3000 Lesbians Go to York: Film Screening + Q&A

In the first decade of this millennium, thousands of women would flock to York each autumn for the Libertas! and Lesbian Arts Festivals, to hear their favourite authors and singers, buy piles of lesbian books and dance till the clocks went back. Friendships and marriages were formed and identities forged. In this fascinating documentary, Jane Traies tells the story of that sapphic idyll through interviews, memories and photographs. A treasure trove of inclusive queer history. Includes interviews with Jackie Kay, Stella Duffy, Sarah Waters, Val McDermid, Horse McDonald, festival founder Jenny Roberts and many others who attended or organised the festival. Jane Traies will be joined by the film’s editor Bonnie Rae Brickman and festival founder Jenny Roberts  for a Q&A after the screening, and copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.

Jane Traies is a writer, researcher and story-teller who uses oral history methods to record the experiences of marginalised women. Her best-seller Now You See Me is a collection of older lesbian life stories. Her later life-history collection, Free to Be Me, captures the stories of a group of lesbian and bisexual women seeking asylum in the UK. Writing jointly with Jacky Bratton, Jane is also half of the sapphic historical novelist Jay Taverner. Their latest title, Liberty, is the fourth adventure in the ‘Brynsquilver’ series. Jane is always looking for new ways to make hidden histories heard and seen. Three Thousand Lesbians Go to York is her first film.

Bonnie Rae Brickman is a New York-born, London-based Film + TV Editor working across both documentary and narrative fiction. Her work has screened on major broadcasters and at international festivals including Clermont-Ferrand, HotDocs, Frameline, Outfest, and BFI Flare. She is a four-time New York Area Emmy Award Certificate recipient and was Highly Commended for Best Editor at Underwire Festival for BOOTWMN. Alongside her editing work, she has taught editing and post-production at SUNY/Oswego, University of West London, and on the Ethnographic & Documentary Film MA programme at UCL. She is passionate about stories that centre queer lives and underrepresented voices.

Important: If you have booked a festival or day pass, you still need to register for this event to ensure your space. Follow the book bow link and select the Festival or Day Pass Holder Free Registration. No registration means we cannot guarantee you a space for this event.