Queer Space Archive (QSA) researches and shares the history of venues such as pubs, nightclubs, bars, and community centres, starting with Birmingham. It aims to make this history accessible through exhibitions, events, publications, and online resources.
Some queer venues were not photographed. This might have been because of the negative attitudes and judgments attached to queer identities and spaces in the past. Cameras were also not as common as they are today, so there are few records showing what these venues looked like. When photographs do exist, they are often kept in personal archives that most people can’t access. Through workshops and interviews, QSA works with communities to create new understandings of these spaces using drawings, conversations, and where possible, shared photographs and videos.
Across the UK, many queer spaces are at risk of closing because of redevelopment. In Birmingham, where QSA is based, a quarter of LGBTQ+ venues have closed since 2020. QSA helps fill archival gaps and shows how queer communities continue to find new ways to meet, create, and rebuild their spaces.
Founded and researched by Rían Kearney.
