Draw, photograph, paint or digitally create your favourite or most memorable LGBTIQA+ moment!

“These are the days of out lives” is our Festival theme for 2023 and we want you to create a piece that means something to you. This could be the day you got married, the day you started HRT, the day you came out, the day same-sex marriage was legalised, or anything else that made you feel proud, happy and safe. 💖🌈

More information on the competition:

• There are 3 different age brackets for the competition: under 11 year-olds, 12-17 year-olds and anyone 18+.
• Prizes to include rainbow merchandise bundles for the two lower age categories alongside 2 winners from the 18+ category that will receive a festival pass for 1 weekend of the festival.
• All the submissions will be on display during Carnival Day on November 18^th in the Queens Gardens.
• The art competition will be open for submissions from Oct 1st to Oct 31st and the winner will be announced on Friday 3rd November (the week before the OUTintheOPEN Festival starts).

How to Enter:

• Take a photo of your submission and send it via email to ruby@outintheopen.org.au with your name, pronouns and age.
• Please include a a short explanation of what the image depicts.
• If you would prefer that your artwork is not displayed on Carnival Day, please let us know.
• If you are sending a submission on behalf of a family member who is underage, please let us know their name, pronouns and age of that person.

OUTintheOPEN 2023 is coming this November! Join us from the 10^th – 19^th November for a variety of diverse festival events, gatherings and experiences centring around our 2023 theme, “these are the days of our lives”. Our main event, Carnival Day, is back in the Queens Gardens on Saturday November 18^th, hosted by the fabulous Frock Hudson. Free for all of community to experience, Carnival Day includes market stalls to grab some pride merch, local inclusive organisations and businesses, activities for all ages, food trucks and our onsite, immersive Queer Museum. Carnival Day also boasts an all-day line-up of live music from LGBTIQA+ artists and we are thrilled that Bec Sandridge will be headlining.

With over 20 events for OUTintheOPEN 2023 we are excited to invite you to ‘mask up’ in style this year for our opening night event, Masquerade at the Museum. Held on level four of our prestigious Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) overlooking the beautiful Victoria Park Lake at sunset, the event is sure to surprise and excite this year’s festival goers with entertainment, networking, and celebrations. We are also excited to have GLOBE coming to host another networking event at Eve’s Bar and Café to bring local LGBTIQA+ business’ together from across the Goulburn Valley region.

For the more relaxed event, check out the Shepparton Queer Film Jamboree, which will see a line-up of LGBTIQA+ films with a twist shown at various locations throughout Greater Shepparton over the entire length of the festival. The Queer Film Jamboree includes films such as the Matrix and Speed Racer, celebrating queer culture through cinematic experiences.

Keen for some entertainment and drag? Join us this year at the Drag Bingo Spectacular, hosted at Bohjass or Sunday Serve with Gabriella Labucci (Drag Race Down Under Season 3) and Daisy Chain, our closing event at the Aussie Hotel. Rainbow Storytime is also back at the Shepparton Library for another year on Thursday 16^th November for our rainbow families and allies to enjoy. Food more your thing? Join us for our Q+ Hub pop-up at the Fryer Street Food Festival in Shepparton on the 11^th November or for our rainbow social brunch.  

“This year’s festival theme reminds me that we stand on the shoulders of giants with a strong and proud queer history that no one ever gets taught. ‘These are the days of our lives’ allows us to explore and savour our pioneers and all that has gone before us in the time that we are living in – in a fun way.” says GV Pride President, Deb Chumbley (she/her).

With just over two months to go we invite you all to join us in regional Victoria and celebrate pride  and community diversity, however you like to be ‘out, in the open.’ Visit http://outintheopen.org.au/events-2023/ to check out all the events for #oito2023 or contact Georgina Poort (she/her) on 0401 168 229 for more information.

EARLY-BIRD stallholder applications for CARNIVAL DAY are NOW OPEN! Early-bird closes 30 June.

CARNIVAL DAY is Sat 18 Nov 2023, to be held in Queens Gardens – complete your online registration NOW to secure your site!

Want to host your own event as part of OUTintheOPEN Festival Shepparton (10 – 19 Nov 2023)?

OUTintheOPEN is Shepparton’s festival celebrating LGBTIQA+ pride & community diversity. This year we’re celebrating 12 years!

OUTintheOPEN was developed to address some of the inequalities faced by the local gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer (GLBTIQ) & allied communities and to build a more inclusive community in Greater Shepparton. EVERYONE is welcome to get involved!

OUTintheOPEN is a project led by Goulburn Valley Pride Inc. and is proudly supported by many other organisations and community groups.

The festival will consist of many events including CARNIVAL DAY on the third weekend in November at the Queens Gardens. Other events will be held during the 10-day-long Festival across the City of Greater Shepparton. This is where YOU come in!

We are looking for Community Groups, Organisations, Performers, Venues, Events & Artists…

How to get involved…

Please complete the expression of interest form – feel free to make contact with us first to discuss an event or idea. We look forward to hearing from you! Applications close 15 September.

Alternatively, please submit your proposal via email (details below) along with a preferred image (high res.) for marketing purposes on our website. Additional background information is welcome.

For more info contact Damien Stevens-Todd on 0418 511 562 or enquiries@outintheopen.org.au

OUTintheOPEN Festival is looking for YOU!

This year our Festival team is looking for enthusiastic people to join us for the 10 – 19 November OUTintheOPEN Festival 12 year celebration!

The following positions will join our Festival Committee / Volunteer Team:

Festival Convenor (1)

Festival Logistics Manager (1)

Artistic & Creative Director (1)

Secretary & Admin. Support (1)

Volunteer Coordinator/Recruitment (1)

Entertainment Coordinator (1)

Media, Marketing & Communications Coordinator (1)

PLUS

Festival Volunteers (20) inc. Carnival Day Stage Manager & Assistants, Festival Artistic & Creative Assistants, General Festival Volunteers.

Click here to apply. Applications close 17 March 2023.

Please contact us for a ‘position description’ – we look forward to hearing from you!

Find us on Facebook @ facebook.com/OUTintheOPENFestival

Celebrating 12 years over 10 days in 2023. Carnival Day will be Saturday 18 November. Stay tuned for more info…

Got an idea for #OitO2023? Contact us today!

We want your feedback. Please take our short survey here.

Many people in the LGBTIQA+ community will often face specific challenges in natural disasters such as floods.

Our friends at LINE Wangaratta, Goulburn Valley Pride Shepparton, OUT in the OPEN Festival Shepparton, Slade Consulting and Rural Pride Australia in partnership with Uniting’s Diversity Project team have put together these helpful resources for LGBTIQA+ people experiencing flooding in their region.

#staysafe
#support
#Shepparton
#lgbtiqaplus
#communityspirit
#thediversityproject

Looking for tickets? Click on our fabulous poster/flyer below for a full list of events and access to tix!