As part of the Gender Stories Exhibition in Brighton, artist Tom Marshman invites LGBTQIA+ people to a very special tea party exploring what it means to live as our most authentic selves. 

The gathering centres on sharing experiences, celebrating identity, and creating a space where everyone is welcome exactly as they are. Tom has been collecting stories from under-represented communities, including those working in uniformed professions, veterans, and people from a wide range of workplaces. He now invites all visitors to reflect on visibility, equity, and inclusion. 

The research of this will feed into a theatrical performance to be premiered in Brighton later in the year. The event begins with a short performance, followed by an open discussion on how we can express our true selves while navigating gender and sexuality outside the mainstream. 

Together, this tea party offers a warm, creative, and reflective space to celebrate diversity and connect through shared experience (complete with rainbow cake and tea for all).

About Tom Marshman
Tom Marshman has been a practicing artist for over 25 years, producing work across multiple mediums including theatre, film, and museum audio tours. His socially engaged practice often invites dialogue through participatory processes such as Tea Parties, creating intimate spaces where everyday experiences can be shared. These encounters allow Marshman to craft poetic, accessible, and unpretentious stories. An overarching theme of his work is the figure of the outsider, with a particular focus on LGBTQ+ lives and histories that have been erased through archival silence. His upcoming theatrical projects integrate film elements, exploring queer uniformed professions and queer digital intimacy.
Instagram - tom.marshman
Substack - @tommymarshman