Photo gallery: Poet puts protest on people’s faces at Norwich Pride event

Norwich Pride supporters have their faces painted with the names of countries where homosexuality is illegal, to launch the Pride without Predjudice Art Exhibition. From left, Kay Warbrick, Polly Morgan, and Isabel Farrelly. Picture: Denise Bradley (Image: copyright: Archant 2013)

Artist and activist Vince Laws wrote more than 80 countries' names in red eye liner on people to create a 'happening' he called Banned at the opening of the Pride without Prejudice exhibition at St Margaret's Church of Art on Monday. The Norwich Pride Poet Laureate said many of the names were of countries where homosexuality was illegal, the others were of countries where he said people were persecuted for having same sex relationships even if it was not classed as illegal.

'It's important to understand why it is important to celebrate diversity and people's rights, and also to speak up for people in countries where they can't speak up,' said Mr Laws, who created a similar 'happening' in Brighton.

He said as well as the people who took part in the Norwich event, there were also about 200 people watching in the audience. Pride without Prejudice, a collaboration between Art of Norwich and Queer Art Club, celebrates the diversity of Norwich and was open to all artists to submit work.

Marcus Dickey Horley, access projects curator at the Tate Modern and who opened the exhibition, said: 'Norwich Pride is becoming one of the best Prides in Britain and it is achieving this by recognising the remarkable amount of cultural talent that exists in the city. I am proud to represent Tate by participating in the Pride Without Prejudice exhibition as my way of saying to the artists of Norwich, thank you for everything you do to make our world a better place.'

• The exhibition is open daily 10am-5pm until August 3. Norwich Pride is on Saturday. Pride 5 Festival runs until Friday. Visit www.norwichpride.org.uk