Giddy Up

Bringing daring performance from LGBTQ+ artists to the stages of Hastings.

It’s theatre —
but not as you know it.

Over three years Giddy Up will take over the stages of Hastings with daring and defiant performances—queer at heart, welcoming to all.

From a riotous solo cabaret spectacular to an immersive ritual of self-discovery, this first year of Giddy Up is a wild ride you won’t want to miss.

What's On

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What's On *

  • 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 2025

    Taboo-busting performance legend Lucy McCormick returns to Hastings with Lucy & Friends — a queer cabaret spectacular and her most outrageous, chaotically brilliant show yet.

    More Info and Book
  • A woman of Hawaiian descent with big black glasses and a bright, toothy smile. She has her hands raised in a celebratory pose, wearing a white tunic with sleeves shaped like angel wings. Her hair is styled in a black bob with fringe.

    Stacy Makishi

    The Stables Theatre
    Saturday 7th June 2025

    With 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.

    More Info and Book
  • A dark image of a genderless person with a chunky gold necklace and latx body sut to look like a mans chest. They have make-up on which resembles a white and red checked chess board

    Wet Mess

    Saturday 12th July

    Trans Pride Hastings and Giddy Up present a wild Big Queer Party with the full-length performance of TESTO by Wet Mess, plus dancing and DJs!

    More info and ticket link coming soon!

    Wet Mess Insta
  • A Black femme presenting person wearing a silver over-the-shoulder top and large black pants. They have their hands out wide, pressing against a brick wall at back of a stage. Their hair is tied back, and they are crouching down, with the image cast

    Tried and Tested

    A Scratch Night for Daring Performance
    Thursday 4th September

    Three 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.

    Think you should be one of three artists on stage? See below for our Open Call and apply!

    Be the first to hear

Open Call for Artists

Want time and space to develop and perform a new idea?

Giddy Up is looking for two LGBTQ+ artists working in live performance and based in East Sussex to join our new paid artist residency scheme. This is a chance to test ideas on stage, take creative risks, and develop your work in a supportive space. The residency ends with a performance at Giddy Up’s Scratch Night Tried and Tested on the 4th September 2025.

Deadline to apply Sunday 18th May, 11pm.

    • £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

    • 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)

  • 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.

  • Apply by completing this Application Form.

    As part of the above application form you will be asked to complete a separate Equal Opportunities Monitoring form.

    We will also welcome video or audio applications (max 5 minutes) which answer the questions in the above Google Form. You can send this to hannah@homeliveart.com.

    Deadline

    Sunday 18th May 2025, 11pm.

    We will be in touch by the 28th May 2025 with a decision.

A genderless figure in silver high heels, a sequin dress, and a large plastic poncho-like garment with a circular headdress, facing the audience. A bright light shines from behind.

Access

At Giddy Up, we are 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.

In the coming weeks we will re-apply for funding to support further initiatives and to hire an Access Coordinator to help us across the programme. Our top priority is providing British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation for as many performances as possible and we will update each event page if and when we are able to confirm BSL for the performance.

If you have questions or suggestions please email hannah@homeliveart.com.

  • 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 offer a number of complimentary tickets for individuals with limited income for each performance.

    These limited income tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. They will be released at the same time as each performance’s general sale.

    If you are unable to afford a ticket for any of the performances and would like to request a Limited Income Tickets please fill out the online form in the ‘Access’ section of each event listing page.

  • 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.

  • 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.

“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

A close-up of face, smiling coyly towards the camera. They are a white person with brown curly hair framing their face. They have kind eyes.

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.

  • 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.

  • We are always interested in hearing from artists who create performance that is boundary-pushing, thoughtful, and challenging—whether in form, content, or both. We are particularly interested in artists working in experimental theatre, dance, sound, and live performance.

    It’s unlikely Giddy Up is the right opportunity for circus performers, actors, playwrights, or those working in more traditional art forms.

    To get a better idea of the kind of work we support, check out the Giddy Up programme and past events from Home Live Art and New Queers on the Block.

    If you’re a local LGBTQ+ artist making live performance, check out our open-call scratch night for opportunities to get involved.

    Get in touch with Hannah for more details and to find out how you can get involved.

  • Giddy Up is always keen to hear from people who have a passion for daring performance and want to get involved. Whether you’ve got experience or are looking to gain some, there are plenty of ways to help out—supporting artists, running events, or being part of the action behind the scenes. If you’re excited by live performance and want to get stuck in, get in touch with Hannah for more details.

    • Header image: Lucy McCormick by Jonny Ruff

    • Lucy McCormick by Claire Nolan

    • Stacy Makishi performing Vesper Time by Oliver Rudkin

    • Tried and Tested: Ray Young performing at New Queers on the Block showcase, Printworks, Hastings. Image by Georgina Hook

    • Call Out: Adam Frost performing at New Queers on the Block double bill, Printworks, Hastings. Image by Alice Denny

A person in costume wearing a large triangular headpiece holding a banana like a phone

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