"You Feel Like You're with Your People" - Hiolette's experience at Chester Pride 2025

We caught up with Hiolette, one of the fabulous models and performers from the Queer Spotlight Catwalk at Chester Pride to reflect on her experience of being part of the show and her day at Chester Pride 2025.

Hiolette taking to the stage with host Jenn Deere

How did you first get involved with Radiate Arts?

At first I was super, super nervous about it but what made me really decide to get involved was that I was really encouraged by my mum coming. It felt better to have a familiar face.

But at the same time, right now I've been looking to stretch a bit out of my - not out of my comfort zone - but I'm spending way too much time in the house. So I need to get out and do something rather than staying cooped up. And this was the perfect event to take part in.

Was this the first event you took part in with us?

Yeah, it must have been this one. The first event would have been watching the film at Rainbow Tea Rooms. Oh God, I feel so silly saying it but I was tearing up - it was so lovely! Like hearing everyone's stories. It was so sweet. I am awful for remembering names, to be honest. But I was speaking to another person at the event and their partner, he said that he was going to go home, he wasn't going to stay for the whole event. And then I'd spoken to him and said, "everyone here, we are all equipped with social anxiety. We're all absolutely terrified." And in that moment, we really confided in each other.

Hiolette and her mum Berry prepare backstage for the catwalk.

How did you feel after the rehearsal?

Like for a while, especially after the rehearsal, seeing everyone else that was taking part there made me feel so much better about myself, about what I was wearing and what I was bringing. It was clear everyone was so focused on their own piece rather than everyone looking at me and judging mine. I've not really done events like that since school, so when you're so used to that environment being where everyone's comparing to each other and everyone's being really horrible and banging heads, to have a a show or an experience where everyone was so happy to be together and celebrating each other, it was really lovely.

How were you feeling before your time to go on stage?

At first I was absolutely terrified and when my name was first said, I didn't even realise it! I almost felt a bit like I was rushing myself in my head because I was like, oh my God, I have to go quick. I have to do this and I have to do that. But then moseying down and having everyone there supporting you, I felt more relaxed being on the stage. And then there's such a sense of relief afterwards when you step off and you're like, and now someone else can go!

Hiolette backstage after walking the runway

How did it remind you of those performances in primary school?

It felt similar in the way that the experience of being on stage and everyone being happy for you and being happy with yourself and being proud of yourself - no matter how you performed. It's kind of, it was almost weird in that sense because I'd never been myself on stage and I feel as though having done the experience once, like, of course, I couldn't have felt more myself doing it.

Which parts of Chester Pride did you take part in?

Well, I've not taken part in Pride in years because I've been working most of them. So it was important to be in the parade, even when I was walking outside my work and my mum and my friends came out to cheer me and wave at me. There's something that feels so good about that - being noticed for doing something that you love essentially and sharing that experience with other people. You know, it didn't really feel like a walk. It felt like a big party. Afterwards, when I thought over the event, I was like "Oh that was really nice to have my mum helping me."

How did you feel after the Queer Spotlight?

Particularly after the event, I felt so much more confident in being able to speak to people. You know, when you follow the people that you were at the show with on Instagram and they follow you back and it's like, oh my god, I've got friends from the event! And it's so sweet to have met new people and to know that they had a good time and I had a good time.

Did you surprise yourself with what you were able to do?

So, I surprised myself a lot. I had been practicing a lot at home and walking up and down my living room and deciding how I was going to walk and what I was going to do and replaying the same bit of the catwalk song over and over and over. But when it came to the real moment everything went blank, everything disappeared all at once. I didn't know what I was doing, how I was walking, anything like that. In my head when I was on stage I just did what I would have done in my living room. I feel when you're at home and you really feel the music that you're listening to, I was doing that.

Finding love in, if I was at home, what would I do? Because everyone would see and know I was having a good time.

Models, performers and helpers celebrate with a group photo after the show

Which moment will you remember the most from Pride?

There are so many moments to remember, the most important part of the day for me was after the catwalk, when we all gathered together for the big group picture and everyone just slotted into place. Because I know sometimes, when you're all coming in for a big family photo and this person's got to go here and this person's got to go there but for this photo everyone knew where to go and fitted naturally. I still keep all the pictures on my phone and looking back at them and seeing how we're all so colourful. There are so many different styles of us and it's just, so important being there and looking at that picture now, it’s just, it's lovely.