Rainbow Trailblazing - Part 2
Continue your journey of LGBT Foundation's first-ever public art trail, the Rainbow Trail, taking over Manchester.
LGBT Foundation Rainbow Trail Map (2025) by Jay NevilleLGBT Foundation
Welcome to The Rainbow Trail
Welcome to part 2 of LGBT Foundation's first-ever public art trail, taking over Manchester from 17th May until September 2025.
LGBT Foundation Rainbow Trail Map (2025) by Jay NevilleLGBT Foundation
Marking International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), the trail celebrates 30+ LGBTQ+ artists on a route that spans the city's busiest train station, the Gay Village through to St Peter's Square.
Scroll on to continue or head to Part 1 to begin the tour.
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The Village
The heartbeat from which all of Manchester's iconic queer scene exploded in the late 20th century, take a stroll along Canal Street and discover several artworks along the way.
Velvet Hotel: Chloe Roberts
"This love poem was inspired by my short film script titled ‘Tangerine’, which I wrote as a dissertation project at University in 2023. The shape of the poem is utterly intentional. I hope this poem inspires you to share an orange sphere with someone!"
Step inside Velvet Hotel on Canal Street to take a closer look at Kay Fulbrook's poems. Kay is a twenty-seven year old lesbian poet and artist living in Manchester, England. Her work centres the intimacy in butch/femme relationships, as well as themes of dyke desire, yearning, and love. The three pieces showcased here, though each explore different relationships, share the underlying hope of love in bloom. Each of them says: Stay alive, soak in the sunlight, and love.
Velvet Hotel: Lynne Jones
Lynne is an advocate for transgender rights and uses poetry for personal exploration and to develop training material for therapists’ continuous professional development, with a broader goal of improving engagement, inclusivity and effectiveness when working within the LGBT community.
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The Church: DOM&INK
Outside The Church you'll find DOM&INK's artwork of LGBT Foundation's 50th Anniversary Ambassador, Dita Garbo, star of RuPaul Drag Race UK s6.
Portrait of Dita Garbo
Dom was also the official content illustrator for RuPaul's Drag Race UK Season 1-5 (and Vs The World S1), something they pinch themselves about daily.
The Village Chippy: Scot Cunningham
PridePosterStudios challenges on-screen queer representation through unique, fun and inspiring artwork. This interactive piece subverts tired tropes with 100 powerful queer stories from across the genres and decades.
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Clonezone: Doctor Gay UK
TesticulART is a queer photography collection by Doctor Gay UK of bejazzled balls for health promotion. Sometimes art has to be provocative to raise awareness!
Please note you must be over 18 years of age to enter this venue and see this artwork.
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On Bar: Alex Thomas
Join back onto Canal Street until you reach On Bar, where Alex Thomas' work is in the window. Alex Thomas (they/them) is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Oxford. Alex makes art to express and process their queer and disabled identity.
efflorescence
"A flowing of trans pride from me to you. I like to make art from whatever materials I have around. This was made possible because I bought some pouring acrylic from a charity shop, which meant I could work in a style I hadn't before."
Richmond Tea Rooms: Devon Short
Taking a turn towards Sackville Gardens, spot Devon Short's Living Scars on the railing outside Richmond Tea Rooms. 'Living Scars’, is a book exploring life after top surgery through comics, illustrations and reflections, packed with information and silliness!
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Cockatoo Club & The Eagle: Scot Cunningham and JustJake
Back-to-back in the Gay Village lie Cockatoo Club, hosting Scot Cunningham's Comedy Quotes Poster next to its entrance, and the Eagle, where Jacob Lomax's illustrations can be viewed from the window.
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Leven Hotel
Pop into Leven Hotel at the intersection of Canal Street and Chorlton Street - you'll know you're in the right place when you spot Nick Maynard's art in the windows and Jack Jameson and Taofique Folarin's work in the lobby.
A collection of seven works depicting Seven Ages, each piece incorporating one of the seven historical ages of mankind, one of the seven biological ages of human existence, along with one of the seven sexualities shown on the Pride Flag. Each of these works uses a colour palate and talisman associated with the sexuality depicted in the piece, alongside a poem that brings together the piece’s other elements. The seventh, and final part of this disparate work is the pieces’ location in Manchester.
Leven Hotel: Taofique Folarin
With an investigative, instinctive, and divinely guided approach to art, Taofique Folarin challenges conventions by drawing on his lived experiences and vulnerability. Beyond struggle, there is joy. There is healing. This is transformation.
Leven Hotel: Jack Jameson
Through surreal and speculative worlds, Jack Jameson examines ideas of transmutation, faith, technology, and community, deconstructing societal norms in the process.
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SEESAW
A Friend of LGBT Foundation in our 50th year, SEESAW is a stone's throw away from Canal Street and our Community Hub on Sackville Street. Step into the foyer where they are proudly hosting three artworks.
Follow the Rainbow Road – featuring New Union (2025) by Jasmin IssakaLGBT Foundation
SEESAW: Jasmin Issaka
This vibrant illustration is a heartfelt tribute to the New Union in Manchester’s Gay Village—a space rich with pride, resilience, and community. Reimagined through a playful, expressive lens, the artwork celebrates the joy and cultural significance of this iconic venue.
Dollhouse Revolution (2025) by Josie McCuskerLGBT Foundation
SEESAW: Josie McCusker
This plywood dolls house features peg dolls representing LGBTQIA+ icons—Alan Turing, Chappell Roan, Tom Daley, Marsha P. Johnson, and Freddie Mercury. Playfully decorated, the work challenges the heteronormativity of traditional toys, offering a space for inclusion.
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Manchester Art Gallery
Inside the Derek Jarman Pocket Park, a public garden co-created with LGBT Foundation's Pride in Ageing Programme at Manchester Art Gallery, visitors can enjoy a break and view artworks by Sam Bonser and Dan Webber.
St Peter's Square (2025) by Sam BonserLGBT Foundation
Manchester Art Gallery: Sam Bonser
Immerse yourself in an artistic interpretation of your surroundings through Sam Bonser's rendition of St Peter's Square. Sam explores the characteristics and unique stories of places, focusing on their history, people and everyday beauty.
Manchester Art Gallery: Dan Webber
"‘Toothbrush’ is based on conversations with my parents and is a poem about how society can shape expectations of young people before they are given the time to learn who they are."
We can't imagine a more wonderful celebration of queer hope and joy than our Rainbow Trail and would like to thank our 30+ artists for their incredible contributions, helping us platform LGBTQ+ creativity and talent in Manchester.
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Manchester Central Library
If you're in Manchester this summer, don't forget to stop by Central Library in St Peter's Square to discover LGBT Foundation's Archives in a brand new exhibition for our 50th Anniversary - it's your chance to view some of the amazing materials featured across our Google Arts & Culture Stories up close!
The Rainbow Art Trail was made possible thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Barefoot Wine, proudly sponsoring LGBT Foundation's 50th Anniversary.
Please note this virtual tour is not exhaustive and artwork locations are subject to change due to local restrictions.
Find out more about the Rainbow Trail and all of the featured artists at: https://lgbt.foundation/50years/rainbow-trail/
Using money raised by National Lottery players, The National Lottery Heritage Fund supports projects that connect people and communities with the UK’s heritage. 50 Years of Queer Hope and Joy is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to celebrate and share stories of LGBTQ+ communities and activism in the North West and beyond, from 1975 to the present day.
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