Following its “iconic” launch last year, Pride Arts And Film Festival returns with a celebration of club culture, a tale of a fabulous revolution and a recreation of a classic Brighton seafront battle.

And following in the footsteps of the Jubilee Library’s Icons exhibition in 2013 are two free LGBT art shows.

Freedom To Live, which opens today, features new works by artists including Boy George, Sadie Lee, Kitty Finegan, Dave Pop, Billy Chainsaw, Michelle Mindenhall and Brighton AIDS Memorial designer Romany Mark Bruce.

And the city’s club culture is celebrated in Strike A Brighton Pose, which opens on Monday, July 21. Original collages and flyer artwork are on display accompanied with stories collected in record boxes by curators Kate Wildblood and Queen Josephine covering 30 years of throwing shapes in LGBT Brighton.

Work by LGBT photographers is at the heart of Shoot Me, I’m Gay at Sidewinder, in Upper St James’s Street, from Tuesday, (July 22), to Thursday, August 21, and the works of brother and sister Kitty Finegan and Precious Murphy are on show at Velvet Tattoo in Church Road, in Hove from Monday, July 28, to the end of August.

The film programme launches with a marathon screening of women’s prison drama Orange Is The New Black’s second season. It’s on at Duke Of York’s Picturehouse tomorrow evening at 9.30pm through to noon on Sunday (20). Tickets are available by lottery through www.brighton-pride.org.

The Duke Of York’s is also screening The Sons Of Tennessee Williams on Thursday, July 31, which tells how spectacular drag balls organised by gay men in 1950s New Orleans helped break down prejudice in a fantastically costumed revolution.

Over at Duke’s @ Komedia in Gardner Street, Stephen Fry’s documentary Out There investigates state-sponsored homophobia around the world today on Sunday, July 27, from 6pm, followed by a Q and A session with director Fergus O’Brien.

Stage events include the Pride Charity Cabaret at The Basement, in Kensington Street, on Saturday, July 26, featuring Rosie Wilby, VG Lee, Claire Parker, Jonwayne Connolly, Chick Atkinson and Judy Theobald. Tickets for the show, which starts at 8pm, start at £12/£10.

The Marlborough Theatre’s Pink Fringe is mixing breast binding, Spanish Civil War cabaret and interactive art in a showcase of three new works from Lucy Hutson, DeNada Dance Theatre and Evan Ifekoya on Monday, July 28, and Tuesday, July 29. Tickets cost £3/£2, doors open at 8pm.

And look out for Edinburgh preview double bill Self Service and Cleavedon Road on Wednesday, July 23, plus Louise Orwin’s investigation into generation Youtube, Pretty Ugly, on Wednesday, July 30, at the Princes Street venue.

Brighton Fringe hit Hedwig And The Angry Inch returns to New Venture Theatre, in Bedford Place, from Thursday, July 31, to Sunday, August 3, tickets £12.50 from 01273 746118.

But possibly the most ambitious theatre event is Duckie - Mods vs Rockers, a 50th anniversary recreation of the Brighton battles between the Mods and Rockers. A cast of musicians and performers including Fingersnap, The Two Wrongies, Black Elvis, Piney Gir, Lorraine Bowen, Miss High Leg Kick and a dozen Lesley Ash clones will be introduced by Amy Lamé at Brighton Dome Corn Exchange, on Saturday, August 2, from 9pm. Tickets £12 from 01273 709709.

There’s more music as Miss Jason introduces a Brighton Unsigned Pride Fundraiser featuring Departure From Normal, Kitten And The Hip, Paul Diello, Mila Falls, Daisy Victoria and Simon Walton at Charles Street Bar, on Tuesday, July 29.

And Grammy Award-winning songwriter Matt Alber is coming to Latest Music Bar, in Manchester Street, on Thursday, July 31, from 7pm, tickets £10.