Always On
Developing year-round initiatives for our LGBTQIA+ communities.
Our commitment to develop year-round initiatives. While we are well known for our annual Parade and Festival in Sydney, the work we do never stops.
‘Always On’ is our commitment to continue developing year-round initiatives for LGBTQIA+ people, community groups and partners to celebrate, share experiences and receive support, no matter where they are.
We do this throughout the year through:
Grants
Year-round we contribute funds through a program of grants, provided through the valuable partnerships we cultivate and from our own surplus.
Through these grants, we’re able to provide much needed funds to individuals, community groups and organisations for new projects, including education and training, community development and creation, arts and culture and events.
We also lend the skills of our team to help these projects come to life.
Fostering New Talent
Mardi Gras acts as a platform to nurture the next generation of LGBTQIA+ artists, entertainers and thought leaders.
We’re doing this through events and partnerships. Our partnership with APRA AMCOS led to the launch of Express Yourself: Queer Discovery, a series of musical showcases to profile and support emerging LGBTQI+ musicians.
Express Yourself winner Clara Fable performed at Pool Party in 2023, BVT performed at Sissy Ball 2022 and the winner of our Spin Off DJ Comp Fried Pork Chop played at Mardi Gras Party this year.
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Supporting Community Organisations
We provide support to LGBTQIA+ organisations all year round, working closely with them to create opportunities in the best interests of our communities.
LGBTQIA+ owned businesses are important and it’s important we play a role in helping them operate. That’s why our digital platforms, we regularly promote their products and services to our communities.
Events
While our annual Festival is big and bold, we’re always looking to create more events, more celebrations and more opportunities to come together to connect our community all year round.
In 2020 we launched Mardi Gras Pride Weekender, a two-day extravaganza of events to celebrate Pride month in June. Pride Weekender is now an annual celebration that pays tribute to our history, and we have plans to introduce more events like this throughout the year.
We’re not just creating our own events either, we support and promote other LGBQTI+ events, especially those that take place beyond Oxford Street, in other parts of Sydney, interstate and regionally.
Content and Connection
We have a big reach and a large digital audience that stretches out across the globe. We’re regularly creating content to tell the stories of LGBTQIA+ people. We share these on our platforms to create greater connections between our communities all over the world.
Social Justice
We want to ensure the legacy of our 78ers lives on. While so many strides forward have been made since our first parade in 1978, there’s still much to be done to achieve equality.
Our partnership with Equality Australia means we will campaign together to overcome the prejudice, stigma and discrimination that still exists.
We have a commitment to social justice which is why we’re always looking to champion LGBTQI+ rights, inclusion and equity.
