Queer Britain, London’s newest museum, opens to the public on 5 May 2022. As the UK’s first national LGBTQ+ museum, it is a space where everyone will be welcome as they explore the diverse history of the Queer community.
The charity was co-founded by Joseph Galliano in 2018, with the goal of creating a museum dedicated to LGBTQ+ people. The opening of a physical space this month is the result of a long campaign by many staff and volunteers, who have been working over the last four years to bring the vision to life.
Before the doors opened to the public, we met with Galliano for a preview of the museum and to find out more about what visitors can expect.
The inspiration behind Queer Britain
In a previous role as the editor of Gay Times, Galliano says that he became interested in the generation gap in the gay community. This was, in part, sparked by the 40th anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality, in 2007.
“At this point, we spoke to young men who hadn’t yet been born in 1967, and we also spoke to men who were already adults in 1967. We wanted to find out what they knew about each other’s lives. And it turned out it wasn’t a great deal. In fact, some of those younger people hadn’t realised that it had been illegal.”
Ten years after this, as the 50th-anniversary came around in 2017, Galliano still felt that something was missing in terms of telling this important history and telling real people’s stories.
“The question that really came up for me was, if people aren’t hearing about their culture and their heritage in a consistent and meaningful way, at school, in museums, amongst their family, friends, popular culture, etc., then how are they going to know what questions to ask? Where are they going to find that information and that connection?
“At the same time, the Queer British Art 1861-1967 exhibition at Tate Britain marked the 50 anniversary of the partial decriminalisation. We felt very strongly that if there was a time to set up a museum for these communities, now was the time to act. There was so much momentum that built up in the culture sector around that anniversary. We felt that if we didn’t seize the moment, then that momentum could have very easily dissipated until the next big anniversary.”
Creating a space to showcase Queer stories
The Queer Britain team set out to create a space where all members of the LBGTQ+ community could see their stories being told.
“I imagine a person who has recently come out to their parents, and they are visiting together, as an example. It is a space for them to come together, and feel included and for the young person to come away with a head exploded about what kind of heritage they come from, what kind of culture they exist within, and what kind of contributions to society LGBTQ+ people have made. And I want the parents to come away feeling like they are part of that family as well.
“My number one vision was to make it welcoming, and celebratory.”
“There’s room for the hard stories as well, of course, but in the context of showcasing these fantastic set of communities that deserve to be celebrated and deserve to be seen.”
For Galliano and the rest of the team, it has been a labour of love to get to this milestone. Speaking about the journey, he says:
“What I have noticed most of all is just how many people want to see this happen and what it means for so many people. It really is a precious thing I’ve been holding in my hands. And I hadn’t really understood when I started on that project.”
Having “worn through many pairs of shoes” over the last few years, when asked how it feels to finally see the museum become a reality, Galliano’s response is simply: “Joyous.”
Welcome to Queer Britain
On 5 May, Queer Britain’s programming will begin with a temporary exhibition called “Welcome to Queer Britain”. This will run for eight weeks and will serve as an introduction to the new museum and its vision.
The exhibition will feature a range of pieces from its collection, alongside artwork from the Queer Britain archive. The archive is currently located at the Bishopsgate Institute and is accessible to the public and researchers by appointment. Also on show will be images from a previous collaborative exhibition between Queer Britain, Getty Images and M&C Saatchi.
In addition, visitors will be able to enjoy photographs from the 2019 “Chosen Family” exhibition. This was a collaboration with Levi’s and Queer Britain.
Matthew Storey is the curator of “Welcome to Queer Britain” and also the art, design and LGBTQ+ history curator for Historic Royal Palaces. He says:
“It has been amazing to follow the journey of Queer Britain from a first idea to the opening of the UK’s first museum dedicated to LGBTQ+ people. It has been an honour to curate the opening display that showcases Queer Britain’s achievements so far.
“I hope that the photographs chosen reflect the rich diversity of the LGBTQ+ community past and present, as we look to the future of this important new museum.”
The top two winning artworks from the Queer Britain Madame Prize will also be on show. Sponsored by Madame F, this was an art award on the theme of Queer Creativity. It took inspiration from illustrator Justin Kemp, who designed the Susy the Frog image featured on the brand’s wine labels. As well as sponsoring, Madame F also created a bespoke Queer Britain wine to sell in the museum’s gift shop.
A welcoming new space
The new museum, located at Art Fund’s building in Granary Square in London, is calm and welcoming. It is home to four galleries, alongside workshop and education space and the gift shop. There are also offices for the Queer Britain team.
“We’re delighted to welcome Queer Britain as our new tenants,” said Jenny Waldman, Art Fund director. “Their exciting proposal for the first UK museum dedicated to exploring LGBTQ+ histories, people and ideas was warmly supported by our trustees, and we’re thrilled that our beautiful building in Granary Square will be home for the first phase of the Queer Britain museum.”
In addition to the content on the walls, Queer Britain will be a space where visitors can reflect, feedback, and share their own stories.
“Our visitors literally will be the people who are on the wall,” says Galliano. “There’s no one set of stories. It’s a shifting, changing set of stories that will change as people engage with them. People will bring their own sense of self into the space.
“We have been given this opportunity to have this beautiful space where people can visit and see these stories, but they also become part of it too. Yes, it’s important that it’s bricks and mortar. But it’s just as important that people will be here, sharing their stories.”
More programming to come
During the last four years, Queer Britain has established a strong online presence as it built momentum for the campaign. For instance, just last month it hosted online events to explore the legendary women’s club, The Gateways, and to celebrate the Bank of England’s new £50 note, which features an image of the code-breaking gay scientist, Alan Turing.
In terms of the physical space, the team also has lots of plans for bringing in different community groups. Queer Britain wants to establish robust outreach and education programmes going forward. However, for now:
“We are just so excited to get people in so they can experience it and feel a part of it. We want them to feel welcomed into this family that we’re growing around this institution.”
The Queer Britain team is already hard at work curating the next exhibition, which will open in late July.
Highlights at Queer Britain
At the end of the four-year endeavour to establish a physical museum, Galliano and his team are finally able to enjoy seeing the finished space come together, with the art on the walls, merchandise ready to sell in the shop, and a smell of fresh paint still in the air. However, when asked about his favourite items, he says he finds it an impossible choice:
“I love them all. I love the Chosen Family exhibition because they are such beautiful snapshots of Queer life. They are warm and engaging and full of joy. Then, the heritage material from Getty Images is also fantastic.
He indicates one personal highlight, next to us on the wall:
“I love this picture of David Hoyle by Sadie Lee. This was one of the winning entries to the Queer Britain Madame F Award. It’s just such a beautiful painting. It’s incredible – it’s hard to believe it’s a painting. She bought out the essence of this legendary performance artist. She’s almost managed to make it look more like David Hoyle than David Hoyle does!”
In addition, Galliano draws attention to the second prize winner. This part of a series by Paul Harfleet called Birds Can Fly. Born of a life-long passion for ornithology, the series features Harfleet’s drawings of birds side by side with self-portrait images where the artist has used his own wardrobe, styling, and make-up skills to echo their style. This body of work is a Queer exploration that delves into the politics of ornithology.
Guests at the museum can also visit the shop. This features Queer Britain merchandise alongside books curated by Gay’s The Word. All profits will go directly back to support the museum and charity.
Exploring and celebrating a diverse heritage
Galliano’s key message is that the Queer Britain team wants people to come and feel a part of the museum:
“Those visitors are the family that we want to be creating. Without those visitors, we’re just a building. They will be what makes us, and what allows us to change and evolve over time. One of the thoughts that we keep coming back to is that traditionally people come to museums to see them. But I think this is a museum that people will visit to be seen. In every sense.”
As Queer Britain’s website states:
“Queer people have impacted every part of culture. Yet all too often their lives have been written in the margins of history books. Valuable stories and artefacts are being lost. Once gone, they may never be recovered. These deserve a dedicated space to be preserved, explored, and celebrated. Queer Britain will put this centre stage.”
Queer Britain is a fully accessible venue with lifts and ramps. Entry is free, while the museum welcomes donations to support the charity’s work. Queer Britain is located at 2 Granary Square, London, N1C 4BH. It is open Wednesday to Sunday from 12 pm – 6 pm.
