National Lottery Grants for Heritage – £250,000 to £5million
Queer Heritage South is a pioneering community archiving project that will celebrate and promote the rich culture life of LGBTQ+ people across the south of England. The project wants to take down barriers and create a truly inclusive archive that reflects the community it represents. It will span from post- Second World War to the present day and look at key moments from LGBTQ+ heritage.
The project will particularly focus on Brighton & Hove, which has long been recognised for its distinctive cultural and social history. While LGBTQ+ presence has been recorded in the city for over 200 years, its reputation as the queer capital of the UK was established in the 1960s and 70s. It has the highest percentage of LGBTQ+ people in the UK and because of this, the stories and memories need to be captured now or at risk of being lost forever.
David Sheppeard, Project Director at Queer Heritage South, said: "At a time when LGBTQIA+ stories are being forcibly erased from collections, websites, libraries and public life worldwide, preserving Brighton & Hove's LGBTQIA+ history is crucial.
"We are delighted that Queer Heritage South is taking a significant step forward with the support of The National Lottery Heritage Fund. This funding will allow us to co-produce an accessible digital platform with communities to share our stories at a time when we need inspiration and creativity to address the issues we face."
The digital archive will focus on stories and objects from under-served communities, including LGBTQ+ and global majority. These will be broken down into five key themes:
- queer family: LGBTQ+ personal and daily relationships
- pride and protest: political activism in the LGBTQ+ community
- out at work: LGBTQ+ working life and experience
- out on the town: LGBTQ+ entertainment, venues and social life
- seeing and being seen: fashion, gender and identity in the LGBTQ+ community
The project will bring the archive to life through a three-year activity programme, including a major exhibition in 2027. This will coincide with the 60th anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality. Thinking towards the future, the project will work with strategic partners to develop a strategy for queer heritage in Brighton & Hove and advocate for improving inclusion, access and participation in heritage.
Inspired by this project and have a project idea? Find out how you can apply.
