Throughout February, the National Football Museum has been proud to collaborate with the LGBT Foundation to celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month through a series of creative outreach workshops. Led by Sassy Holmes, our Community, Outreach, and Programme Producer, these sessions explored the intersection of movement, sport, and identity, engaging with LGBTQ+ communities in a creative way.
‘Animating Motion’ is a hands-on mixed media workshop led by artist Kate Partington. This unique workshop encouraged participants to engage with physical movement in a new way—through frame-by-frame animation. Using short videos of physical activity, attendees collaged, decorated, and illustrated over printed frames, creating stunning and expressive animations. Beyond the creative process, the workshop fostered important discussions on movement, queerness, and the role of sport in building vibrant and inclusive communities. An example of Sassy below will show you the outcome!
Our first session took place with the LGBT Foundation’s women’s group, where participants created beautiful pieces of art while engaging in rich discussions about inclusivity in sport. It was an empowering space to share experiences, perspectives, and hopes for a more representative sporting world.
The second session was part of the LGBT Foundation and MMU Sport’s special day of activities at MMU’s Platt Lane Sports Complex. This event was all about movement and wellbeing, providing a safe, welcoming, and fun environment for exploring different ways to stay active. Our workshop encouraged people to think about craft, colour, and motion, blending creativity with conversations on LGBTQ+ visibility in sport.
Key reflections
Through creative discussions, participants shared their thoughts on LGBTQ+ representation and inclusion in sport. Here are some of the key reflections:
What aspects of LGBTQ+ representation do you enjoy seeing in sport? What do we want to see more of?
- Fun, inclusive environments
- Visible symbols like rainbow armbands and laces
- More trans and non-binary athletes in mainstream sport
- A range of representation, from players to managers
- Open and supportive allies, including cis and straight allies
How can sport unify LGBTQ+ communities? Where might it fall short?
- Team-building activities that aren’t necessarily competitive
- Awareness of sponsorship issues and avoiding ‘rainbow-washing’
- Ensuring safe and welcoming spaces for all identities
How has LGBTQ+ inclusion evolved? What further changes do we want to see?
- Practical design considerations, such as kit for different body types
- Gender-diverse leadership and ownership in sport
- Moving beyond performative allyship to genuine action
- Increased trans and non-binary representation
- More accessibility in sporting environments
How do we celebrate LGBTQ+ communities in sport?
- Funding grassroots organisations that support LGBTQ+ athletes
- Open conversations and visibility
- Wearing symbols of solidarity like rainbow armbands
- More direct action and protest to push for real change
It was a pleasure to work with artist Kate Partington and the LGBT Foundation this month. These sessions were a fantastic opportunity to engage with LGBTQ+ communities and explore how sport, and specifically football, can be more inclusive and celebratory. Through art, conversation, and collaboration, we continue to push the boundaries of football’s cultural impact, ensuring that everyone can see themselves reflected in the game they love.