of my comfort zone in a good way. I felt so supported and loved on stage being surrounded by other artists and sharing what I love to do.”
Audience feedback mirrored this, with many saying it was one of the highlights of their Pride experience.
A Day to Remember
The feedback from both volunteers and participants was overwhelming: some described Chester Pride 2025 as one of the best days of their lives. For some, it was their first Pride ever and an unforgettable celebration of identity, unity, and joy.
As one participant summed up beautifully:
“I felt such a powerful sense of community being with Radiate Arts for the parade and for the show. Everyone was celebrated, it was beautiful!”
We are so proud of everyone who created, marched, performed, volunteered, and cheered with us. Chester Pride 2025 was more than a celebration it was a testament to what we can achieve when we come together with all of our colours, creativity, and love.
If you would like to join us for a workshop, event or to become a volunteer, get in touch at office@radiatearts.co.uk check out the Workshops page of our website or fill out the volunteer sign-up form here
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