The world-famous documentary photographer’s work showcases the city’s colourful Parade March, the 45k attendee-strong festival on The Downs, and all the different walks of life that come to celebrate and protest at Bristol Pride.
Parr’s work has become synonymous with fly-on-the-wall and candid documentary style, often provoking a mixed reaction and creating narratives with his perspective. His work has been collected by many of the world’s leading museums, from the Tate, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Having attended Bristol Pride multiple times as an attendee, Parr’s snapshots reveal a fascinating insight into the busy, colourful, and joyful event that Bristol Pride puts on annually.
This free exhibition can be found upstairs in Bristol Museum and runs from the 27 May until November.
I have photographed over 4 Prides and it is always one of the best days for shooting in the Bristol calendar.
I like shooting when people are assembling for the march, and also gives me a chance to shoot some great home made placards
and to isolate these, to give them more presence. It is fantastic how Pride marches are now enjoyed by so many people. This would not have been the case when these marches started as the acceptance of the gay/ trans sections of society is now so much greater.
Bristol Pride is a unique and important event that celebrates the LGBT+ community offering the chance to connect people.
As well as showcasing our wonderfully diverse community, Pride is about overcoming prejudice, hatred, reducing isolation, and showing members of the LGBT+ community that they are not alone. Pride Day is an amazing day filled with joy, love, protest and celebration.
Bristol Pride is the chance for us all to work towards creating a better society together, for friends, family and allies to show their support and for members of the community to live authentically and proudly.
We are a registered charity and as well as putting on an incredible two weeks of events, and annual music and arts festival, we work all year round to challenge homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia and promote equality and diversity, for all. We do this through various events, school visits, consultation services and lobbying.
As well as tackling political and social landscape, we work hard to bring the community together to celebrate and create opportunities. We want to build unity and bring joy to safe spaces, as well as tackling discrimination. As well as our year round work, our main activity takes place across the first two weeks of July each year with events ranging from Theatre, Film, Comedy, Music, and even a Pride Dog show. Our two week Pride ends with a Parade through the city and Pride Day Festival on The Downs.
Pride events have been happening in the city on and off since 1970 but stopped in the early 1990’s until the cur
