The SWFed were delighted to be joined by Jennifer Shearman, Head of Programme & Collection (Curator) at Queer Britain, who discussed ‘Creating a Queer Museum’ for our May online talk.
Jennifer provided a fascinating overview of the development and work of the UK’s first physical LGBTQ+ museum. Jennifer’s own varied research interests include curating for social change and queer theory. Her role at Queer Britain involves managing the museum’s diverse collections, producing exhibitions and displays, fundraising and carrying out talks, lectures and workshops.
The museum operates with a team of trustees, staff and volunteers, all of whom enable the museum to provide a repository for objects with LGBTQ+ heritage and a space which has a specific focus on engaging with queer stories. At Queer Britain’s current home at King’s Cross in London, they welcome over 30,000 visitors a year, with a popular events programme, shop and membership scheme. The museum’s collection includes 300-400 objects including a wide variety of art, ephemera, photography, publications and social history, such as protest banners.
Jennifer spoke about the museum’s public programme, including pop-up exhibitions, films and collaborations with communities and corporate partners. Their biggest exhibition to date, ‘We Are Queer Britain’ was launched in 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Britain’s first Pride March and now acts as a rolling display centring queer activism, art and culture across the last century. Exhibitions for 2025 include 40 years of activism with Jimmy Sommerville and Bronski Beat, 20 years of Black Pride and a variety of art installations.
It was especially exciting to hear from Jennifer about Queer Britain’s plans for the future with new galleries and interpretation, including introductory text, space for temporary exhibitions and an area for themed rolling displays which will represent diverse LGBTQ+ identities and experiences. Her talk provoked a wide range of questions from event attendees around Queer Britain’s collections development plans, archival research and volunteer recruitment. Huge thanks to Jennifer for her engaging and wide-ranging exploration of this new and exciting cultural organisation.
