Queer Up, Duck!

Nottingham’s LGBTQ+ Arts Festival

In 2024 Jake, through JOP Arts, founded Queer Up, Duck!, a 2 week-long arts festival that took over 13 venues across Nottingham. Across the festival 1200 audiences attended everything from art exhibitions, film screenings, comedy nights, poetry and music at the library, plays and more.

Some highlights from the festival:

Our Queer Future: An Exhibition of Notts LGBTQ+ Heroes

Celebrating the inspiring individuals who have made an impact on Nottingham’s LGBTQ+ community, OUR QUEER FUTURES: Notts LGBTQ+ Heroes, is a series of portraits captured by Nottingham based photographer Katie Bishop. The exhibition took place at City Arts.

QUD x Nottingham Playhouse’s Amplify Festival

Working in partnership with Amplify Festival, Queer Up, Duck! the festival co-presented 7 different shows by East Midlands based artists exploring everything from long-distance running, to relationships between drag and dads.

Comedy Showcase

Working in partnership with Nottingham’s Comedy Festival, the festival co-presented a night of the best LGBTQ+ comedians at Squire Performing Arts Centre.

Sound at Central x QUD

Working in partnership with Nottingham Central Library, the festival presented a night of poetry, music and drag at the library.