Giddy Up
Bringing daring performance from LGBTQ+ artists to the stages of Hastings.
It’s theatre —
but not as you know it.
Giddy Up is taking over the stages of Hastings with daring and defiant performances—queer at heart, welcoming to all.
2026 Programme
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2026 Programme *
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Oozing Gloop's Academy of Künst
Greenhalf Studio
Saturday 13th - Tuesday 16th June 2026Get hands-on in this cabaret making workshop with Oozing Gloop, the world’s premier autistic, green drag queen.
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Aloha Academy with Stacy Makishi
Greenhalf Studio
Saturday 23rd May 2026
A playful, no-pressure devising workshop led by artist Stacy Makishi for anyone up for generating live material from their own messy, human experience. -
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SMOKE by Alexis Gregory
The White Rock Theatre
Tuesday 28th April 2026
A darkly funny queer thriller about grief, digital ghosts and the past coming back online.Followed by a live panel on LGBTQ+ life, community and survival with You Are Love.
Co-presented by Giddy Up.
“Over three years Giddy Up will platform unmissable performance from bold LGBTQ+ artists. The stages of Hastings (and you!) will see theatre at its most daring - a perfect fit for our town’s defiant creative spirit.”
- Hannah Rose Fox, Giddy Up Producer
2025 Programme
From a riotous solo cabaret spectacular to an immersive ritual
of self-discovery, the first year of Giddy Up was a wild ride.
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![A white woman with manic expression, holding a microphone, smiling widely. Her makeup is running down her face, with paper streamers scattered across it. She's wearing bikini bottoms and appears chaotic.]()
Lucy McCormick
White Rock Theatre
Thursday 24th April 2025Taboo-busting performance legend Lucy McCormick returns to Hastings with Lucy & Friends — a queer cabaret spectacular and her most outrageous, chaotically brilliant show yet.
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![A woman aged 50+, of Hawaiian and Ryukyuan descent, wearing black glasses and a big toothy smile has her hands open in excitement, dressed in a black top]()
Stacy Makishi
The Stables Theatre
Saturday 7th June 2025With generous scoops of her characteristic aloha, award winning performance artist Stacy Makishi invites you to Walking Each Other Home — a participatory encounter that is part ritual, part workshop, part story and part party.
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![A person wearing a flouncy sheer robe poses with their head to the side. One hand is holding an LED sign that reads 'now' and the other hand is outstretched the opposite direction with their fingers poised in an upwards gesture.]()
Wet Mess
The White Rock Theatre
Saturday 12th July 2025
Trans Pride Hastings and Giddy Up present the full-length performance of TESTO by Wet Mess - a chaotic, sweaty, hilarious and moving ride through transitions, testosterone and the blurry edges of drag.
Followed by The Afters Lounge - a special late-night bar just for Trans Pride. -
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Tried and Tested
A Scratch Night for Daring Performance
Thursday 4th September 2025Three LGBTQ+ artists will take the stage to take creative risks, try something new and test out an idea - all in front of you, a supportive audience.
Come support local artists and see where new performance ideas begin.
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![A group of performers on stage during a lively event, with some in elaborate costumes and makeup, singing and playing instruments. One performer stands with arms raised, wearing revealing clothing, tattoos, and a large hat, surrounded by band members, including a guitarist and drummer. The background features pink and black decorations and a large pink graphic of a cowboy hat with symbols on it.]()
Queer C*ntry
The White Rock Theatre
Thursday 27th November 2025
A boot-stomping night of queer country music, cabaret and games. All wrapped in fringe, denim and rhinestones.
2025 Open Call for Artists
In February 2025 we launched an open call looking for two LGBTQ+ artists working in live performance and based in East Sussex to join a new paid artist residency scheme.
The selected artists were Mary Malone and Vanessa Farinha, as well as the invited Bambi Phillips.
It was an opportunity for these three artists to test ideas on stage, take creative risks, and develop work in a supportive space. The residency ended with a performance at Giddy Up’s Scratch Night Tried and Tested on the 4th September 2025 where they each debuted new work-in-progress.
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£300 Fee
£50 Materials Budget
3 days rehearsal space in Home Live Art’s studio in St Leonards
Dedicated access budget of £200 if required
Performance at Giddy Up Scratch Night in September 2025
Professional photographs of your work from the Scratch Night performance
Tickets for the 2025 Giddy Up programme
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Artists living in East Sussex
An artist with experience in creating and staging work for professional contexts
Solo artists, duos or small collective are welcome to apply however note that the fee is the same regardless of whether you are an individual or group
Those with either a new idea or something that is already in development
Those able to perform at the Scratch Night triple bill on the 4th September (duration of performance between 15 to 30 minutes)
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Giddy Up supports artists who make performance that is boundary pushing, thoughtful, and challenging; whether in form, content or both. Therefore this residency is for artists working in experimental theatre, dance, sound and/or live performance.
It is unlikely that this is the right opportunity for circus performers, actors, playwrights, or those working in traditional art forms.
Access
At Giddy Up, we are continually working to make our programme as welcoming and accessible as we can to ensure that everyone can engage with our events.
While we know we have a lot more work to do, we’re starting with a few key initiatives to help support different needs.
If you have questions or suggestions please email hannah@homeliveart.com.
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We have priced our tickets with affordability in mind to make sure our events are accessible and so as many people as possible can attend them.
We will also will try to offer a number of complimentary tickets for individuals with limited income for each performance. -
In collaboration with our artists, we are working to offer chilled performances where noise, movement, and re-entry are welcomed.
This approach is intended to make our events more accessible for neurodivergent individuals or anyone who needs a more flexible environment.
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We will ensure that all our venues are wheelchair accessible.
If you have specific mobility needs, please reach out to us in advance so we can make the experience as smooth and comfortable as possible.
About Giddy Up
Giddy Up is a co-production between Hannah Rose Fox and Home Live Art. It is part of New Queers on the Block - a national LGBTQ+ artist and community development programme and network led by Marlborough Productions.
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Giddy Up is a small but dedicated team, led by Hannah Rose Fox, who’s producing and curating the project with support from Production Manager Jon Tyrell and the teams at Home Live Art and Marlborough Productions.
Hannah Rose Fox (she/they) is passionate about supporting bold performance work and creative community initiatives in Hastings. With a background in creative placemaking, social entrepreneurship, and community management, Hannah Rose has worked on a variety of community-driven projects in both the UK and the United States. -
About Home Live Art (co-producers and co-commissioners of Giddy Up)
Home Live Art is a proudly queer-led and artist-led creative organisation based in Hastings. It is dedicated to developing new sites and audiences for culture by supporting artists to develop their work and building strong local communities through creativity in Hastings and beyond.
About New Queers on the Block (co-commissioners of Giddy Up)New Queers on the Block is Marlborough Production’s flagship programme for the development and celebration of LGBTQIA+ artists and communities across the UK.
Since 2018, New Queers on the Block has developed partnerships in Blackpool, Bradford, Crawley, Folkestone and Hastings to support, develop and present the work of LGBTQIA+ artists with live art and experimental practices outside of the usual national hotspots.
About Marlborough Productions (Commissioning Organisation)Marlborough Productions are a nationally and internationally recognised producer of queer-led, intersectional performance, parties, heritage and radical community gatherings. We advance equality and social justice by producing innovative new work from extraordinary artists, reclaiming spaces to create and share culture and developing our communities.
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Header image: Lucy McCormick by Jonny Ruff
Lucy McCormick by Claire Nolan
Stacy Makishi performing Vesper Time by Oliver Rudkin
Tried and Tested: Bambi Phillips performing at Salty: Queer Joy, Hastings. Image by Alice Denny
Call Out: Bambi Phillips Image by Alice Denny
