GoggleWorks Center for the Arts (GoggleWorks) and Reading Pride Celebration (RPC) announced a partnership to frame Pride Month in a unique way—on the biggest film screen in the city. GoggleWorks, one of the country’s largest interactive art centers, developed a pop-up drive-in movie theatre during the throes of the pandemic last year, drawing an enthusiastic response from the local community. Leaders said they wanted to use the outside venue to fulfill the art center’s nonprofit mission differently than the Albert & Eunice Boscov Film Theatre located inside. Steven Nicodemus, GoggleWorks’ Theatre Manager, dreamed of a program that screened significant films meaningful to a variety of different audiences, by partnering with other community groups. The Pride Month Drive-In Film Series is the first such program to realize this dream.
“GoggleWorks tested our pop-up drive-in theatre in the heart of the pandemic last fall, including serving area youth through our After-School Arts Program,” said Nicodemus. “Knowing that the theater experience is a great way to build community, we are ecstatic to partner with Reading Pride Celebration to advocate for LGBTQIA+ residents and visitors, and advance inclusion for many into our creative community.”
GoggleWorks invited RPC to program the entire series and help outreach to a wider audience. Every Saturday throughout the month of June both organizations have been hosting LGBTQIA+ themed films in a drive-in or walk-in format. The series kicked off with To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar on June 5th and Milk on June 12th and continues for the rest of Pride Month:
Paris is Burning
Saturday, June 19
Food and Art Activities begin at 7pm
Film screening begins at 9pm
Brokeback Mountain
Saturday, June 26
Food and Art Activities begin at 7pm
Film screening begins at 9pm
Food and art programs begin at 7pm, before the 9pm screening, and include a make-and-take tie-dye activity.
“Working with the arts community to not only tell, but show our stories is yet another important step in creating a welcoming and inclusive community for our LGBTQ+ siblings in Berks County and beyond. The arts community has always been welcoming of the LGBTQ+ community and this series continues to show that acceptance,” said Enrique Castro, President of RPC.
For more information and to book tickets visit GoggleWorks.org.
