The Dare Arts Pride Project To Return In June

Since 2023, Dare Arts has invited the LGBTQ+ community and their allies to share their artistic voices through visual and performing arts programming, and in June of this year the Dare Arts Pride Project will celebrate with live music, theater, and spoken word.

“We are honored to be bringing the Dare Arts Pride Project back for its third year,” said Dare Arts Exhibitions Director Tiffany Lindsey. “To be able to host such exemplary talent in all forms while creating a space for all perspectives is a pleasure.”

Seven-piece band The Storyweavers, who include an American Sign Language Interpreter, will return to the Outer Banks to play Americana folk in Dare Arts’ Courtyard from 6:00pm to 8:00pm on Friday, June 6. 

“The Storyweavers are excited to return to Dare Arts in Manteo to help kick off our favorite Pride Arts program by playing at First Friday,” said singer and songwriter Sheela Fortner. “Through music, song, and storytelling, we bring our hearts to the stage and invite you to join us as we celebrate the rich fabric of the human experience.”

Nationally touring duo Mama’s Black Sheep will be playing live music at Magnolia Pavilion and Jaidee Elliott will be singing and playing her guitar in the Davis Lot during First Friday. Dare Arts’ will also be hosting an opening reception for a Courtroom Gallery exhibition titled Resilience. Dare Arts’ June First Friday celebrations will conclude with a fire performance by Panda Daniels in The Courtyard. 

For the third consecutive year, Hi-Vibe Holistics will open the doors to their listening room in Kill Devil Hills for the Dare Arts Pride Project Open Mic at 7:00pm Tuesday, June 10.

The Pride Project Open Mic, emceed by Evan Tillett, is open to all LGBTQ+ community members and their allies. Performances including, but not limited to, song, poetry, reading, theater, and comedy are welcome. 

The Dare Arts Pride Project Open Mic is free and open to all adults ages 18+. To participate in the open mic, please sign up online at DareArts.org/prideproject. 

Dare Arts is partnering with Theatre of Dare to co-host a staged reading of The Laramie Project at 7:00pm on Saturday, June 14 at Theatre of Dare’s headquarters in Kitty Hawk.

The Laramie Project, written by Moises Kaufman and the members of the Tectonic Theater Project, explores the aftermath of the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming, and the community’s reaction to the crime through interviews. The staged reading is a deeply moving theatrical experience, and will be directed by Mike Mazza at Theatre of Dare. 

"Theatre of Dare is beyond thrilled to partner with the Dare Arts Pride Project for the first time since its inception,” said Theatre of Dare’s Business Director Kelsey Thompson. “In bringing a staged reading of The Laramie Project to our community, we hope to spark conversations about hate crimes, LGBTQ+ rights, and the importance of empathy and understanding. It is our hope that with the combined efforts of both organizations, the Outer Banks can become more of a safe space for our colleagues, neighbors, and friends who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community." 

Tickets to see The Laramie Project can be purchased online at TheatreofDareOBX.com/boxoffice. 

Auditions for The Laramie Project will be held at Theatre of Dare at 7:00pm on Tuesday, May 13.

For more information about these events, please visit DareArts.org/prideproject or call (252) 473-5558.

Businesses or individuals interested in sponsoring the Pride Project should contact Dare Arts Executive Director Jessica Sands at DareArtsInfo@gmail.com. 

This project is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources.

This project is sponsored by the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau. 

Thank you to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Outer Banks, Downtown Books, and All Saints Episcopal Church for sponsoring the Dare Arts Pride Project.

In 2025, Dare Arts is commemorating its 50th anniversary by celebrating its past, present, and future. Dare Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization dedicated to encouraging the arts in Dare County through advocacy, enrichment and opportunity.

The views expressed in this program do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Dare Arts’ employees, the organization, or affiliated entities.