Overthought and forever rejection expectant I was blown away by the support for our first Re-Booting The Archive Queer In Brighton event at Ironworks Studio and my debut outing as QHS Live Archive Lesbian Community Champion (Get me!!)

Watching what I will now forever call our joyous colony of lesbians (the plural name for a bunch of beavers apparently – I looked it up) gather and want to talk things all things archive was a proud revelation for this collecting geek. The tales in our heads spoken out loud, spoken out proud as we shared and shared some more. A Kate Shields beautiful handcrafted city map reimagined by our Roni for the lesbians (oh the tales this and many other bed sheets of Brighton & Hove can tell) helped bring us together for an evening of reminiscing, reimaging and reliving. Intergenerational, the streets the same regardless of the decades, the stories forever evolving, the recollections of coming out, first kisses, early Pride marches, broken hearts, never ending protests, families created, gigs played, legends made and last dances had brought the lives of us to the centre of QHS’s Live Archive project. Just as it should be. PowerPoint presentations assisting, QHS co-workers enabling.

It was magnificent. It was community. It was ours. It had buffet. And I’m so proud of everyone who made it so. The first of many, the homework begins, the lessons ready to learn, the chapters ready to write, the stories ready to be heard. It’s been a long time coming but it’s here. Thanks to those who turned up to turn in their tales. Here’s to many more.

Re-Booting The Archive continues on Thursday 24th October 6pm-8pm at Ironworks Studio, Brighton BN1 4GD. Book your free ticket here

📸 Roni Guetta

The second event in the “Re-Booting our archive: Our tales of Lesbian Brighton & Hove” invites us to tell the lesbian tales we’ve lived and loved in our city. Sharing the moments that made us, through the ephemera, objects, photos, stories and soundtracks of our past lives – allowing precious items and past memories to combine as we share our unique histories to create a new chapter of the Queer Heritage South: Live Archive.

The event is free but places are limited, so please make sure you book your space.

Made possible with funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the support of Roni, David, Daisy, Rowan, the team at QHS and my Queenie

Please DM for additional information.