Funded: £28,927.50
Campaign: Help LGBTQ+ communities share and preserve their stories for the future
Too often, LGBTQ+ communities are not given the opportunity to narrate their own histories. Queer Britain raised money to develop two projects that are dedicated to amplifying voices from within the community.
Queer Britain’s residency series invites individuals from communities who are often underrepresented in Museums to reinterpret the collection through their personal experiences, and identify gaps and missing stories. Their crowdfunding campaign aimed to raise funds to support a new residency: hosting young people who are part of the Gypsy, Traveller and Roma community, in collaboration with Shaan Knan, Travellers Pride and Mermaids UK.
They also wanted to raise funds to create accessible audio guides, created with community members, to include audio description of the contents of their exhibitions and collection, enriched with the memories, stories and reflections of participants.
They grouped these two aims together under the need to amplify LGBTQ+ voices – particularly those who aren’t always heard from in mainstream contexts.
They used the Art Fund’s crowdfunding platform for museums and galleries: Art Happens, and I worked via the Art Fund to provide additional support and guidance on the campaign structure. This also meant the museum could benefit from the Art Fund’s zero-fee fundraising as well as their support with creating and fulfilling rewards.
Since funding:
In February 2024, as a result of this campaign, Queer Britain were able to launch their Community Residency programme and welcome their first residency.