Cardiff Radio’s Wyburn & Wayne will pre-record the third ‘Dragged2Church’ instalment and stream it to LGBTQ+ venues
Photo credit to Tyler George Photography
Cardiff’s LGBTQ+ community are maintaining their friendship with the church by streaming the award winning Dragged2Church fundraiser to gay venues this December.
The musical event will feature Drag Queens Dr Bev and Joanna Bumme and will be pre-recorded and streamed on 3 December at 7pm. LGBTQ+ venues including Mary’s will broadcast the show, alongside St Andrews URC and YouTube.
The event will be raising money via gofundme, with every donation entering the donor into a prize raffle.
Nathan Wyburn of Cardiff Radio’s Wyburn & Wayne has been at the forefront of the fundraiser since the first event in 2018, with the motive to raise £10,000 for repairs in St Andrew’s URC.
He said, “We had always been good friends with Reverend Des, and he asked if we had any ideas of how we can raise money.”
Reverend Des of St Andrews featured on a Wyburn & Wayne documentary in January 2019 that gave the public and inside perspective on the creation of the first instalment. Reverend Des said the church is the hub of the Roath community, hosting a range of events and classes and offering space to those who need it.
Nathan recalls, “Our goal was to make sure these people still had somewhere to go for their dance classes and anonymous meetings that they wouldn’t have the confidence to do elsewhere.”
Encouraging inclusivity
Nathan says the role the LGBTQ+ community played in keeping the church open was a feat in its own right. He also said that streaming the event may work in their favour, as they may get wider reach online.
With the first Dragged2Church raising enough to keep the church open and winning the Event of The Year 2019 at the Cardiff Life Awards, Nathan is determined to keep the name of the church and event alive.
Reverend Des is grateful for their support and explains the church’s relationship with the drag community in the documentary. He says, “Drag queens should not be treated any differently from others who come through those church doors.”
Dragged2Church… The Movie?
Nathan Wyburn dishes the juice on the film in the making
Due to the success of the Dragged2Church events, and not to mention the inspiring friendship formed between two unlikely counterparts, there are rumbles of a film being produced. Keeping Faith’s Eve Myles’ production company, Empty Room, is in the process of writing the film that will celebrate the union of the LGBTQ+ community and the church. They are set to start filming next year, and Nathan says the Christmas film will be “feel good family fun, showcasing two opposite worlds that have come together to spread love and joy.”