Queer Britain: The National LGBTQ+ Museum
Elton John And David Furnish Announced As New Patrons Of Queer Britain.
Since opening its doors in May 2022 in Granary Square, King’s Cross, Queer Britain has welcomed over 100,000 visitors, providing a revolutionary space to celebrate, preserve, and explore LGBTQ+ histories.
Now Queer Britain is pleased to announce the appointment of two new Patrons – Elton John and David Furnish – and an exciting program of temporary exhibitions lined up for this year, running alongside the permanent collection.
Queer Britain has also announced five special temporary exhibitions for 2025 running alongside the permanent collection:
JIMMY SOMERVILLE AND BRONSKI BEAT (12 March – 25 May)
Celebrating the 40th anniversary of Bronski Beat’s seminal album Age Of Consent, this exhibition showcases new materials donated by Jimmy Somerville, including ACT-UP campaign T-shirts, a customised Levi’s jacket, typed lyrics, and promotional posters for their hit Smalltown Boy, which Rolling Stone magazine last year included in the top fifty protest songs of all time.
Visitors will also be able to view Why? (2024), a powerful reimagined video for Bronski Beat’s seminal LGBTQ+ anthem, directed by Matt Lambert.
Jimmy Somerville, musician and activist, said: “This isn’t about me. It’s about a time and place and the politics and life as a gay man. Time passed and so did laws and attitudes. Fast forward and here we are today a time full of hate, discrimination and the rolling back of laws and attitudes, in some places I never dreamed it could happen. So today, like back in the day, take nothing for granted and be visible and be loud …. WE’RE HERE, WE’RE QUEER…GET OVER IT!!!”
20 YEARS OF UK BLACK PRIDE (4 June – 31 August)
Curated in collaboration with UK Black Pride and their founder Phyll Opoku-Gyimah (Lady Phyll), this exhibition chronicles the movement’s evolution from a small gathering in 2004 to the world’s largest celebration for LGBTQI+ people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Latin American, and Middle Eastern descent. This exhibition will coincide with UK Black Pride which returns to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on 10 August 2025.
TERRY HIGGINS MEMORIAL QUILT (11 – 15 June)
Marking what would have been Terry Higgins’ 80th birthday, Queer Britain will host the memorial quilt, developed by Terrence Higgins Trust and The Quilters’ Guild, on display to the public in London for the first time. The quilt features eight magnificent panels, representing different elements of Terry’s life, celebrating his legacy and aims to engage as many people as possible in where we are today, with the opportunity to end new HIV cases in the UK by 2030.
Richard Angell OBE, Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, said: “For many years at Terrence Higgins Trust we worked in the name of Terry but without fully telling his story. This quilt is a literal rich tapestry of his life. It speaks to the experiences of so many queer people, from growing up in a small town, to finding his identity through friendship, community, work and music.
I hope those who visit will see something of themselves in Terry’s story, and understand the ways so many of us have benefited from his legacy. When Terry died there wasn’t even a test for HIV, let alone any treatment. Now we have the opportunity to end the epidemic in the UK by 2030. We owe it to Terry and everyone we lost to turn that goal into reality.”
TOP BY CLAYE BOWLER (10 September – 23 November)
Queer Britain is delighted to bring this important work to London for the first time following its debut at the Henry Moore Institute in 2022. A deeply personal exhibition exploring the artist’s seven-year journey through the UK’s healthcare system to access gender-affirming top surgery.
Drawings, films, photographs, letters, sculptures, and collections make up an archive of the emotions and physicality of being trans.
Claye Bowler, artist, said: “When creating Top, I initially thought it was about dysphoria, but through sharing it and engaging with visitors during its first showing, I realised it’s actually a celebration of being trans and overcoming struggle. I’m excited to share the work again with Queer Britain visitors, allowing people to experience this joy again. The work also comments on queerness in a museum context, of the purpose of museums, and of collecting objects. As the first museum dedicated to LGBTQ+ stories, Queer Britain offers the perfect context for this work to resonate and question these ideas.”
This exhibition is made possible with a grant from the Weston Loan Programme with Art Fund, and support from The Wellcome Collection and the Arts Council Collection.
A NEW CHAPTER
With newly appointed Museum Director Andrew Given (formerly of English National Opera) at the helm, Queer Britain is entering an exciting new chapter.
Andrew Given said: “Walking through our galleries never fails to inspire, as I see the record of activism and change that our community has achieved. But there are so many stories yet to be told. That’s why we are delighted to announce this exciting programme of exhibitions — ensuring that Queer Britain continues to be a vital space for all LGBTQ+ stories.”
