Last July marked the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Sexual Offences Act, which saw the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in England and Wales. To mark this, many cultural organisations have been celebrating the LGBT+ community and examining the changes that the past five decades have brought.
Tales from the City at the Museum of Liverpool focuses on the personal stories and experiences of the LGBT+ community in the city, set against the backdrop of national changes. It examines how attitudes in society have changed and how the LGBT+ community was affected by this, and considers what the future may hold. The exhibition was curated by the museum in partnership with Homotopia, a Liverpool-based arts and social justice organisation, with a steering group providing an advisory role on the content.
Near the entrance of the exhibition a detailed timeline across two walls sets the context and themes of the show. It lists major national and local events along with references to significant international incidents such as the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York. The timeline helps to make visitors aware of the huge number of events and campaigns that the LGBT+ community has engaged in over the past 50 years in its strive for equality. The displays then divide into three sections, taking visitors on a largely chronological journey of how the LGBT+ community in Liverpool responded to these events.
In the first section, visitors are immersed in the lives of the city’s LGBT+ community through film and audio testimonies, donated objects and official documents, with supporting written commentary and testimonies from the people who donated items. Film and listening posts create intimate experiences through the voices of people talking about living with the fear of imprisonment, dealing with the HIV/Aids crisis and the campaigns against the Section 28 clause. This section of the Local Government Act 1988 prohibited local authorities from “promoting” homosexuality or gay “pretended family relationships”, and prevented them from spending money on educational materials and projects perceived as supporting a gay lifestyle.
Stories of coming of age, first sexual experiences and the growth of new friendships are also shared through the audio content. Some of the items on display in cabinets are partially hidden by frosted glass, which symbolises how many people had to hide their sexuality. This is a novel approach to presentation and does not harm the interpretation.
Musical connections
The next section connects visitors to the vibrancy of LGBT+ culture. Visitors walk through a display of costumes from local icons, including Holly Johnson from pop group Frankie Goes to Hollywood and the military uniform of Caroline Paige, the first openly trans person to serve in the British armed forces. A selection of rousing and celebratory tunes, such as Tom Robinson’s Glad to Be Gay and Gloria Gaynor singing I Am What I Am, accompany the displays.
The music can be heard through all the spaces and is another device to engage visitors with the LGBT+ journey. The music links well to the displays as you walk through. Protest banners and T-shirts from community support and campaign groups are emblazoned along the walls behind the costumes, showcasing the camaraderie in the community.
The exhibition ends with an area for reflection, where most of the interactives are located. This is a colourful space that asks visitors to contribute their thoughts and stories to the displays. There is an excellent range of books, leaflets and literature for adults and little ones to read and enhance their understanding of LGBT+ issues. I was impressed by how effective the use of memory maps were in capturing the emotional experiences of LGBT+ people in Liverpool in different eras. This was an excellent method of interpreting the journey of the community.
The exhibition aims to consider what the future may hold for LGBT+ people and this reflective area is an appropriate space in which to start these discussions.
The layout of the exhibition makes it easy to navigate the displays, though it may have been better to use interactive elements in all the areas, rather than in one section alone. This would have given visitors the opportunity to respond to the shared stories as they moved through the exhibition, rather than at the end. I visited with my 13-month-old daughter and would have liked her to experience interactive elements as we went through the show. The personal testimony section did not have many family-friendly elements, though my daughter loved dancing through the costume display and looking at books in the reflective section.
Enduring stories
The central area of the first section was spacious, though it would have been nice if some of the costumes or interactives were displayed in this space. Some softer hues in the lighting or wall colours would have been a welcome touch in some areas, as the bright lighting doesn’t always help to reflect the warmth of the community in the voices.
It is an accessible exhibition with clear text and labels, displays at good heights for wheelchair users and excellent use of subtitled audiovisual material throughout. The majority of the labels were in laminated spiral booklets on stands at accessible heights with none in the display cases. It was refreshing to be able to just absorb an object in its own right without having to locate the corresponding text in the display case, but on occasion I had to wait for a spiral booklet to become available.
The curation seamlessly ties together the thoughts and opinions of the LGBT+ community in Liverpool – through their personal contributions – with the official contextual information. The voices resonate through the exhibition spaces and the participants talk of the importance of the visibility that this show brings to the community and the issues it faces.
With the 2017 LGBT+ celebrations having ended, it is important for organisations to consider how they can continue to tell these stories and build on relationships with partners and contributors to support campaigns for equality.
The Museum of Liverpool has managed to foster a relationship with Homotopia, having previously worked together on a number of exhibitions. I look forward to seeing the next chapter in their relationship and how some of the stories from this exhibition can be incorporated into the wider displays in the Museum of Liverpool.
Lisa Gillen is the learning officer at the People’s History Museum, Manchester
Main funder National Museums Liverpool
Exhibition design and fitout National Museums Liverpool
Graphic design Coldlight Creative
AV design National Museums Liverpool; Thinking Film; Light-box; First Take
Exhibition ends 31 March 2019
Admission Free
Tales from the City at the Museum of Liverpool focuses on the personal stories and experiences of the LGBT+ community in the city, set against the backdrop of national changes. It examines how attitudes in society have changed and how the LGBT+ community was affected by this, and considers what the future may hold. The exhibition was curated by the museum in partnership with Homotopia, a Liverpool-based arts and social justice organisation, with a steering group providing an advisory role on the content.
Near the entrance of the exhibition a detailed timeline across two walls sets the context and themes of the show. It lists major national and local events along with references to significant international incidents such as the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York. The timeline helps to make visitors aware of the huge number of events and campaigns that the LGBT+ community has engaged in over the past 50 years in its strive for equality. The displays then divide into three sections, taking visitors on a largely chronological journey of how the LGBT+ community in Liverpool responded to these events.
In the first section, visitors are immersed in the lives of the city’s LGBT+ community through film and audio testimonies, donated objects and official documents, with supporting written commentary and testimonies from the people who donated items. Film and listening posts create intimate experiences through the voices of people talking about living with the fear of imprisonment, dealing with the HIV/Aids crisis and the campaigns against the Section 28 clause. This section of the Local Government Act 1988 prohibited local authorities from “promoting” homosexuality or gay “pretended family relationships”, and prevented them from spending money on educational materials and projects perceived as supporting a gay lifestyle.
Stories of coming of age, first sexual experiences and the growth of new friendships are also shared through the audio content. Some of the items on display in cabinets are partially hidden by frosted glass, which symbolises how many people had to hide their sexuality. This is a novel approach to presentation and does not harm the interpretation.
Musical connections
The next section connects visitors to the vibrancy of LGBT+ culture. Visitors walk through a display of costumes from local icons, including Holly Johnson from pop group Frankie Goes to Hollywood and the military uniform of Caroline Paige, the first openly trans person to serve in the British armed forces. A selection of rousing and celebratory tunes, such as Tom Robinson’s Glad to Be Gay and Gloria Gaynor singing I Am What I Am, accompany the displays.
The music can be heard through all the spaces and is another device to engage visitors with the LGBT+ journey. The music links well to the displays as you walk through. Protest banners and T-shirts from community support and campaign groups are emblazoned along the walls behind the costumes, showcasing the camaraderie in the community.
The exhibition ends with an area for reflection, where most of the interactives are located. This is a colourful space that asks visitors to contribute their thoughts and stories to the displays. There is an excellent range of books, leaflets and literature for adults and little ones to read and enhance their understanding of LGBT+ issues. I was impressed by how effective the use of memory maps were in capturing the emotional experiences of LGBT+ people in Liverpool in different eras. This was an excellent method of interpreting the journey of the community.
The exhibition aims to consider what the future may hold for LGBT+ people and this reflective area is an appropriate space in which to start these discussions.
The layout of the exhibition makes it easy to navigate the displays, though it may have been better to use interactive elements in all the areas, rather than in one section alone. This would have given visitors the opportunity to respond to the shared stories as they moved through the exhibition, rather than at the end. I visited with my 13-month-old daughter and would have liked her to experience interactive elements as we went through the show. The personal testimony section did not have many family-friendly elements, though my daughter loved dancing through the costume display and looking at books in the reflective section.
Enduring stories
The central area of the first section was spacious, though it would have been nice if some of the costumes or interactives were displayed in this space. Some softer hues in the lighting or wall colours would have been a welcome touch in some areas, as the bright lighting doesn’t always help to reflect the warmth of the community in the voices.
It is an accessible exhibition with clear text and labels, displays at good heights for wheelchair users and excellent use of subtitled audiovisual material throughout. The majority of the labels were in laminated spiral booklets on stands at accessible heights with none in the display cases. It was refreshing to be able to just absorb an object in its own right without having to locate the corresponding text in the display case, but on occasion I had to wait for a spiral booklet to become available.
The curation seamlessly ties together the thoughts and opinions of the LGBT+ community in Liverpool – through their personal contributions – with the official contextual information. The voices resonate through the exhibition spaces and the participants talk of the importance of the visibility that this show brings to the community and the issues it faces.
With the 2017 LGBT+ celebrations having ended, it is important for organisations to consider how they can continue to tell these stories and build on relationships with partners and contributors to support campaigns for equality.
The Museum of Liverpool has managed to foster a relationship with Homotopia, having previously worked together on a number of exhibitions. I look forward to seeing the next chapter in their relationship and how some of the stories from this exhibition can be incorporated into the wider displays in the Museum of Liverpool.
Lisa Gillen is the learning officer at the People’s History Museum, Manchester
Project data
Cost £50,000Main funder National Museums Liverpool
Exhibition design and fitout National Museums Liverpool
Graphic design Coldlight Creative
AV design National Museums Liverpool; Thinking Film; Light-box; First Take
Exhibition ends 31 March 2019
Admission Free
